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{ Dreamworld By
Angela}
A Unique "Family" Vacation
During July I was
invited to run in the Down Under Cross Country International Games
held in Australia. I was put on a team with ten other boys and
girls from throughout Washington to represent this state in two
races. None of us had previously known each other. After our
exhausting 14 hour airplane ride into Sydney, we were able to tour
such amazing sites as the famous Sydney Opera House, the Sydney
Harbour Bridge, the destination for the Olympics coming up, and
many other sites as well. Then we headed to the Gold Coast, which
had absolutely gorgeous weather for it being their winter. Over the
course of just two weeks, my team began to feel very much like a
family, for we had all grown very close to one another. We had a
number of great times together and countless unforgettable memories
that we will hopefully cherish for the rest of our
lives.
Racing Through
Dreamworld
While we were at the beautiful Gold Coast, all
of the cross country teams had the opportunity to spend a day at an
amusement park called Dreamworld. It didn't take long before we
figured out that one day was clearly not enough time to see all
that this place has to offer to its visitors.
Tower of Terror
The first thing on all of our agendas was to go on all of the rides
there. First on our list was to go on what is known as the Tower of
Terror. This is the fastest, tallest ride in the world and despite
weighing around 6 tons, the Escape Pod accelerates to a world
record of 161 kilometers per hour (kph) in just 7 seconds. It
starts inside an 11-meter high skull surrounded by eerie tunnels
and twisted concrete and then passes through broad daylight up a
track that curves up the 115-meter high tower. Then as you climb
the equivalent of a 38-story building, you fall backward only to
end up right back to reality.
Free Fall
Our
next ride was The Giant Drop, which is the tallest free-fall ride
in the world. Eight of us brave souls decided to be hauled up 39
stories high. Temporarily, you are amazed by the gorgeous view of
the Gold Coast coastline, but then your peaceful moment is taken
over by the thrill of the fall and having your legs dangle freely
from one of the seats.
Wipeout!
Next on
the list was to go on the Ocean Parade's Wipeout, which is only one
of three of its kind in the world. This ride twists, spins, and
flips as it takes a 14 meter crashing wave, which undoubtedly gets
your adrenaline charged by the end.
Upside Down in the Land
Down Under
The last of our rides we planned to test out was
the Thunderbolt, Australia's fastest double loop roller coaster
running up to 87 kph. The excitement of being upside down was
great. Although we had to wait in line for quite a while to get on
all of these rides, it was well worth it.
Mad about
Marsupials
Even though there were many other rides offered
at this amusement park, the rides are just a small part of what is
offered and because of time we decided to go and explore some of
those other areas. What makes this amusement park so unique in
comparison to others that I have visited in the United States was
being able to visit what I believe lies within the heart of
Australia and that is having the chance to meet those lovable
Australian marsupials, koalas. Your trip to Australia would not be
compete without having seen or perhaps gotten a photo with one of
the koalas there. There were also emus, kangaroos, wallabies,
cassowaries, wombats and a wide variety of birds and reptiles that
should not be missed or go unnoticed. What a unique
experience!
Giving in to
Temptation
By that time we were hungry and needed a bite to
eat. The only problem was choosing which place to go. Everything
seemed quite tempting, but eventually we gave into the fresh bakery
and ice cream shop that had lured us in with its appetizing
smells.
Magnificant
Seven
While we were in there we heard a live band playing
not too far away and couldn't resist following our ears to the
place where it was coming from, stopping and listening to them
perform. The group was named Seven and after their live
performance, my whole team all rushed over to the store to buy
their CD. They were even kind enough to sign our CDs and
posters.
Stunt Men
When
the band was through playing, there was a man on a motorcycle doing
all sorts of entertaining stunts that drew a crowd of people right
away and we all couldn't help but watch out of sheer
amazement.
We Only Just
Begun
Before we knew it, it was already time to go and we
hadn't even begun to see everything that was in the amusement park.
For a hot day like that particular day was, we could have gone on
the Aqualoop Flume Ride, Krakatoa's Revenge water slide or the fast
Toboggan ride, all of which eventually splash down into the Blue
Lagoon pool. There were a lot of things that we did not get to see
or do--one of which was going on a double-decked paddle wheeler
that takes you all along the Murrissippi River and docks at
Rivertown for a special show. We could have also taken a ride on
the longest private railway system in Australia that begins from
their Central Station. The Dreamworld Gold Coast Railway visits
stations at four areas within the park. On the other hand, we could
have visited Tiger Island, which is a unique animal attraction
featuring rare white and gold Bengal tigers and their handlers, or
perhaps see its many live performers and plays shown throughout the
place. Whatever the urge may be, I am sure you will find it at
Dreamworld, for they certainly surpassed all my expectations of how
an amusement park could be enjoyed by all ages. I never knew how
much fun doing research could be!