Sydney’s Luna Park

During Alfie’s two weeks of school holidays there’s been just one thing he’s wanted to do and he hasn’t stopped going on about it and it’s driven me to distraction with all the talking and the questions and the countdown and the anticipation and the excitement and the discussions – endless discussions.

And so the day finally arrived and by his good fortune he was up with the birds which was three hours before we needed to leave the house and he threw on his clothes and stood at the door tapping his foot ready to go before he’d even had his breakfast and cleaned his teeth.

The setting. A picture-perfect day in Sydney


Yes, we were off for a day of rides, sideshows and fairy floss at Sydney’s Luna Park.

The famous entrance

We caught the bus because parking is a nightmare unless you want to pay around $40.00 to park for a couple of hours in the theme park’s car park.  We pre-purchased our tickets on line which saved us a few dollars then queued for our wrist bands that gave us unlimited rides for the day.

The Mighty Mouse

I’ve taken Alfie to Luna Park before and I’ve always found it arduous because he gets so over-excited and we all know how that ends – in tears; but today was actually very pleasant.  The weather was warm without being too hot and it was crowded but the queues weren’t too bad and he didn’t get lost which has happened before or run away which has also happened, so that made it more relaxing and there were only two rides that he insisted on going solo, leaving me in a different carriage to play solitaire.

Coney Island

The problem with Alfie is that he’s completely fearless and he doesn’t suffer any sort of motion sickness so no rides are off-limits and when one ride finishes you sprint to the next one.  I follow behind trying desperately to keep up, stumbling in a state of dizziness with my stomach churning and an unsteady gait that causes a few stares.

Just one of many restored artworks housed in Coney Island

I had a couple of minutes reprieve when I told Alfie I needed to sit down for lunch and so rather than consume that horrid fast-food type fare I took him to The Deck where we could sit in air-conditioned comfort away from the hideous noise of the sideshows and take in the view of Sydney Harbour.  I ordered Alfie some hot chips that he refused to eat because he said, ‘This place is too quiet and there’s nothing to do; when can we go on The Rotor?’

Standing under a wind tunnel in Coney Island

So I gobbled down my antipasto which was washed down with a mineral water and off we went to The Rotor where we were whizzed around until the floor dropped away leaving us suctioned to the wall.  If that doesn’t bring up your lunch, nothing will.

Lunch at The Deck with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House on full display

And then it was more sprinting to more whirling, upside down, twirling rides until it was time to visit the merchandising shop.  On a previous visit he had seen Luna Park Monopoly for sale for the price of $75.00 and had badgered us to buy it for him.  We convinced him that $75.00 was too high a price for a game of Monopoly.  On this visit the Monopoly game was still for sale but had been reduced to $29.95.  Alfie had brought his pocket money with him and bought himself the game and was very pleased with his bargain.  We’ll be playing it tomorrow.

The Ferris Wheel with the Harbour Bridge behind

On the bus on the way home Alfie asked, ‘Do you like Luna Park, mum or do you just say that you do?’

‘No, I like it Alfie.  I like it because it’s a very special day with you.’

A tall ship sails under the harbour bridge

Luna Park – ‘Just for Fun’

1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point NSW 2061

Ph:  9033 7676

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Comments

  1. Aw, what a great day with Alfie! You’re such a nice mom to be going to amusement parks with him. I get so nauseous on rides, I think I’ll have to give that duty to my husband when we have kids.

  2. Victoria at Flavors of the Sun says:

    I wish I could say that looked like fun, but I remember the exact same experience at Disney World when our son was about 9. I’ve never seen him so over-loaded and tired at the end of a long, long day. Or happy. This is what we do to make memories though. Looks like it was mission accomplished–Alfie looks thrilled.

  3. gardencorrespondent says:

    You are an amazing sport. Amusement parks can be so trying, but you put it all into perfect perspective in this post. I might even give in to Baki’s constant badgering…

  4. Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says:

    Looks like so much fun! Amusement parks are exhausting sometimes 🙂

  5. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says:

    Amusements parks (or theme parks as what they refer to here for Disney) can be literally exhausting! But love the overall experience, nonetheless 😉

  6. yummychunklet says:

    Well, I’d be excited too for Luna Park!

  7. Luna park is sooooooo much fun, thanks for sharing your photos! Think its about time I dragged a couple of friends over again 😉

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/

  8. What a gorgeous day out with your little man! Glad you found somewhere nice for lunch, Charlie, as the fast food there is a shocker! 🙂

  9. Jackie Brown says:

    What a neat day 🙂

  10. What a fun day at the luna park: I also love the entrance: so cool & alternative too! 🙂 Lovely shots!!!

  11. What a great way to spend with Alfie 🙂 I love it when I’m in Sydney and every single time when I catch the ferry I will go past Luna park and it simply puts a smile on my face hehe and the weather is simply STUNNING 😀 I’m so glad you and Alfie both had a nice day ~ it’s nice to be able to spend quality time with each other hehe without the other kiddies 😛

  12. This is just loveliness. While I’m not a huge theme park person (except for Harry Potter World, which I will GET TO ONE DAY), I love that this is something special that you and Alfie can do together, creating memories. Lovely.

