Thursday 23 December 2004

Wild Christmas Party for Dreamworld residents

With feathers ruffled and fur fluffed, Dreamworld’s 800 native animals, eight tigers and two cougars are ready for a cracking Christmas Day this year as the park closes for 24 hours to commemorate the religious occasion.

On Christmas morning, up to 15 Dreamworld staff will play ‘Santa’ to the animals as they celebrate their one day off with tasty treats including nectar, fly pupae and other sumptuous goodies for Christmas lunch.

Dreamworld’s tigers will take their morning walk through the park with their devoted tiger handlers before settling in for an afternoon or rest and relaxation.

Celebrating their first Christmas at Dreamworld will be new residents, Jenna and Ethan, two 11month old koalas born at the park this year. Both are hoping Santa will deliver an extra sprig of eucalyptus leaf under the tree. Other new Christmas arrivals include baby lambs, goats and piglets at Dreamworld’s Farmyard Friends baby animal nursery.

Then it’s back to business as usual when the park re-opens from Boxing Day (26/1).

Dreamworld’s Australian Wildlife Experience is one of the largest native wildlife parks in South East Queensland with more than 800 native animals and a true Australian farms show. Guests can cuddle a koala, pat a kangaroo, feed the birds, get up close to the big crocs and maybe even shear a sheep.

Dreamworld is open from 10am to 5pm every day excluding Christmas Day (closed) and Anzac Day April 25 (open half day).

Saturday 27 November 2004

Dreamworld Takes Out Top Tourism Award

Dreamworld has been named the Gold Coast’s leading tourism operator at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards announced last night (Saturday 20/11).

The park took out the Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation category for its exemplary business practice, overall tourism experience and performance over the past 12 months.

Accepting the award at the gala presentation at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Dreamworld’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing Paul Sergeant said the entire Dreamworld team was delighted and humbled to receive the accolade.

“To be judged as one of the best in the business is certainly a great honour,” Mr Sergeant said.

“The award is a credit to our staff who work tirelessly to grow the tourism experience for the Gold Coast and Queensland as a whole.

“Their dedication ensures Dreamworld is much more than just a theme park. We are a registered zoo, a conservation and breeding centre, a multi-media broadcast and production centre, one of the country’s largest interactive classrooms and Australia’s leading specialty events venue.

“Big Brother, Nick Central and the park’s all new thrill ride, The Claw, have contributed to our success in recent years. The benefits then filter through to the Gold Coast community with most of our staff and suppliers based locally.”

The nine year old Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards seek to recognise exemplary business practice on the Gold Coast and heighten the awareness of quality and depth of business in the region.

Dreamworld Crowned Queensland's Top Tourist Attraction

Dreamworld was crowned Queensland’s number one Major Tourist Attraction at the Queensland Tourism Awards announced at the Gold Coast Convention Centre last night.

For the third year in a row, the park also took out the Tourism Product Marketing award, gaining automatic entry into the Hall of Fame.

Accepting the awards, Dreamworld CEO Stephen Gregg said the park was very humbled by the accolades.

“To win two awards and be inducted into the hall of fame on the one night is almost unheard of,” Mr Gregg said.

“It tops off a brilliant year for the park with great financial results and the opening of our all-new white-knuckle thrill ride, The Claw.

“During the awards period, we achieved significant results in terms of promoting the Queensland brand and achieving growth in overall domestic and international visitor numbers to Dreamworld and the destination.

“These results translated to the park’s and Queensland’s bottom line with increases in attendance, revenue and profit on the prior year.

“All the credit goes to our staff who work tirelessly to deliver an unforgettable experience for our guests.

“We are very honoured to wear the crown for Queensland and have our fingers tightly crossed to repeat the success when we represent the state in the national awards early next year.”

The Major Tourist Attraction award recognised Dreamworld as much more than a theme park. Dreamworld is an entertainment phenomenon, a thrill-seekers paradise, a multi-media production and broadcast centre, an educational interactive wildlife sanctuary and zoo, one of the country’s largest interactive classrooms and Australia’s leading specialty events venue.

