As long as no one was injured is the main thing, when it was built I was bemused/bewildered to say the least. It was a eye sore from the very beginning, we have the second largest monolith in NSW as it is so why build Ayers Rock as a Service Station?
The Belmont Bear said
09:15 AM Aug 1, 2018
Its funny if this was good news it would have happened just north of Sydney but being bad news it's just north of Newcastle - just kidding we are used to it . What's really sad about the whole thing is that the money the Leyland brothers invested building that theme park sent them from being well off to financially destitute, it also tore them apart and destroyed their relationship. It really was run down and only a shadow of what it was back in it's heyday in the early 90s.
Cheers
BB
Santa said
09:50 AM Aug 1, 2018
Best thing that could have happened to it
-- Edited by Santa on Wednesday 1st of August 2018 09:51:02 AM
Cupie said
11:41 AM Aug 1, 2018
The Belmont Bear wrote:
Its funny if this was good news it would have happened just north of Sydney but being bad news it's just north of Newcastle - just kidding we are used to it . What's really sad about the whole thing is that the money the Leyland brothers invested building that theme park sent them from being well off to financially destitute, it also tore them apart and destroyed their relationship. It really was run down and only a shadow of what it was back in it's heyday in the early 90s.
Cheers
BB
Agree about the unfortunate events relating to the Leyland Family. I used to look forward to their TV sessions.
Fortunately I have a large number of their DVDs that I watch from time to time, especially the wet T shirt scene.
We have never seen the big/small Ayers Rock 'attraction' despite having travelled that way countless times. Too late now though.
The Belmont Bear said
12:09 PM Aug 1, 2018
Santa wrote:
Best thing that could have happened to it
-- Edited by Santa on Wednesday 1st of August 2018 09:51:02 AM
Santa although that roadhouse had become an eyesore I'm not sure how it was impacting on you guys all the way over there in SA. I know what wrote was a joke but people should keep in mind that there are probably a few who depended on that buisness for their livelihood. Just saying.........
BB
The Belmont Bear said
01:02 PM Aug 1, 2018
Cupie wrote:
The Belmont Bear wrote:
Its funny if this was good news it would have happened just north of Sydney but being bad news it's just north of Newcastle - just kidding we are used to it . What's really sad about the whole thing is that the money the Leyland brothers invested building that theme park sent them from being well off to financially destitute, it also tore them apart and destroyed their relationship. It really was run down and only a shadow of what it was back in it's heyday in the early 90s.
Cheers
BB
Agree about the unfortunate events relating to the Leyland Family. I used to look forward to their TV sessions.
Fortunately I have a large number of their DVDs that I watch from time to time, especially the wet T shirt scene.
We have never seen the big/small Ayers Rock 'attraction' despite having travelled that way countless times. Too late now though.
Cupie who can forget those documentary film pioneers like the Leyland brothers, Malcom Douglas, Alby Mengels even Harry Butler and Les Hiddins they showed ordinary Australians parts of Australia and in Alby's case the world that few of us had ever seen before. Don't worry you didn't miss a lot you would have had to visit Leyland World back in the 90s to see it in full swing. Over the years the rock had become a bit of an eyesore which was being operated as a service station and roadhouse.
I wonder how many people also remember the Tomteland Park which wasn't that far away on Nelson Bay Road, Williamtown. It was a Swedish Xmas based theme park which wasn't travelling that well (I wonder why) so the company sold it to the Worimi Aboriginal Land Council in 2003 who renamed it Marook - closed it's doors in 2004. Every now and then the Worimi mob will talk about redeveloping the 5 hectare site but as yet I haven't really seen anything happening up there either.
BB
Ron-D said
04:57 PM Aug 1, 2018
Ugly thing in my book,if its insured the owners may not be disappointed...
dogbox said
06:28 PM Aug 1, 2018
I maybe wrong but I thought I seen a sign that the place was up for sale or lease just recently
Chris61 said
10:39 PM Aug 1, 2018
I only stopped there to top up with fuel and to have a feed about 2 weeks ago. I did look a little rough around the edges, but it was very clean and would have employed quite a few people. A little bit of history lost
Desert Dweller said
09:33 AM Aug 2, 2018
The Leyland brothers lost a squillion bucks on that ''white elephant''.
We've got Mal Leylands book.
We didn't realize that they hated each others guts!
The iconic "fake Uluru" roadhouse on the Pacific Highway north of Newcastle has been engulfed in a fierce blaze and completely destroyed.
I remember it at it's prime when the Leyland Bro's opened it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-31/fake-uluru-on-pacific-highway-alight/10058532
Its funny if this was good news it would have happened just north of Sydney but being bad news it's just north of Newcastle - just kidding we are used to it
. What's really sad about the whole thing is that the money the Leyland brothers invested building that theme park sent them from being well off to financially destitute, it also tore them apart and destroyed their relationship. It really was run down and only a shadow of what it was back in it's heyday in the early 90s.
Cheers
BB
Best thing that could have happened to it
-- Edited by Santa on Wednesday 1st of August 2018 09:51:02 AM
Agree about the unfortunate events relating to the Leyland Family. I used to look forward to their TV sessions.
Fortunately I have a large number of their DVDs that I watch from time to time, especially the wet T shirt scene.
We have never seen the big/small Ayers Rock 'attraction' despite having travelled that way countless times. Too late now though.
Santa although that roadhouse had become an eyesore I'm not sure how it was impacting on you guys all the way over there in SA. I know what wrote was a joke but people should keep in mind that there are probably a few who depended on that buisness for their livelihood. Just saying.........
BB
Cupie who can forget those documentary film pioneers like the Leyland brothers, Malcom Douglas, Alby Mengels even Harry Butler and Les Hiddins they showed ordinary Australians parts of Australia and in Alby's case the world that few of us had ever seen before. Don't worry you didn't miss a lot you would have had to visit Leyland World back in the 90s to see it in full swing. Over the years the rock had become a bit of an eyesore which was being operated as a service station and roadhouse.
I wonder how many people also remember the Tomteland Park which wasn't that far away on Nelson Bay Road, Williamtown. It was a Swedish Xmas based theme park which wasn't travelling that well (I wonder why) so the company sold it to the Worimi Aboriginal Land Council in 2003 who renamed it Marook - closed it's doors in 2004. Every now and then the Worimi mob will talk about redeveloping the 5 hectare site but as yet I haven't really seen anything happening up there either.
BB
Ugly thing in my book,if its insured the owners may not be disappointed...
The Leyland brothers lost a squillion bucks on that ''white elephant''.
We've got Mal Leylands book.
We didn't realize that they hated each others guts!