Content area
Full Text
It's the school holiday equivalent of an ironman triathlon. Three children, three theme parks and three days. Get through that little lot and your reward -- apart from something approaching hero status in the eyes of the children -- is the opportunity for real immortality; your choice of a free return visit to one of the three battlefields you have previously conquered.
The fiendish folk at the triumvirate of parks on the Gold coast - - Warner Bros Movie World, Sea World and Wet 'N' Wild -- came up with the idea of the threepark, fourday stamina test some time ago and the devilish deal is still going strong.
I'll admit right now that the chance to enter the pantheon of themeparkers was beyond me. Cold sweats and gibbering at the thought of facing one more day of holiday crowds left me whimpering for mercy. The children hid their disappointment at Dad's cowardice well -- I even suspect they were just a little pleased secretly that without any loss of face, they were able to sleep in that final morning.
The campaign began, as so many through history have, with high spirits and nary a thought of defeat. Unfortunately, there was not a great deal of planning.
One of the keys to getting through a Gold Coast themepark raid is to approach it in a manner more Napoleonic than shambolic. Plan an early start, a load of carryin food and a firm schedule of attack for the rides...