GAcoaster Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 We've expanded and updated the Safari Construction page: Here are a couple of previews: All discussion here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Whenever I see Jurassic Park (the first one), I always think of Great Adventure building the Safari and what it must have been like to let the animals run free for the first time in the various sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I think this is a really funny picture! How do you get her under a highway overpass? It reminds me of this Lionel stock car where the giraffe ducks when it approaches anything low! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 We built a box over her head and to the sides. The backside was open and I had to climb up and water her at every stop we made. This giraffe was Raffe. She has daughters and granddaughters at the park today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Oh, OK, I see the box off to the side there. I was wondering about that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Can't wait till I get off work today so I can look at the whole spotlight, kinda hard to do on a b lackberry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMax Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 the link doesnt work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Fixed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald bale Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Thanks for the safari construction pictures, they are great and i hope you post more. I saw pictures of a few people i haven't seen since i left there in 76. one i believe is Brian Vidor, he's in a few pics with Butch. One has Leonard Denault in it, and i think one of the other fellas is Robert Chandler. great pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted February 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 At some point we'll be doing a spotlight on the opening season of the Safari as well as one on Butch Dring as we gather more photos and info. We also plan todo some section by section spotlights. All we have to do is find the time to work on them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Hey guys, I would love to help on the spotlights in any way i can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 If you look through my album you will see Raffie drinking out of a bucket at a gas stop and she has my Safari hat on. That would be my Texas Safari hat from World of Animals. Also ALL of the animals from WOA went to GA except 3 Asian males and the photo of the African with me. They all ended up in the Circus business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 ^ When you say "ALL" do you mean all of the animals as in all the park's various species? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 (edited) Every animal we had in Texas ended up at GA , except the 3 male elephants and one female african. Fred and Wilma the Aldabra Tortoises came from Texas too. Some of the other animals came from other places. Edited February 19, 2010 by Gary Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 ^ How long did it take to get all the animals moved? Do you recall when (month/yr) it started and ended? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 We moved the whole park in the spring of 1973. It took quite a few truck loads of animals and we all made the trip with a load plus we hired other drivers to haul animals for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 ^ Gary, the Spring of 1973 or 1974 (opening year)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald bale Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 If i can butt in here i am pretty sure it was 73 because in early 74 is when Gary and i left Florida to New Jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 Thanks Don. So some of the Safari animals spent a whole summer and winter (in 1973) at Great Adventure before the first guests made a visit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 (edited) Close enough Harry. Only the birds went straight to GA because of an embargo, if we had taken the ostriches and other birds to Canada like the mammals we would not of been able to bring them back into the USA. Donald jump in anytime with anything I have forgotten? Edited February 28, 2010 by Gary Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 After doing this Spotlight I have an even greater admiration for the Safari Park. I am looking forward to driving through on opening day and visiting the Safari Exploration Station. We may even go through twice! Gary and Donald, we'll make sure we get some photos of your old friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hill Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 Thank you so much for the Spotlight of the Safari! The Safari is what makes Great Adventure better than anyother park! Disney runs second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 31, 2010 Report Share Posted March 31, 2010 I sometimes laugh while going through Kilamanjaro Safari's at Disney's Animal Kingdom or Rhino Rally at Busch Gardens in Tampa. They make the biggest deal about pointing out a giraffe or two elephants, meanwhile Great Adventure has herds of animals roaming around. You can always tell the riders from the northeast... they are the ones saying, "Ah, we have tons of those up at Great Adventure"! Now, if SFGA could borrow some of Disney's lush landscaping and theme elements for the Safari, it would be even that much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted April 2, 2010 Report Share Posted April 2, 2010 the safari looked great and was fun to drive thru after a long winter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 Did anyone notice in the Spotlight that the name of the park in this early newspaper map was labeled "Great Adventures"! That sounds like a name my grandmother would have called the park! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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