PCA 2024 Nominated Harrock Hils Amusement Park - RCT Classic

[Regentbird]

Don’t feel you need to read all this but you can if you want too.

This park began because I wanted to make a pier park in RCT classic. But i didn’t want to pay an extra $10 to get the sandbox mode.  So I searched the scenarios trying to find one that had open waters on one side and I found this park. I heavily modified it and got straight in to landscaping.   And idea behind it was there used to be a really old part of the park at the bottom and around the 50s-60s the pier was added. And then as time went on the old part at the bottom was completely changed.

 

Harrock Hills

the park started in 1923. Information this far back is pretty much lost.  Records say the park opened with at least 2 coasters. One being a clone of Leap the Dips and the other being a scenic railway. Layout is unknown. There was other rides as well including a huge slide done the hill and a merry go round (now located on the pier) . All other rides are unknown.

Come the 50s a pier with a classic American pier style.  A dark ride and the Big Dipper were built. It was odd since it was in a huge lake not an ocean but it still worked and looks good to this day.

in the 60s the wild mouse was built and the parks merry go round was relocated from the bottom of the park to the pier.

late 60s the spiral slide was built.

A few years later the chairlift 1 would open. 

In the 70s a larger mini golf course was also built. 

In the early 80s an enterprise was added to the pier.

the old rides and scenic railway at the bottom of the hill were removed to make way for new attractions.  The local government tried to stop them but after an inspection they realised the rides were not in good condition.    

Not long after this happened. the pier area was heritage listed, to protect the 60s wild mouse and 50s Big Dipper.  

In 1985 the shoot and chutes log ride was opened. It was the parks 2nd water ride. (It is unknown when the original log flume was demolished)

There was a ride drought for a decade after. The near by tourist town was devastated by a big fire.   This has a big impact of the park attendance. And park was also in decline overall.

As the rides got older and more expensive to maintain, the park couldn’t spend on new rides like they used too.  However come 1992 and park got new ownership.  The new owners felt they could turn the park around.  The entire park got refurbs and the gardens were all redone. Construction also started on the parks B&M looper.

In 1995 THRASHER opened. It was on the smaller side of B&M even then but it was still a fun ride. It has no airtime but some good forces. The ride was criticised for its shallow drop.  But it brought new life to the park. 

 In 1997 a Vekoma boomerang was added.

the park did not see the return on investment it needed. With only a slight increase in park attendance.  It then again sat idle. 

The park realised they could not afford new rides. instead they put on small events and tidied up the park.   

2005 They quickly lost their title as the area’s best amusement park.  Their competition was peaking .  And added a intamin hyper coaster .

The park was not in a position to compete and instead just added little things and did events.  It became more a historic park with a few good thrills.

in 2010 a S&S space shot was built.  A 3D theatre was also constructed. It had a Epcot dome look to it.

2013 the chairlift was rebuilt from the ground up but used the existing station buildings.

2016 THRASHER got a fresh coat of paint but kept the same Color’s

2017 the pier got new timber and a few of the rides on the pier were refurbished.

2018 the vekoma boomerang was shut and sold off. The park announced a more family focused coaster would replace it.

2019 mid construction the park announced the coaster would be built by Vekoma and would be named Luna Star (if I had OpenRct I would give it vekoma trains but I had to settle for the schwarzkopf trains so pretend it’s a vekoma train and not rocket shaped)

2020 covid delayed the ride opening.

2021 covid forced the park to close.

2022 the park reopened with Luna Star operating!

Edited June 22, 2023 by Regentbird

[Regentbird]

There’s definitely some unrealistic parts but I mostly built it for fun.  Most weird is the thrashers transfer track going into the station. But it looked silly on the other side so it is what it is I guess.

[wolfpaw]

Love your location, how it's in like a valley resting on a river/lake. It's so cool to see a park like this, especially from someone who doesn't have any experience with RCT1 and 2!

[Regentbird]

Thanks! I had fun with this project. 
 

An original plane flyover photo of the park when the chairlift was first built.  You can see one of the old coasters being demolished.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Regentbird

[Gin]

I've heard of so many people who absolutely love this game.

I can tell why - looks like a lot of fun!

Apart from the location of your park, I really like how it looks to have attractions for all ages, and thrill levels.