Meanwhile, Dreamworld’s ‘So Many Worlds in One’ campaign, leveraging big name brands like Big Brother and Nickelodeon, clinched the Tourism Product Marketing award for the park.

Friday 17 September 2004

The Claw Tears Into Dreamworld

Queensland Tourism Minister Margaret Keech today (17/9) took the plunge on Dreamworld’s all-new white knuckle thrill ride, The Claw, alongside other daring local VIPS and celebrities.

Officially launching the new ride, Mrs Keech said the ride added a thrilling new dimension to the popular theme park.

“The Claw takes its place alongside Dreamworld’s other rides as an irresistible magnet for visitors to the park,” she said.

“Dreamworld enjoys an excellent international reputation as a quality park offering visitors world class facilities, with unbeatable thrill rides.

“Dreamworld is to be congratulated for this latest attraction, which is yet another tangible step in the park’s expansion to cater for thrill-seekers and other visitors.

“The theme park already attracts more than 1.2 million visitors a year. I have no doubt the new ride will swell that number.”

The Claw opens to Dreamworld guests tomorrow (18/9).

The first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, The Claw is the most powerful pendulum on the planet.

Riders dare to dice with 240 degrees of fear as they swing through nine storeys of pure adrenalin while spinning 360 degrees.

“The Claw pushes the thrill meter to a new level,” said Dreamworld CEO Stephen Gregg.

“At the end of each swing, you feel complete inertia, like time stops for a split second before your stomach ends up back in your mouth. It’s a great adrenalin rush.

“The Claw promises to keep even the most hardened thrill seeker on the edge of their seats.”

Costing more than $6 million, The Claw will headline Dreamworld’s stable of high-end thrill rides including:
· The Giant Drop – the tallest free-falling ride in the world;
· The Tower of Terror – one of the fastest rides in the world;
· Cyclone – the tallest high speed rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere; and
· The Wipeout – a twisting wild whopper of a ride.

"Pushing the boundaries further to provide Australian's with the best rides in the world is important in positioning Dreamworld as Australia's premier theme park. Today, Dreamworld is the pre-eminent theme park destination in this country and intends to stay that way,” said Neil Balnaves, Chairman Macquarie Leisure Trust – Dreamworld’s parent company.

The new investment tops off a five-year rollout of family attractions for the park including:
· Big Brother – first launched in 2000
· The Australian Wildlife Experience –redeveloped in 2001
· Cyclone rollercoaster - opened 2001
· Nick Central kids zone - opened 2002
· Tomb Raider – open Christmas 2003 to Easter 2004
· Farmyard Friends - opened Easter 2004

The park is also home to Tiger Island and a host of family rides and attractions including the Imax theatre, Blue Lagoon water park and lots more.

Dreamworld is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning. For online tickets and details visit www.dreamworld.com.au.

Thursday 22 July 2004

The Claw is Tearing Into Dreamworld

A giant Claw is getting pulses pumping at Dreamworld!

The ultimate thrill ride has slashed its way to the Southern Hemisphere and will soon take its place as the most terrifying talon in the world.

It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before! This September, prepare yourself for the most powerful pendulum on the planet and get ready for the ride of your life!

Dare to dice with 240 degrees and feel the fear of the ten to two o’clock swing.

There’s no escape as the floor withdraws, now you’re in the merciless clutches of The Claw.

Propelled 9 stories high, swinging up to 64km per hour and spinning 360 degrees you’ll experience insane gravity hang time as you perch perilously close to the edge.

Up to 90 seconds of free falling fear and Gyro Swing scare, The Claw is ripping up the records as
the ultimate rush of pure adrenalin.

It’s the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and the most menacing of its kind ever built; hold on tight for Dreamworld’s newest fingernail-biting, spine-tingling, knee-knocking nightmare… The Claw.