Southern European parks add first rides
A combination of education and amusement park, Oltremare near Riccione in Italy this season added an interactive boat ride (pictured) by ABC Engineering in Switzerland.
new attraction is the first major ride at a facility that has so far used a combination of dolphin show, botanical gardens and exhibits themed around Mother Earth to lure its guests.
A river was created especially for the boat ride on a softly sloping hill and landscaped with boulders, gorges and waterfalls. “In fact,” says ABC’s Alberto Brandestini, “there are surprises lurking around every corner.”
Passengers steer their own boats as they travel along the 140-metre-long course and use the on-board water canons to spray other boats or onlookers. Each of the four battery-driven boats glide freely through the water channel and then on a conveyor through the station area for a steady disembarkation/loading.
ABC was one of the first companies to construct such an attraction with an installation a few years back at Tripsdrill in Germany, but this latest interactive boat ride is arguably its best themed version to date.
Meanwhile Badoca Safari Park, 130km south of Lisbon, in Portugal has put in a 450-mettre long Rapid Ride by Hafema, the facility’s first major ride. Named Rafting Africano, the German-designed attraction is located in the Alentejo area of the park, in amongst a selection of African animals and habitats. A total of five boats are used, each seating up to nine riders, and with local temperatures hovering between 30 and 40ºC during the summer, it’s sure to have been a hit.
Consultant Christian Angenvoort helped broker the deal with Hafema. As part of his ongoing work with Badoca, Angenvoort also developed a masterplan for the park together with a team of specialised zoo architects, focusing on an African theme and with an emphasis on conversation. A safari camp is planned in future.
