AT: John W.C. Robinson
GOLD COAST, Australia — It was announced in 2019, but with global circumstances being what they are, Steel Taipan, an impressive new launched coaster, opened at Dreamworld at the close of 2021. Although the road to the ride’s debut has been long, park officials are confident the journey has been worth the wait.
Provided by Mack Rides, Steel Taipan adds a fourth coaster to the Australian park. Additionally, the significant investment is an ideal way to usher in the park’s 40th anniversary.
“We’re incredibly excited to offer not only the country’s best roller coaster but also an incredible lineup of entertainment this summer at Dreamworld,” said CEO Greg Yong. “This is a fantastic opportunity to thank our locals for their ongoing support, as well as an unbeatable experience for our long-awaited interstate tourists to enjoy during their Gold Coast travels. As our biggest ever investment, we’re confident that we’ll help all our guests make unforgettable memories on Steel Taipan this summer.”
Hardcore coaster fans will recognize much of the layout is a replication of Mack’s immensely popular Blue Fire model. However, Dreamworld’s installation comes with significant differences to take the creativity factor up a level. Instead of a single launch, the ride experience sends passengers forward before they roll back into a second pass over linear synchronous motors to send them soaring and spiraling up a twisted reverse point. The third pass creates a speed of 65 mph, which sends trains into the complete circuit.
“Steel Taipan is an adaption of the Blue Fire layout with a completely redesigned launch area,” said Maximilian Roeser, marketing, Mack Rides. “After leaving the station, riders pass a track switch that allows us to use the launch track three times: for an initial forward launch up the horseshoe element, rolling and launching back to a twisted spike and then the final launch to the maximum speed. And to top it all off, we proposed our HybridTrain to Dreamworld as a world’s first, and we are very happy with the feedback we received from the guests. We tested the spinning cars at Europa-Park and the ride experience was a lot more intense and thrilling: a wonderful add-on for our launch coasters in the future!”
“The triple-launch system is my favorite feature of the ride,” said Yong. “Steel Taipan is the first triple-launch coaster in the Southern Hemisphere.”
The layout has numerous elements praised for their smoothness. A large loop looms over the coaster; however, riders are inverted three other times through exhilarating rolls that are navigated with a lap bar. The train’s design has been praised by coaster fans since the original Blue Fire was introduced at Europa-Park in 2009.
Another notable difference is the addition of spinning seats on the final carriage on one of the trains. Dubbed “Tailwhip,” this innovation adds an entirely new dimension to the ride as a pair of riders rotate in different directions throughout the experience, stipulated by the weight of the passengers. In this seat, each ride experience is extremely different. Because of the limited nature of this specific car, bookings are required. According to the park, this is a “pay per play” experience, and visitors pay AUD 25 for the opportunity to experience it. Guests can make arrangements online before their visit or at the park if availability remains.
“The spinning car was part of the initial proposal,” noted Roeser. “We thought of a hybrid version a lot after the introduction of the Xtreme Spinning Coaster. We wanted to combine both seat arrangements onto the launch coaster base and create this also for a retrofit of existing Mack launch coasters. That’s why we are more than happy to also bring the HybridTrain to Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.”
Track length is 3,937 feet, and the use of a section of switch track allows for two-train operation with one being loaded and unloaded in the station.
Many coasters use an angled reverse point with a straight piece of track. The spiraling reverse point on Steel Taipan provides an additional element of artistry for spectators.
“We wanted to create a feature that would add to the ride experience even more than a straight track element,” Roeser told Amusement Today. “With the twisted spike, the people in the back of the train not only reach the highest point of this element, but also the spinning seats will get an additional force here. It’s super spectacular to ride this element in those seats.”
A taipan is a highly venomous snake native to Australia. Overhanging shade structures sport a snakeskin motif to help carry out the theme. The lead car on each train features snake eyes as well.
Construction was led by project managers RLB and Condev Construction.
“Visionary projects like this accelerate our COVID economic recovery and create more jobs for Queenslanders,” said Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick.
Construction supported 200 Gold Coast jobs.
The ride opened on December 14, 2021.
This article appears in the FEBRUARY 2022 issue of Amusement Today.
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