  13. My Kitchen Stories says:

    How wonderful. I always wanted to take skater to an amusement park but he doesn’t like rides and I do!!. When he was small we went to one and I couldn’t go on the rides cause I didnt want to leave him by himself…..what a terrible waste of a day ( and all those rides). On the other hand your son sounds like fun.

  14. kitchenriffs says:

    What fun Alfie must have had. And perfect answer on your part – of course you like it because its special to him. I used to love all of those rides when I was a kid. Now? They just don’t interest me. Good thing I have no reason to go! But I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventure.

  15. Sweet Posy Dreams says:

    What a special day for the two of you. Kudos to you for going on the rides. I can’t handle a lot of them, so I was never a very good mom in that respect. The pictures are great; it does look like it was a lovely day.

  16. Claire @ Claire K Creations says:

    Charlie you had me nearly in tears picturing you on the ride after lunch!
    Sounds like a wonderful day out with your little man though.
    Have you seen that episode of Modern Family where Luke drags Phil around all the rides and by the end of it Phil can’t even walk in a straight line? That’s where my mind went!

  17. Jed Gray (sportsglutton) says:

    $40 bucks to park??? Wow and I thought things were bad here in NYC!

  18. Minnesota Prairie Roots says:

    You are a great mom to go on all those rides. I would not have ridden a single one. Nope. Couldn’t do it.

  19. Barb Bamber says:

    We have a theme park (not as huge as this) and I have many memories of trying to keep up on the rides myself! I was ever so glad when a friend came along and took my place and I could wait at the exit gate for them to get off. What a fun day for you with your son, you’ll have so many memories to keep!

  20. Looks like he had a blast! What a great park we have one here too and it’s the same with my children as soon as summer starts. Good thing is, I can drop them off with their friends and leave. Laith is not interested right now, phew! You are a great momma.

  21. Nic@diningwithastud says:

    Oh what a great day 🙂 I used to go on the Gravatron when I was little (sounds th same as The Rotor) and went on it a couple of years ago. Not sure how I did it as a child, I wanted to vomit the most recent time haha

  22. This one is where you win the Mum of the Year prize. I get vertigo at the drop of a hat these days and it doesn’t go away until I’ve had a sleep so there’s no way in the world I could do this. I’d be climbing invisible stairs all day while holding my head.

    Ages ago when my kids were young and Space Mountain at Disney World was young too, I did go down with them, my sister and my niece and nephews. From the moment we set off at the top I closed my eyes and screamed til I got to the bottom.

    I can hear my nephew Ian now, “Aunt (ant) Maureen, you’re so funny, I love going down with you.” I looked at him and said, “it will never happen again!” and it hasn’t. 🙂

  23. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

    Aww that is sweet to have a day where it was just you and Alfie! I bet he enjoys the peace and quiet at home as much as you do 😀

  24. Denise @magnolia verandah says:

    You are very brave. I get sick on the cup and saucer! It is a special day with the kids though.

  25. mjskit @ mjskitchen.com says:

    You’re right – what a fun day! What a great mom you are!

  26. What a very special day indeed! Isn’t it wonderful watching them enjoying themselves? I’m glad Alfie has matured enough too get through the day without a blow out, and I’m glad you managed it too 🙂

  27. What a wonderful day! I haven’t been to Sydney’s Luna Parka but this would be a perfect place to visit with the bf when the sun is out 🙂

  28. Mandy - the Complete Cook Book says:

    What a fund day out with Alfie – a memory he will hold dear always.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  29. What a fun day for you and Alfie! My son and I took a trip to Disneyland for his 13th birthday. I have wonderful memories of that! Luckily, he didn’t mind riding by himself on the rides that make me woozie. lol

  30. A great way to spend time with your kids. Looks like you had fun!

  31. His honest inquiry as to your feelings is just precious! And I love your response, too. Luna Park looks like a young child’s dream, but for most adults this would be a fun day, too. I love to tag along and watch everyone else! I’m the one who volunteers to hold bags, packages, food, purses…I’m great to take along when someone needs to be the designated place holder. I don’t actually want to ride anything, though! Ha! What a great day, Charlie. He’ll never forget this! D

  32. That has to be the all-tim best entrance to an amusement park. I’ve a picture of it here, somewhere, and used is as wall paper for a while. Alfie will long remember the day he and Mum went to Luna Park — not that you’re going to forget the day anytime soon. 🙂

  33. What a wonderful day out Charlie, but that entrance is freaking me the hell out! If I bought the place I’d be changing that into something much less freaky!

  34. air conditioning nsw says:

    Superb pictures……. Sydney is beautiful place. I enjoy my holidays. I remember these days with my family. Nice and funny days……

  35. awww I loved what you said to him about loving it because it is a special day with him. Major awesome Mum points gorgeous lady xx

  36. What a lovely day. I didn’t take my kids this holidays, will have to in the long summer holidays. Nice to meet you!

Trackbacks

  1. […] now for a bit of trivia.  The Cyclone rollercoaster was originally at Sydney’s Luna Park.  However, the residents in the apartments that look out over Luna Park complained to the […]

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