Bold tourism ideas proposed for the Gold Coast that never happened

While many theme parks and novelties have been built in the past 60 years, there are plenty more that were proposed but never eventuated.

Here are some of the most memorable concepts which never eventuated:

THE ICON GEYSER

Proposed in February 2012 by Gold Coast teacher Bill Ross, it was to be the world’s largest offshore water jet.

It was expected to be built 300m off Surfers Paradise and would shoot water more than 150m into the air.

It was conceived as a clock of sorts that would grow in size for short periods every 15 minutes, reaching its maximum height on the hour every daylight hour.

It was expected to cost $15 million and had the backing of then-mayor Ron Clarke.

POLYNESIAN FOLK WORLD

Dreamworld bosses hoped to capture lightning in a bottle twice less than five years after the theme park opened.

Plans were unveiled in February 1986 for a $12 million Polynesian-style entertainment and commercial development earmarked for a 1.6ha site on the Nerang River off Southport’s Brighton Parade.

The two-storey complex was house two licensed restaurants, bars, a nightclub, specialty shops, offices, marina, and manager’s residence. It was to have a South Sea island theme, with a wide boardwalk and marina on to the river.

But the Gold Coast City Council was flooded with objections from locals who insisted that any kind of tourism infrastructure would have damaged the residential character of Southport.

The project ultimately failed to gain the support of either the State Government or council

THE BIG BIKINI GIRL

Surfers Paradise Chamber of Commerce boss and perpetual mayoral candidate Brian Shepherd was never short of an idea.

But in the late 1980s, he spun his tallest tale with a proposal that raised plenty of eyebrows.

He announced plans to build the world’s tallest bikini girl statue.

Like the colossus of Rhodes, it was meant to stand across the Gold Coast Highway, with motorists to drive underneath it on their way into Surfers Paradise.

Understandably the Gold Coast City Council under then-mayor Lex Bell was not keen to proceed.