No sign of opening for Dreamworld's Sky Voyager

Having been scheduled to open at the end of 2018, Dreamworld’s Sky Voyager, its biggest new attraction in years, has failed to open for the peak holiday season.

With new rides and experiences at the Gold Coast’s theme parks traditionally opened on Boxing Day and the $17 million Sky Voyager heralded as a major component of Dreamworld's turnaround strategy the unexplained delays is a further embarrassment for the attraction.

Writing on the Parkz theme parks enthusiasts’website today, Richard Wilson commented “Dreamworld have everything to prove right now. An attraction that was announced more than 12 months ago has failed to materialise on schedule at a time when Dreamworld needs desperately to have something major to promote and win back crowds.”

However, Wilson points out that “delays with new attractions aren't uncommon at the Gold Coast theme parks. Dreamworld as well as their competitors Warner Bros. Movie World and Sea World have faced their fair share of delays and setbacks over the years.

“Sea World's Shark Bay opened nearly four months behind schedule with construction slowed by weather and the difficulties in comissioning such an expansive marine environment. Dreamworld's DreamWorks Trolls Village attraction missed its December 2017 and Easter 2018 opening before finally opening in June 2018, with delays put down to DreamWorks licensing requirements. Storm Coaster was pushed back from September to December 2013 to accommodate the construction of a new polar bear nursery following the birth of a polar bear cub. Sea World's Wild Animal Exhibit was publicised yet never happened at all. Dreamworld were about a month late with Tower of Terror in 1997, plagued by delays relating to technology that was record breaking and revolutionary at the time.”

Before the peak holiday period, newly appointed Dreamworld Chief Executive John Osborne was forced to deny media reports that owner Ardent Leisure was planning to re-brand the theme park.

With its brand suffering considerable damage in the wake of the October 2016 fatalities of four guests and the subsequent Coronial inquest which concluded in December, reports had suggested the attraction would change its name.

Advising that the path back to rebuilding public trust doesn't include changing the park's name, Osborne told 9News “I think people will come here if the experience they get is great and they feel it's an environment that's safe.”

Osborne said safety is his number one priority, stating that he was turning to the aviation industry in the hope of making Dreamworld's rides as safe as flying on a plane.

He added "most Australians would see aviation as being a safe industry and we can learn a lot from that.”

Images show how the Sky Voyager will look when complete.