HAVE YOU RIDDEN THE ‘ORPHAN ROCKER’ ROLLER COASTER?

Many would say, “no,” and, “what was that?”.

In 1983, a project began in the cliff tops of Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. The Orphan Rocker was designed to be Australia’s scariest and most advanced roller coaster, with enough pin-point turns and sudden drops to make your hair turn white from fright. But despite being ‘in development’ for more than 30 years, the Orphan Rocker never opened to the public. Instead, it’s sat rusting within Katoomba’s Scenic World theme park for decades.

While Scenic World operated and provides incredible tours for visitors and interested locals , the Orphan Rocker remains a strange reminder of a future that never eventuated.

The Orphan Rocker’s history is plagued by rumour and urban legend, with speculation it caused sandbags to go missing over the edge of a ravine and that cars would frequently dislodge from the track during testing. These claims have been debunked by officials, who put these theories down to the mythology and intrigue behind the ride.

As it stands, the Orphan Rocker is now a relic of decades long since past. While it was originally created to be one of Australia’s first and biggest roller coasters, a tumultuous history, lax safety standards and a slow development process meant it was never able to achieve its destined glory.

IMAGE CREDIT- Christopher Kelly