Luna Park

Luna Park is a very small amusement park on Sydney Harbor just across from the downtown. The kids and I had decided to go on Tuesday- their summer holiday had just started and the peak season rates at Luna had not yet kicked in. After the usual morning delays- even after the kids are sort of dragged out of bed they remain shrouded in a blanket sitting on stools at the kitchen counter for a while- we got a ride to the train station with Trina. We waited at the mall across from the station a bit as we wanted to go at the off peak rates which kick in at 9. Julius and I indulged in a sausage egg mcmuffin. The sausage was not so tasty as that in the mcmuffins in Canada and the muffin was different- again not so good as the ones to which I am accustomed.

We arrived at the park a little before 10 so it was not yet open. Ticket prices there are determined by height- I had thought both Lian and Julius were in the 106-130 cm. class but it turned out that Julius was just above 130 and Lian just below. The advantage to being above is that you can go on any ride- the disadvantage is that it costs more. There was no problem between Lian and Julius- we had antecedently agreed that I would not go on any and they would only go on ones for which they were tall enough.

Luna Park


We got their day passes and proceeded. Eventually Julius decided he would go on the tumbletrain (sic) while Lian and I watched. We thought he looked a bit scared at first but eventually he was smiling. Of course after he got off he reported that he did not feel too well. Probably the mcmuffin was acting up. Amusement parks are dangerous that way. So it seemed time for the gentle carousel. And then to the rotor. It spins, pins you against the wall and the floor is removed. Both the kids liked that.

We wandered a bit, going on a few little rides. I was not surprised that neither kid was all that keen on rides. Of course the inevitable happened. They were both keen on trying to win a prize. Of course this is an additional costs, but one must bow to the inevitable. Julius wanted to try to ring the bell with the hammer (there is a photo that actually came out) and, amazingly enough, he did not do too badly. His reward was a slinky that, though it should have been solid gold, was not. We wandered down to some more booths and again the kids got some nominal rewards.

Time for the rotor again. Lian was keen on it, but Julius decided just to watch. So Lian went alone. Julius then decided he wanted to go so Lian went a second time with him. This was not a good decision. After she got off she said she felt really sick. We went over to a bench where she sat head hanging saying she thought she was going to throw up. We decided she should lay down on the grass for a while. After a quick call to Trina Lian said she was feeling a bit better. Of course both kids decided they wanted to try to win more prizes. I had pointed out before that at any given place a single ticket was 5 whereas 3 were 12. That had failed as no agreement on a booth could be reached. This time I was firm- so they both reached agreement. Each tried at the same time. Lian did much better than Julius so, even though though it was a game of chance so she got the third chance. We accumulated a couple of not too bad prizes.

Well after a quick ferris wheel (for Julius) and carousel (for Lian) we headed off toward the rail station planning to grab lunch along the way. We spotted a pizza shop but it was closed. A good thing as Aussie pizza has so far proven to be not very good. The kids spotted a sushi place- they like sushi- but I fended them off as I an not all that big a fan of sushi. I had spotted a roast chicken + fish and chips place across the way. Lian had a quarter chicken with chips and cole slaw. She looked with horror at the cole slaw asking what it was. I told her and she said she she had not wanted it. I pointed out that I had mentioned that several times. Not to mind as I got that coleslaw to go with my fish and chips. Julius got some lemon something chicken fingers which I gather were good though he only managed one of the three. I had, of course in vain, attempted to persuade the kids that we would not each need to order fries. Oh well- the boxes of leftover fries and bits of chicken fitted, albeit with some smell, in the bottom of the pack I brought along. Australian pork is rather inferior to Alberta pork, but, as I mentioned before, the chicken is just great.

We headed on to the station and hopped the train. As usual there was little wait as the trains run more or less constantly.