Australian Coaster Club: The Idea and Passion for this Australian Coaster Club

Australian Coaster Club: The Idea and Passion for this Australian Coaster Club

Formation of Australian Coaster Club

So far with Australian Coaster Club i have registered its business name, recieved my ABN, My domain name has been registered. I have started work on my website with content already sent to my designer. including logo and pics.

I have to continue working on my business plan and start planning some events and tours for 2010. I have to say i have never put so much effort into something, Im working from 5.00am in the morning till 1pm at night,

So tonight i will head out for a feed and then come back do some more work on my business plan. Also looking at accommodation for trips to New York and Singapore for next year. Oh my computer is almost on the brink of combusting i feel like it is been hold together by sticky tape and the speed, i might as well get the old type writer out instead.

Thanks Ed Dickinson
Australian Coaster Club

The Idea and Passion for this Australian Coaster Club

The idea of Australian Coaster Club i guess would come from my passion for roller coasters since the age of 4 when i use to go and visit Luna Park Sydney in the late 1970s and riding the former Big Dipper. Since that time i have always enjoyed visiting amusement parks here in Australia and later on overseas.



An example of my passion would have to be the time i did a 5 week United States tour 5 years ago.
I arrived in Los Angeles international Airport at lunch time. After long 13 hour flight i was very much jetlaged but i had a mission on my mind. Since i had planned to stay in LA for 1 night and that afternoon i would visit Six Flags Magic Mountain to experience the X roller coaster and the squeeze in Knotts Berry Farm the next day.

Anyhow i cleared through customs and caught the hotel transport bus and checked into my hotel and being jetlagged i should've rested but crazy as i am i went and hired a car and departed for Six Flags Magic Mountain. I was feeling confident having driven to the park in years gone by but i didn't count on my tiredness and jetlag. The consequences of this i got lost badly, it had taken me 4 hours to fine the Amusement park.

I arrived at Six Flags Magic Mountain at 5.30pm, fortunately the park was open till 10pm that night. I paid my entry fee and headed straight to the X roller coaster. The queue was one hour's long so i waited and it was nearly my turn. Then the roller coaster broke down and we were told it would be over an hours time before it is operational again. Far out what a day i was having. So the next thing people in front of me left the queue with me and couple others still waiting and instead of leaving i decided to wait. My patience paid off X reopened 30 minutes later. I was in front of the queue and my friend who was talking to me said i had the best seat on the ride. YES YES YES YES!!!!! and X was bloody brilliant loved it. Unfortunately i didn't want to queue for X another time so I could spend the rest of the evening enjoying other favourite roller coasters in the park that i am fond of.

My story doesnt end there well. After the park closed and on the way back i stopped of at Carl Juniors fast food restuarant for some food and then headed back to my hotel. Once again i got lost and it took me 2 hours to fine the right highway to get back to the hotel. Then i realised i had forgotten the name of the cross street that leads me back to my hotel. I spent another hour travelling up and down this highway looking for that cross street so the next round i decided to slow right down and look at the cross street name's closely to see if it would jog my memory. I was travelling at 35mph and next i hear sirens, see lights and a guy telling me to pull over which i did. I was scared, thinking to myself with the jetlag and tiredness, my eyes would have been red raw, i could be in some trouble here. Fortunately the police were great realising i was from Australia and just lost and they escorted me back to my hotel. Phew!!

On this tour i joined people from Rideworld and American Coaster group for a trip up the East Coast and wow we had fun. Yeah the Amusement Parks we visited and some roller coaster we enjoyed were mindboggling but the best part was the comradery and the cross culture joking going on would have to be some of the funniest stuff i ever experienced.

On the way home i wondered why this type thing had never been done in Australia and thinking one of the Amusement park forums should do something. 5 years later nothing came to fruition and since loosing my job not to long ago i decide it was time i followed a passion of mine and work towards developing an Active roller coaster club here and host events and tours just like my American friends.

Regards
Ed Dickinson
Australian Coaster Club