Luna Park

One of the most amazing amusement parks of the 20th Century, Luna shared space on Coney Island with Dreamland and Steeplechase Park. Built around the hit of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, a ride called "A Trip To The Moon", Luna featured an otherworldy environment, spires, minarets, a submarine trip to the North Pole, baby incubators, and over 26,000 electric lights which could be seen far off at sea. Most of Luna burned to the ground in 1944 and never recovered.

The Melbourne Luna Park is in the bayside suburb of St Kilda, home of the city's red light district, and spiritual home of a lion's share of great Aussie rock bands. The Big Dipper is a grand old wooden rollercoaster that affords the rider a fantastic view of the Port Phillip Bay. The park is old and quaint in a turn of the century kind of way.

The Sydney Luna Park occupies some of the most valuable waterfront land imaginable, a literal stone's throw from the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the suburb of Milsons Point. As quaint as Melbourne's park is, Sydney's is flash and shiny and, typical for Sydney, is mired in corruption and controversy (favoured local hobbies). The Big Dipper here was hightech alloy and has recently been removed due to local complaints over the noise of people having fun.