Dreamworld features a wide selection of fantastical and diverse Australian attractions all in one place. Exploring this huge theme park takes a whole day and incorporates wildlife observation, movie-themed attractions, and thrilling rides.
This amusement park took seven years to build and opened in 1981. Some of the world’s tallest (at the time) roller-coaster rides were added over the past 30 years. The park covers a lot of ground, but two restored steam trains provide visitors easy access to the main attractions.
Adrenaline is the name of the game on the Big 9 Thrill Rides. The Tower of Terror II, arguably one of the world's most extreme rides, catapults you 100 metres (328 feet) into the air at 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, followed by a face-first free-fall. Take a wild rickshaw ride on Pandamonium, based on the movie Kung Fu Panda. Get strapped in with just a waist harness for the 46-metre (150-foot) ascent of the BuzzSaw roller coaster, which spins and tips upside-down at lightning speeds.
For young children there are some tamer, movie-themed rides. Take a breather in the Dreamworld cinema, or hop into a vintage car. Spend an hour with native Australian animals and endangered Bengal tigers. For an extra fee, go behind the scenes at Tiger Island and join the handlers feeding the tigers and crocodiles from a safe-but-intimate distance.
Watch a sheep-shearing show, and visit the koalas, wombats, kangaroos, bilbies, and hundreds of other Australian species that live at Dreamworld. The Sunset Safari is a great time to see nocturnal animals just as they are beginning to become active.
Dreamworld is located at Coomera on the Gold Coast. The park is open daily, except Christmas Day and ANZAC Day, April 25. During school holidays, the attractions get very crowded. Dreamworld is the biggest of all the Gold Coast theme parks. Buy a VIP Pass if you also want to visit WhiteWater World next door.
