Sunday 21 October 2001

Warning: Cyclone Set to Hit Gold Coast

Dreamworld whipped up a storm today (21/10) announcing the name of its new high-tech rollercoaster as CYCLONE

A $5 million investment, currently under construction, the rollercoaster will join Dreamworld’s collection of the tallest, fastest, thrill rides in the world, when it officially opens opening this Boxing Day (26/12).

Reaching speeds of up to 85km/ph, Dreamworld’s CYCLONE will be the biggest high-speed gravity rollercoaster of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Standing a terrifying 13-storeys (40 metres) high and weighing almost 1000 tonnes, the whirl wind CYCLONE is set to blow guests away with all the white-knuckle swoosh factors of a 360degree hair-raising loop and a screaming sidewinder.

“The ride will be a hugely powerful experience and we are confident guests will be blown away by it,” said Dreamworld Chief Executive Officer, Tony Braxton-Smith.

“The name ‘CYCLONE’ fits the ride perfectly, with lots of nail-biting twists and hair-raising turns to simulate being caught in a real cyclone.”

Mr Braxton-Smith said the name had been carefully selected following a thorough market research program.

“The initial ideas – including the CYCLONE concept - were formed in brainstorming sessions,” he said.

“Almost 100 names were generated. From this, we came down to a shortlist including ‘The Redback’, ‘The Torpedo’, ‘The Inferno’, ‘The Vortex’ and a variety of other thrill-seeking themes.

“Alternative theme concepts were then developed into a story board.

“These were put in front of numerous focus groups to test how the branding for the ride would fit with our traditional core market who love the big white-knuckle thrill rides.

“All the results showed ‘CYCLONE’ clearly stood out as the most suitable and alluring name for the rollercoaster.”

To make the fun last longer, Dreamworld is a two-day experience with Return Visitor Passes now only $10.

Mr Braxton-Smith said the rollercoaster was on schedule to be opened these Christmas holidays.

“The ground work is now complete and the massive jigsaw is being carefully put together to form the 800 metre long track.”

The CYCLONE will be positioned in front of Dreamworld’s existing Thunderbolt rollercoaster at the front right hand side of the park. The Thunderbolt will continue to operate.

CYCLONE is another addition to the park’s signature thrill ride experience, which includes the tallest and fastest rides in the world – The Giant Drop and the Tower of Terror.

Dreamworld is located just 25 minutes from Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes from Brisbane and is open between 10am and 5pm every day except Christmas Day.