Rainbow's End (theme park)


Rainbow's End is a theme park in Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. Rainbow's End has an area of and includes the main theme park and also Kidz Kingdom, a family entertainment centre for children 8 years and under. The park, owned by Rainbows End Theme Park Limited, a subsidiary of Rangatira Limited, is New Zealand's largest theme park and currently employs up to 300 staff.
WWW rainbowsend.co.nz

History

Opened in 1982 on the site of a former skate park, the park extended its lease in 2010 for another 24 years after five years of discussions with the Manukau City Council. The extension was conditional on reducing its size by 0.4 ha to 9.3 ha to allow for new construction at the nearby law courts. The agreement with the Council committed the company to re-invest $3 million every three years into new rides or upgrades.
; Ride History

Current rides and attractions

Stratosfear – Billed as the scariest ride yet, sends 30 riders spinning through the air and even upside down. This was one of only four of its kind in the world on opening day.The Invader – The Invader is a Disk'O Coaster from Zamperla in Italy which utilises gravity to move across a, w-shaped track.Power Surge – The Power Surge is a thrill ride that can spin on both a horizontal and a vertical axis.Dodgems – Dodgem cars with Deep sea theme.Kidz Kingdom – An area in the park catered for children 8 years and under. The outdoor covered area has seven rides including the Choco Express, Carousel and Jumpin' Star. The indoor area includes the Fortress of Fun, Enzo's Country Raceway and the Small Talk Cafe as well as interactive activities for smaller children.Corkscrew roller coaster – A roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics. It is the only one of its kind in the country. It is over high, and contains three inversions, a vertical loop and a double corkscrew.Goldrush – A mine themed roller coaster ride consisting of short drops and sharp corners. This ride was custom built by Rainbow's End engineersLog Flume – The Enchanted Forest Log Flume has minor drops and a larger drop at the end.Fear Fall – An 18-story Intamin drop ride. Riders are lifted up the tower and dropped at speeds reaching 80 km/h, with the ride vehicle being stopped by magnetic braking.Family Karts/Scorpion Karts – A go-kart attraction with two levels of suitability- one for families, one for older guests.Bumper Boats – Guests are seated in Bumper Boats and are free to drive around 'bumping' into other guests.Crazy Sideshows – A range of carnival rides open on weekends and holidays.Centre Stage – A large covered stage and eating area with shows on the weekends and the holidays.Rainbow Playlab – A large up-charge arcade/gaming area, with arcades, virtual reality, E-Sports gaming and escape rooms.Spectra XD Dark Ride – A theatre experience with several dimensions of special effectsCity Strike Laser tag – A post-apocalyptic themed laser-tag attractionPacifica – A Huss Rides Pirate Ship Attraction

Awards

Rainbow's End and Kidz Kingdom have won a number of awards.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 10 February 1990, Thomas Wayne Hemi, 19 years old, fell from a bungy jump at the park. The jump master, Jason John Collett, failed to secure the bungy cord to Hemi's feet. Hemi initially survived the fall, but subsequently died from his injuries. Collett was later found guilty of manslaughter after evidence was presented that both men had smoked cannabis prior to the jump. He was granted mercy—on recommendation from the jury—and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
  • On 21 June 1998, a fire struck the Log Flume ride. Over 75% of the ride was destroyed and two offenders were arrested. After that, the Log Flume was reconstructed and re-themed.
  • On 2 February 2008, Michael Ross Stuart, a 21-year-old park worker died while carrying out maintenance work on a ferris wheel, located in the Cadbury Land Dream Castle attraction. The worker became trapped between one of the carriages and the frame of the ride, and had to be cut free by firefighters, but died at the scene. The accident, which occurred before the park opened for the day, caused the park to be closed down for two days because of "unforeseen circumstances". Stuart had been working at the park since 2005.
  • On 10 November 2012, a woman got trapped on the Log Flume ride. Firefighters were called to the theme park to free the woman and had to cut up parts of the ride to get her free. A fire service spokesman said it was unclear how the woman became trapped. She was taken by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital with minor injuries.
  • On 7 January 2015, twenty-eight people were suspended mid-air on the Corkscrew roller coaster for over 20 minutes. The ride was stopped as a precaution because the engine had overheated. All riders were evacuated safely and the coaster was closed whilst engineers investigated the fault.
  • On 28 November 2016, an employee manually shut down the Power Surge ride mid-cycle, leaving twelve riders dangling upside down in their harnesses. Rainbow's End management claimed in social media posts that the ride was shut down due to children continuing to spit after ignoring previous warnings from employees.
  • On 18 November 2018, fifteen people were evacuated off the Corkscrew roller coaster after it stopped at its highest point. The ride was restarted again within 45 minutes after the guests were evacuated.