Australian Amusement Fanatics

The Ballarat Show is on next weekend. Rides appearing are: Space Roller, Crazy Cars, Hard Rock, Breakdance, XXXL, Speed, Scorpion, Crazy Coaster, Cliff Hanger, Hangover, Techno Jump, Midnight Madness and Ghost Train. Interesting that Scorpion will be there, I can't wait to ride again. I will try and get down next week with some pre-shows pics and I will have a review and some pics from the show and maybe some vids of the rides, I will be uploading these to youtube for all you's to view. Please note that these rides are not 100% that these rides will come, any ride could pull out at any time.

Space Roller Freak

Scorpion doin work! Great to see it getting around a bit... Great ride...

what about Sky Flyer, thought that would be going

I thought that too huss, I thought that they would substitute Cliff Hanger for Sky Flyer.

Was at the gounds a few hours ago. Magic Circus, Crazy Cars and Midnight Madness are parked outside the grounds waiting to go in tomorrow. Speed & XXXL are all packed up at Echuca and ready to hit the road, they will arrive later tonight. I have also heard a rumour that Shorts Zipper which was at Echuca this weekend could make a appearance at the show. I hope it does, but please note I am not 100% that it will come. Here is a few pics of the rides parked outside the gates.

Magic Circus:



Crazy Cars:


Midnight Madness:


I will be down at the grounds taking some pics of the setup tomorrow after school, I plan to go into the grounds each day to see how the setup is going.

Thanks for the photos mate. First time I've seen the B-double set for Pink's Crazy Cars. Should be a good lineup for the weekend.

If Laurie's Techno Jump does go that shoud arrive Monday night/Tuesday morning after coming up from Campbelltown here in Sydney

No worries top gunner, and there will be plenty more to come in the next week. I'm not sure if Laurie's Techno Jump is goin. Looks to be a good lineup from what i am being told.

I got down to the grounds today I took some pics. For some reason XXXL, Crazy Coaster & Zipper will deffinatly not be coming to the Ballarat Show, these rides pulled out at the last minute, for unknown reasons. I have also been informed that other rides could pull out too.

Crazy Cars:
Was lowered today and is ready to have the track extended out aswell as the signage.


Hangover:
Arrived today, but seemed to be no setup going on.


Hard Rock:
Also arrived today, they started setup just as I left the grounds, it appears that it will be in the same position as it was last year.


Speed:
Compleatly setup, just needs the arms to be swung out and the canvas taken off the cars. It looks good with the new artwork and I hope it works this year.


Breakdance:
No setup today, it probbly arrived late in the day.


Blades Dodgems:
I honestly don't know why we need 2 dodgem tracks, dodgems are popular but last year crazy cars was getting heaps of people and these were getting hardly any.


Space Roller:
Arrived late in the day, probably won’t start setup until tomorrow.



Sky Flyer:
Was just sitting in the sun awaiting setup, it looks very shiny.


Magic Circus:
The signage for the stop of the ride has been completed it just needs to be raised and have the decorations put on.



Midnight Madness:
Was just sitting also in the sun awaiting the setup to begin, I thought that they would have started by now.



That’s all for this afternoon, I plan to go to the grounds again tomorrow night, but I can’t promise anything. I have been told that Cliff Hanger is still coming, I’m not sure about Scorpion, but I recon they have enough room to fit it. Also I have been told that maybe Kamikaze could come, but I am not sure which one it would be and someone's ghost train is ment to turn-up. Huss are you still going, I hope Midnight Madness turning up didn’t put you off.

Thanks again SRF. Just a tip before you post the photos, reckon you could resize them before posting, as half the photo is cut out when being displayed in the forum. Great seeing Sky Flyer racked and funny seeing Magic Circus' Signage up while still hooked up to the truck

Oh ok, It looks fine on my computer but then I do have a wide computer screen. I will change them around. Thanks top gunner.

Naa leave those photos just try it with the next, yeh I have a 17-18 inch screen and some of the photo is cut out. I do my pics at 830 x 622 just to give you an idea

It doesn't matter I have done it, I hope they fit better onto your screen top gunner.

Cheers for that, yeh its better, didn't have to go to all that trouble though

fu**... no XXXL maybe ill give this show a miss?

i thought pinks track all folded out, but it looks like i am wrong, i would love to see more of how it is put up, to me it is one of the best rides around simply due to the size and how shiny it is still, they do a very good job of presenting it

I like speeds new artwork. Looks like it should be an alright show.

Headed down to the showground's today and I had a surprise when I seen one of Flashdance’s car’s were peaking over the top of the trailer. I am happy that the ride will be at the show, I will finally get to try it.

Crazy Cars:
The track was extended out today, the roof needs to be raised, the platform around the ride and then the cars added in.


Flashdance:
Good to see this ride, only arrived today, will probably start setup tomorrow.


