Gold Coast’s new rollercoaster has a sting in its tail
Travelling at 105km per hour and with a G-force of 3.8 – about the same as astronauts experience during a rocket launch – the Steel Taipan is Dreamworld’s newest attraction.
The new rollercoaster is expected to attract an additional 250,000 visitors to Dreamworld annually, providing a $30.75 million boost to the Queensland economy.
The rollercoaster has opened for business just as Queensland’s summer season kicks off and the state’s border opens to visitors from New South Wales and Victoria.
The Steel Taipan is one of 22 projects supported through the Queensland Government’s Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund, a key part of the state’s Economic Recovery Strategy.
It received $3.2 million from the fund towards construction costs.
Construction began in October last year. The project provided employment for over 200 people across the local Gold Coast economy, with nearly 100 per cent of trades awarded to south-east Queensland businesses at a value of over $15 million.
The new rollercoaster is expected to support 30 ongoing operational jobs.
The Steel Taipan is 1.2km of twists, turns and multiple launches.
Fitting in with the snake-theme of the ride, and in a world-first, the rear gondola spins 360-degrees as the rollercoaster goes through twists and turns.
The design is based on the Blue Fire rollercoaster at Europa Park in Germany.
Both rollercoasters were built by German manufacturer MACK Rides, one of the world’s oldest amusement industry producers.
Gold Coast company Condev Constructions Pty Ltd led the construction at Dreamworld.