Australian Amusement Fanatics

yeah Id love to work on the Rainbow, even just taking tickets would be fun... haha yeah im easily pleased! FOR SURE!
If he does buy it, and travel it everywhere, I think it could be serious competition for the top spot at the easter show.... hmmmm worried o'neills?

If he does buy it, he said his going to take it everywhere. I can put in a word 4 u huss if u want. Thats if it comes. If it does come, will b interesting to c what happens at the easter show. If he takes it, i'd say o'neills rainbow will b out of buisness

I was under the impression that O'Neills Rainbow was for sale to anyone who offered the right money, (obviously they want too much for it).

I am also aware that there is/was actually a dispute as to who actually does own it. , maybe this is the real reason that it does not travel out of NSW, but of course this is just an idea?? (allegedly)

I never knew O'neill's wanted to sell it. It only does 3 events a year. Thats a festival at warick farm before easter show to make sure there's nothing wrong, then the easter show and sometimes the xmas carnival. I never knew there was a dispute over who owns it

Wittingslow ran it for them at Melbourne Show in 2002
and I think in April 2003, I was told by wittingslow that O'neills had a share in both rainbow and ranger, to run them in Sydney.... dunno whats the deal now!
but it needs to go back and do RYE

I knew in 2003 that they co-owned the rainbow and ranger

im told there is another ali baba coming to a brisbane home very soon, in the next few weeks, does anyone know if a current aussie model has changed ownership? as i dont know where this one has come from

This sounds interesting. Veruth's probably haven't sold there's neither marshall's. Don't think supanova has sold. Mite b another one coming from overseas. WOW, we're getting a fair few Ali baba's

well i mean its compact quik put up tear down popular with all diffrent demographics its astheticly pleasing and if priced correctly an absolute gold mine who wouldent want to run one lol

with so many currently on the show curcuit i wouldnt have one, unless it was one that was acquired from a current australian showmen, the new owner told me he had ground on the north run and i thought there was already 2 on that run, thats why i thought 1 of these 2 might have been sold

...

why are we getting/got soo many! they aren't even that spectacular....
RETARDED!

So the Supanova is gone. That was a nice looking unit. Apparently there was one that ame in the last 18 months to the bloke in S.A who bought the ex wonderland explorer. I think his name is John stanton?(correct me if i'm wrong) his name is along the lines of that. But, these days the showmen look for smaller, more compact rides like the ali baba compared to the better rainbow. Alibaba on 1 trailer, rainbow 3. Thats the catch. More compact, the better to the showmen

Cheers
Top Gunner14

Exactly i agree top gunner its on the one trailor ,cheaper to maintain the thing is time is everything in the sideshow amusement business to pack up and moove to the next show as soon as possible time is money the faster they can relocate the more shows and or carnivals they can travel to not to mention its an attactive ride and as i said above it appeals to a wide demographic and if priced right it can be a gold mine ( pending if your the only ride of that type at the show ) lol

It is an atrractive ride. There r some great looking units aound. Plus, with the cost of things like petrol, repairs, etc, the alibaba is cheaper cause it only needs the one truck to drive it.

Cheers
Top Gunner14

if that was the case... then we wouldnt even have space roller, or taipan and other majors.... showmen are getting lazy.... the classics still need to travel!

Showmen will still buy the bigger rides but then have the compacts as well. If Australia's show industry just ran off compact rides like ali baba, ranger, zipper, and other smaller rides and these rides were the only majors, oz would b pretty poor. U will still have the showmen buy the big exclusives like space roller, taipan etc. Bu if u think about it, some majors are on 1 trailer like power surge, sobema breakdances, techno jump, music trips, energy storm etc. The classics will still travel ut then u will still have ur smaller compact rides. And also, its hard for the showmen these days with cost of insurance, repairs, fuel to run and travel the rides etc.

Cheers
Top Gunner14

Got some news in of John Phelan's Ali Baba. This unit came from Ireland, not England. Also the unit isn't called Ali Baba, its themed and called 'Midnight Madness'. I'm having some pics sent 2 me of the actual unit. Still waitin 4 them to come

Cheers
Top Gunner14

Verfurths was running a little smoother yesterday at the geelong show... pulling major crowds, but every ride was I guess. It was the first time in years ive seen ZIPPER completly full, every cage!

I've hardly ever seen zipper run full loads. Good 2 hear veruths ali baba runnin well

HUSS when I was there it was doing every second car, are you sure they were filling it from both sides? the left side seemed to be tucked behind a side show van.

The Zipper was running well, I have never felt so close to throwing up as I did on that. I was holding on and closing my eyes, squinting them shut towards the end, as the continual flipping had me totally disoriented as to which way was up or down. (it did not help that I was in the cage as a single rider - this makes the car flip more, evidently)

Over the last 12 months it has had some further work - the centre panelling has been covered in artwork and the cars have been re-padded and re-painted blue. The general look of the frame was dissappointing, with no centre piece, minimal decoration, but I cannot complain - now days I go by the saying 'any zipper is a good zipper' when I get the privillege to see one.

Whos zipper was it Dave?

I'm guessing by the description, it was Dean Davis's unit, as from the last updates, it didn't have the triangular panels on the supports, as well as the blue color scheme mentioned.

The reason Dean can't take it off the road and do work to it is cause he only owns the zipper and bungy tramps. So if he takes it off the road, he's not going to make any buisness. Dave, thats how i felt when i rode it at the fete. Very fun! The artwork up the main tower looks great. He repadded the cars as u said and it seems like he did paint the cars a darker colour. The only reason he painted it that is cause it actually looks better that what it did when he bought it from john phelan. The boom what a grey colour, cars were black and red and apparently it looked awful. This was no pro that painted it, it was a worker. As i said b4, looking forward to the artwork once his finished everything

Cheers
Top Gunner14

Right before wittingslow sold it, it had the red and black cages, agreed, didn't look the best. I remember when the cages were white and a purple/silver, looked really hot!

shame the ZIPPER sign is ruined on it now