Hangover:
All is complete with the ride is facing a different angle, to last year to take up more space.


Cliff Hanger:
Also arrived today the fence was the only thing set up today.


Hard Rock:
Half way through setup, the arms that hold the cars still need to be swung out aswell as the platform built up.


Breakdance:
Was in the same position as last year, the back wall is almost complete the cars just need to be swung out.


Midnight Madness:
Not much happened today, pretty much just got on it’s site which is at the back of where Crazy Coaster was last year.


Space Roller:
Not much setup today, the arm was swing out and were in early stages of setup.


Roller Ghoster:
The ride has arrived, no setup today.


Sky Flyer:
All completed the tower looks quite small when you're up close to it.


Magic Circus:
Was raised today, it just needs the final touches given to it.


I wonder weather a Ferris Wheel will turn up or not and also weather Sea Circus will make it?

Yeh Sky Flyer does look smaller, even in that photo. Thanks for the photos again, good shot of Hard Rock like that, never really seen it getting set-up before

Well done SRF.

very interesting photos. thanks for sharing SRF!

Headed down to the showgrounds today, this will probably be my last set of pre-show pics. Anyways Ferris Wheel arrived today and started to setup.

Crazy Cars:
Was completed today, had music pumping when I got there.


Flashdance:
Was also completed today, the workers were hosing the ride off. The ride looks more compact than I thought.


Hard Rock:
Another ride completed today, and was also hosing off the ride, when I was leavin they were using brooms and soap to clean it I thought it was a bit funny.


Breakdance:
Nearly completed just needs one piece of the backwall.


Cliff Hanger:
Was completed today, looks good with the yellow instead of the green.


Midnight Madness:
Just a few more decorations needed to be added.


Blades Dodgems:
Was completed today also.


Space Roller:
Was pretty much completed.


Roller Ghoster:
Completed today, looks good.


Ferris Wheel:
Just started to unpack some of the fences and stuff.


Well that ends my pre-show pics thanks very much for all your kind comments.

cool show, but im giving it a miss this year... fk 35degree heat!

Had a good day at the show yesterday, I was a bit surprised that the crowds weren’t heavy and the rides weren’t popular at all. I hope the show doesn’t put ride owners and operators off for next years show. Anyways on with the review.

Midway:






Crazy Cars:
Looks very impressive, decent ride but not many people riding every now and then you seen all the cars being used other wise less than half.


Sky Flyer:
Looks good, wasn’t popular at all but when people were riding was giving a quick ride.




Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmuGtkxIABA

Hangover:
Very little people riding, also a few letters on the top of the ride weren’t working.




Flashdance:
My first time on this machine. This ride sure is fast and even faster backwards. Decent ride and heaps of rider interaction.



Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlfOy6doFCI

Hard Rock:
I tried this one again after I was put off after MS08. But I really enjoyed it this time, was a decent ride length aswell. The ride looks very bright as always but a few globes were blown on the carriages.





Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8bWKfhLaTw

Cliff Hanger:
By far the least popular ride, was the cheapest major ride at $6 or 3 for $15, I didn’t ride.


Breakdance:
Looking immaculate as always, a few people riding but not many.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLBY_1-pKmc

Speed:
The new artwork is looking good and so do the lights at night. I rode this one for the first time, and I would rather Chant’s Freestyle by far. Speed didn’t seem to have any crashing towards the ground moments. A decent ride, but I won’t ride in the dark again.



Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dWMgaa86C0

Midnight Madness:
I was actually impressed with how the ride looked and with this a combination of great rider interaction and fog and strobes. Had a ride, and I had the most fun I have ever had on a Ali Baba. The ride had a decent time giving riders a view of the grounds.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_L9fZ68-Nw

Space Roller:
Looking great as always had a decent amount of people riding and was the only ride that had a decent ride. Had 3 goes on this great machine, some very intense rides the most I have ever had on Space Roller.





Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SD7P4rUP2E

Roller Ghoster:
Pretty much no people riding at all, looked good though.


Blades Dodgems:
Wasn’t popular at all, I don’t see why we need two sets of dodgems, Crazy Cars is enough.


Magic Circus:
Was very popular with all ages, didn’t ride but it is good to have a European funhouse that does country shows.


Well, that is the Ballarat Show for this year, I was a bit disappointed as to why XXXL wasn’t there, but that’s life.

Cheers for the photos and videos, went to a bit of effort there whcih is great. Midnight Madness looks like its had some work done to it which is good, must admit was looking a bit messy and shabby up the top of the tower when I saw it at Penrith.

Thanks Top Gunner, yeah Midnight Madness looked to have some work done to it, I really liked the LED lights on the top of the carriage. I have also got a Hangover vid, I havn't uploaded it yet I just wanted to see if anyone wanted to see it?