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Monday, November 11, 2013

Unveiled: Australia's $12m roller-coaster

Hold onto your hat! Picture: Jackson Flindell Hold onto your hat! Picture: Jackson Flindell Source: News Limited

The Abyss roller-coaster was unleashed on Halloween night. Picture: Jackson Flindell The Abyss roller-coaster was unleashed on Halloween night. Picture: Jackson Flindell Source: News Limited

BOASTING a G-force thrust greater than a space shuttle launch and reaching speeds of up to 85km/h, you could be forgiven for being a little nervous about riding on the Abyss at Adventure World.

The Perth theme park officially launched its spooky ride on Halloween night, giving competition winners and the media the first chance to ride the thriller.

The two-minute adrenalin-pumping journey begins in darkness with several speedy turns and rolls that will give you a head rush. Next comes the slow, perpendicular lift, full of trepidation for the inevitable plunge back down to Earth.

The Abyss is a custom Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter with 630 metres of track. The ride's vertical lift hill takes riders to a height of 30 metres before dropping 30.5 metres in a 100°, beyond-vertical drop.

That massive 30m drop is both exhilarating and a little nauseating, and is the sixth steepest roller-coaster drop in the world.

What follows is a series of disorientating and stomach-churning loops before the ride ends.

The Abyss has the broadest range of G-forces and speed of any theme park ride in Australia.

It includes -1 to 4.5 G-forces, which is close to those achieved by Formula 1 cars at corners or pilots catapulted off a Navy aircraft carrier.

You'll need a strong stomach for this adventure ride. Picture: Jackson Flindell You’ll need a strong stomach for this adventure ride. Picture: Jackson Flindell Source: News Limited

As I disembarked from the ride, my legs were shaking and my heart was still pounding for a couple of minutes after the experience.

It was just as thrilling the second time around as the Abyss took riders on a journey including four inversions, a rollover loop, cobra roll and incline loop.

The $12 million Abyss has been billed as Australia's most thrilling roller-coaster and is the single largest investment at Adventure World since it launched in 1982.

The Abyss cost a whopping $12 million to build. Picture: Jackson Flindell The Abyss cost a whopping $12 million to build. Picture: Jackson Flindell Source: News Limited

Adventure World chief executive Mark Shaw said the Abyss would firmly place WA on the world theme park stage.

The 630m-long ride was custom built in Germany with the theme pieces built at a facility in the Philippines that specialises in fit-outs for theme parks around the world.

The impressive landscape features 30 three-metre tall ancient druid "Guardians" throughout the mysterious terrain and an arch at the entrance.

Massive upturned trees with exposed roots also help create a spooky atmosphere.

The Abyss has been billed as Australia's most thrilling roller-coaster. Picture: Jackson Flindell The Abyss has been billed as Australia's most thrilling roller-coaster. Picture: Jackson Flindell Source: News Limited

Winners from an online game competition experienced the ride first and many were screaming with every twist and commenting afterwards that it was the best ride in Australia.

Local MP - and self-confessed roller-coaster thrill seeker - Joe Francis described the Abyss as an "amazing piece of mechanical engineering".

Mr Shaw told those gathered to try the Abyss they should feel apprehensive before going on the ride.

"It's smooth, fast, it's even better in the dark," he quipped. While I have enjoyed other rides in the world more, the Abyss is certainly the best thrillseeking ride in Australia and is sure to attract tourists seeking an adrenalin rush.


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