Sad news that the Melbourne Star is closing.
I was actually riding on it a few months ago, just for a bit of fun on the weekend in between lockdowns, and I thought at the time that the wheel was placed in a strange spot. It would be better positioned in Southbank which would look visually better in terms of what you can see from up top, but then again, there’s already the Eureka Tower there if you were wanting to observe landmarks from a height.
it’s probably the main reason i had not ridden it - i’m not going to go out of my way to go on it.
compare it to the wheel of brisbane at southbank - i’ve ridden it a few times with my wife and kids as its in a spot where i was anyway for other things.
if it was by the river i could probably justify a ride on the melbourne star whilst down for work
it was always a weird spot to be located. On one side it might look over the CBD etc but in the other direction it looks over heavily industrial suburbs. Not exactly picturesque.
The problem with its construction (cracks in the structure) which saw it shut down for months on end shortly after it first opened probably didn’t do much for public confidence, either.
Sad to see Melbourne Star closing.
The location is not too bad, the idea was to attract more visitors to Docklands.
I saw some comments on Twitter that the wheel should be relocated to Birrarung Marr between Melbourne CBD and Yarra River. I do wonder if the structure is too big for the location.
Can’t say I am surprised, apart from Costco that whole precinct is a ghost town.
You’d think they’d be printed at the factory…
Someone has started a petition to save the Melbourne Star.
Is that media spy’s own @edwardtremethick ?
If it’s viable either in place or moved elsewhere it’ll be sold. Sadly where it is now provides something nice to look at but the experience of riding in it is far from interesting even for those who find the industrial views appealing.
It’s an Australian icon
Bit of hyperbole in this.
The location was always a nightmare, it was clear they were always banking on busloads of tourists getting dropped there for a majority of revenue.
Yep, I agree. Could imagine the wheel going offshore if it’s viable for someone to buy it.
Exactly. When you think of Australian icons, Melbourne’s poorly placed wheel isn’t exactly the first one that comes to mind. From all reports, it was something of a white elephant (being closed for ages due to cracks in the structure, etc.) well before the pandemic finally killed it.
Yep, particularly if they can get a wheely good price for it 
I knew Melbourne had a big Ferris Wheel somewhere near the city but I don’t believe I’ve seen it in any tourist advertising for Victoria and I wasn’t aware of the name. “Melbourne Star” is a pretty shitty name for a tourist attraction. If they’d put a huge portrait of Melbourne icon Bert Newton on the side and called it Bert’s Wheel I would’ve made a special trip to Melbourne just to ride Bert.
I remember when it was opened and then there was some 40 degree days and it melted lmao
If someone buys it I wonder what sort of spin they’ll put on it for the papers.
It was a temporary structure located at Birrarung Marr a decade ago, and even made it to the opening titles of Neighbours at the time.
Sure is
Can you change your background to be something yellow like a canola field or a wattle tree in bloom?