The Claw (Dreamworld)
Encyclopedia
The Claw is an Intamin Gyro Swing located at Dreamworld
on the Gold Coast
, Australia
. The ride opened in September 2004 after months of construction and advertising.
and the Wipeout
.
A few days before The Claw was officially announced on 22 July 2004, construction of the ride went vertical. The announcement detailed that the ride was going to be an Intamin Gyro Swing, a duplicate of Maelstrom at Drayton Manor
in the United Kingdom
.
On 18 September 2004, the ride officially opened to the public as the first Intamin Gyro Swing in the southern hemisphere
. Queensland
Tourism Minister, Margaret Keech
, officially opened the ride.
In late 2008, Dreamworld introduced Q4U, a virtual queuing system. For an additional cost, riders can pre-book a spot on the ride without having to join the queue. A special Q4U entry gate was constructed to allow guests with a device to easily enter the ride.
The ride's slogan, Tearing into Dreamworld was advertised on the construction fences which surrounded the attraction. It was also advertised on several bus stops across the Gold Coast.
The opening of the ride was televised on Rove Live
, a popular Australian variety show. Competition winners won the chance to be the first public riders of The Claw, provided they were naked.
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The ride opened in September 2004 after months of construction and advertising.
History
In April 2004, construction began on what was rumoured to be a Teen Market Thrill Ride to open later in the year. To aid in the construction, the northern end of Ocean Parade was closed off to the public forcing guests to detour through Nickelodeon Central to get to the other rides that area, including the CycloneCyclone (Dreamworld)
The Cyclone is a high-speed gravity steel roller coaster operating at Dreamworld. The roller coaster is one of the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, after originally being the tallest when it was first built...
and the Wipeout
Wipeout (Dreamworld)
The Wipeout is a Vekoma Waikiki Wave Super Flip at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The opening of this ride in 1993 caused part of Country Fair to be rethemed to Ocean Parade.-History:The Wipeout was opened in 1993...
.
A few days before The Claw was officially announced on 22 July 2004, construction of the ride went vertical. The announcement detailed that the ride was going to be an Intamin Gyro Swing, a duplicate of Maelstrom at Drayton Manor
Drayton Manor Theme Park
Drayton Manor Theme Park is a theme park, resort & zoo in the grounds of the former Drayton Manor, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, England.Drayton Manor is best known because it is a theme park and zoo which attracts around 1.4 million people a year. The attraction has a wide selection of rides set...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
On 18 September 2004, the ride officially opened to the public as the first Intamin Gyro Swing in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Tourism Minister, Margaret Keech
Margaret Keech
Margaret Majella Keech is an Australian politician and is a member of for the Labor Party.In 2001 she was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of Albert and is currently the Government Whip...
, officially opened the ride.
In late 2008, Dreamworld introduced Q4U, a virtual queuing system. For an additional cost, riders can pre-book a spot on the ride without having to join the queue. A special Q4U entry gate was constructed to allow guests with a device to easily enter the ride.
Marketing
The ride was heavily marketed in the theme park and in the mass media during construction. The television commercial stated:The ride's slogan, Tearing into Dreamworld was advertised on the construction fences which surrounded the attraction. It was also advertised on several bus stops across the Gold Coast.
The opening of the ride was televised on Rove Live
Rove Live
Rove, formerly Rove Live, was an Australian television talk show which premiered on the Nine Network on 22 September 1999, before moving to Network Ten which aired the program from 2000 until November, 2009. The show was hosted by comedian Rove McManus, and featured an ensemble cast, who presented...
, a popular Australian variety show. Competition winners won the chance to be the first public riders of The Claw, provided they were naked.