Australia has gotten a lot of attention in the coaster community as of late.
Almost every park in the country has gotten or is in the midst of getting
a big expansion with multiple new roller coasters.
I recently visited Australia for my first and only time in 2023, hitting the major parks on the east
coast. So in this video, I will rank my favorite 10 roller coasters I personally experienced.
Before starting the countdown, five things I need to note.
First, I have reviews already published for any ride that earned an official
spot on the list outside of number 10. Second, I will include honorable mentions on this
list for roller coasters that I have experienced clones or near clones elsewhere. This won’t be
an official spot since different clones can run differently in terms of speed and smoothness.
Third, I did not visit Melbourne and that Luna Park on this trip. Therefore, you will not see
the Scenic Railway on this list. I’ve heard it’s not a particularly thrilling ride, so it likely
would have been near the bottom of this list. But it’s a very historic ride that circles the
perimeter of the park multiple times. And it still operates with a brakeman or brakewoman.
Fourth, I visited in early 2023. This means my visit is before Warner Bros.
Movie World opens their new Wizard of Oz area with three new coasters from Vekoma.
There will be a suspended coaster that is a clone of Orkanen at Farup Sommerland,
and dueling family boomerangs that will be a clone of Tweestryd at Wildlands Adventure Zoo. Likewise,
Dreamworld is opening Jungle Rush next year. This will be a unique Vekoma coaster with a turntable,
a dozen airtime moments, and impressive theming. Fifth, I encountered a few unfortunate ride
closures. Since I have not ridden a clone of these coasters elsewhere,
they will not place on the list. This included: Jet Rescue at Sea World- This is a really cool
looking Intamin motorbike coaster, but it was down for maintenance when I visited. It has two
launches, hugs the ground, and appears to have great pacing. If this rides like the second half
of Juvelen at Djurs Sommerland, meaning it has a great sense of speed and some sneaky forceful
elements, this should be a punchy ride that would have placed towards the middle of the list.
Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster at Warner Bros. Movie World- This looks to be one of the
world’s best wild mouse coasters. This Mack creation has extensive theming around the live
action Scooby Doo movie, but it is closed for a multi-year refurbishment. As it stands, the
ride has multiple dark ride scenes at the start and end of the experience. Then the main layout
has a surprise at the start before the usual series of hairpin turns and dips in the dark.
Wild Mouse at Luna Park Sydney- I’ve seen two wooden wild mice,
yet both were closed. I’ve heard these are a lot more thrilling than their steel counterparts,
offering some wild airtime on the drops. This ride has been closed for almost a year at this
point for trackwork with no estimated reopening. 10) Road Runner Rollercoaster at Warner Bros.
Movie World- Something had to claim the 10 spot and it goes to this extended Vekoma roller skater.
The initial helix has a little force. Then the standard layout is plussed
by some rockwork and audio effects. Boomerang at Luna Park Sydney- This ride
was closed for refurbishment, but I’ve ridden its clone in Rewind Racers at Adventure City.
This is Gerstlauer’s take on the family shuttle coaster. Most of the layout is mild and par for
the course for a family coaster, but the backwards helix has some genuinely good force to it.
9) Motocoaster at Dreamworld- Intamin’s first straddle coaster is unfortunately the weakest
out there. You have an uninspired layout with slow, drawn out turns. It just doesn’t have the
same sense of speed as the later ones. The launch and first turn are decent at least.
I know some find the restraints too awkward to be enjoyable, but I think the motorbike
position is still a net positive here. I just wish the layout were stronger.
Dingo Racer at Aussie World- This is a newer Reverchon spinning coaster with a banked turn
after the first drop. I rode one of these in Heidi the Coaster on the German fair circuit.
While the turn helps the pacing, the overall experience rides similar to your usual spinning
wild mouse. You have a few zippy drops. Then the second half can spin you like a top.
Surfrider at Warner Bros. Movie World- I’ve ridden several of these Intamin half pipe coasters. They
typically offer a ride comparable to a big frisbee. You get weightlessness on the spikes
with some positives on the valley. Some spin more than others, but Australia’s will be notable for
its placement smack dab in the center of Superman. That should yield some cool visuals on-ride.
8) Storm Coaster at Sea World- This Mack water coaster is a solid water ride.
Most of the coaster section feels gimmicky, but I like the ending. You have a big drop with some
airtime. Then you levitate out of your seat on the bunny hill that follows. You then hit the final
splashdown, getting quite wet, and float back to the station. But not before passing through
a dark ride section with some theming. You have all sorts of navigation equipment around you.
TNT at Gumbuya World- This is a Vekoma family suspended coaster that’s a clone of
Orkanen at Farup Sommerland. It’s a glass-smooth family coaster with fun turns and helixes.
Then you have a shockingly good start. You have a sizable drop into a tunnel
followed by a punchy overbank that is so sharp, it feels like an inversion.
Project Zero at Gunbuya World- I’ve ridden a few of these Maurer SkyLoops. These rides start
with a vertical lift that bends backwards, fully inverting riders. This transition and subsequent
barrel roll have amazing hangtime. Then you have another roll that leads into a forceful dive loop.
You then rock back-and-forth getting some extra hangtime and weightlessness.
The one con with this coaster is the final stop. The restraints hug your tummy,
so when you stop on an incline, it delivers a gut punch that can knock the wind out of you.
7) Gold Coaster at Dreamworld- This is an above average Arrow looper. This one has a weird layout
by front-loading the turns and backloading the inversions, but I think it works. I like how
this one maintains its speed and the ride has some very forceful elements in the second half.
This includes the far turn and the two inversions. And the vest restraints eliminate any possible
headbanging, although the ride tracks well enough anyway. The only thing this
ride is missing is a spot of airtime or two. 6) Green Lantern at Warner Bros. Movie World-
If you’ve ridden any S&S El Loco outside of the Adventuredome one, this ride is nearly identical.
The one change is that this one has lap bars unlike the first few.
The ride doesn’t have the tightest pacing, but several elements are fun. The ride’s biggest
strength are the two inversions and the lap bars augment the already fantastic hangtime.
Then you have some funky turns and one of the world’s steepest drops. I love the visual of
the latter and you get some airtime, but not as much as you may suspect due to a trim.
5) Big Dipper at Luna Park Sydney- The prototype Intamin hot racer may not be
as extreme as the RMC single rails that came before it, but it’s still a quality coaster.
The second half is quite good. The launch has some good power. The non-inverting loop and
reverse sidewinder pull good Gs, plus good views. The one bunny hill offers nice floater airtime.
And the second half’s pacing and constant directional changes made me dizzy.
One con along with the aforementioned intensity is that the seats towards the back do have a
pretty bad rattle, so I would recommend the front if you’re sensitive to that.
Abyss at Adventure World- While this layout is technically custom, it is extremely similar to
Saw the Ride at Thorpe Park, so I’m placing this coaster off that one.
Both rides start with an enclosed section and a surprise hangtime-filled inversion.
Then you head outdoors. The beyond-vertical drop has wicked ejector airtime.
Then the rest of the layout has really good pacing for this model. You have some disorienting
inversions and a good airtime pop of two. The one con is that this ride has over-the-shoulder
restraints, so some of the transitions can bop your head, so you may want to lean forwards.
4) Steel Taipan at Dreamworld- This Mack launch coaster is a near clone of Europa Park's Blue
Fire with two key changes. First, you have a swing launch. While the acceleration isn't
quite as abrupt as the single launch of Blue Fire, the first and second ones have ok kicks.
Then the twisted spike is a disorienting and has crushing Gs at the base. Second and more notably,
you have the Tail Whip spinning seat in back. The car spins at a very slow and controlled rate,
but taking these elements sideways and backwards makes them so much better.
You have some spots of airtime and 4 inversions that all get you out of your seat. The best part
of this layout has always been that last barrel roll. It's similar to the mosasaurus roll.
It’s great in any row, but the spinning row really elevates the experience in my opinion.
3) Superman Escape at Warner Bros. Movie World- This is one of the best Intamin
accelerator coasters. It’s the best themed for sure. The coaster starts with an extended dark
ride section. Metropolis is being hit with an earthquake. You pass shaking lockers, a flood, and
crashed polic cars. Superman, who is on the back of the train, then promises to push you to safety.
The main coaster section starts with a very forceful hydraulic launch. It really yanks
you forwards. Then you head outdoors for 3 big airtime hills and some low turns. The
top hat and camelbacks offer very strong ejector airtime. Then the low turns have blistering speed,
with the one after top hat standing out since it offers greyout inducing forces.
2) Leviathan at Sea World- This Gravity Group creation is an incredibly well-paced wood coaster.
You haul start to finish, rocketing over bunny hills and sharply banked turns. There are at least
a dozen spots of airtime. It’s all floater, but you have a mix of sustained moments and
quicker pops. And it’s even more chaotic if you experience this layout in the backwards seat.
And since it’s a new coaster, it’s very smooth and I hope that remains the case over the years.
Last but not least, this coaster has some really cool theming as
part of the pre-boarding experience. That station is a work of art between
the themed cavern and TV screens with the sea creature swimming around you.
1) DC Rivals Hypercoaster at Warner Bros. Movie World-
This Mack hyper was my number one bucket list coaster and it was a fantastic ride. The layout
is super diverse. The start and end feature strong ejector airtime. That near-vertical twisting
drop offers intense negative Gs and laterals. The giant camelback offers several seconds of airtime.
And the non-inverting loop may be best of all, blending wild laterals with viscous airtime.
Then the finale features bunny hills with some powerful airtime as well. Then the middle section
offers a smattering of forces, as you have a lot low transitions and s-hills mixing airtime pops,
laterals, and positive Gs. While this part does have a minor pacing issue in most rows, it’s
rectified by the ride’s backwards seats. That row is special. The twists become very disorienting
and no other ride offers this much ejector airtime in reverse. It’s a magical experience.
So those are the top 10 roller coasters I experienced in Australia
plus some honorable mentions based upon experiences on similar rides elsewhere.
What are your favorite coasters in Australia or thoughts on any of the rides I mentioned? Let me
know down in the comments. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d appreciate it if you
gave this video a like and you considered subscribing because there will be a lot
more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!