Melbourne Wheel Opening-Saturday December 20, 2008

The Southern Star Observation Wheel (The Melbourne Wheel) finally opens today (Saturday December 20, 2008). The London Eye style wheel, that is set to become one of Melbourne's biggest tourist attractions, was originally scheduled to open on the 28th of November, but due to bad weather and radio wave problems with their backup system the date was pushed back. 

The Melbourne Wheel ticket office opens at 9am and the wheel starts operating to the public from 5pm.

There is free family entertainment from 12pm and an "amazing fireworks and light show" later on.

(Click image to enlarge)

For all the latest Southern Star Observation Wheel information or to book tickets online check out the official website. 

Where was the material for the Melbourne Wheel sourced from?

The columns were from Tasmania, the hub/spindle from Japan, the inner spokes from Melbourne, the spokes/wheel frame from Japan, the cabins from Japan and the frame LED lighting was shipped over from Korea.

It is believed every effort was made to source materials from Australian suppliers but cost in most cases prevented this.

How to get to the Melbourne Wheel

There are a number of ways to get to the Southern Star Observation Wheel.

1. Train- Take the train to Southern Cross Station and walk over the Bourke Street Pedestrian Bridge past Telstra Dome to Harbour Esplanade.

2. Tram- Catch the free City Circle tram (via Flinders Street or La Trobe Street), Tram 30 (via La Trobe Street), Tram 70 (via Swanston Street & Spencer Street) and get off at Harbour Esplanade. Or Tram 86 (via Bourke Street) and Tram 48 (via Flinders Street) which take you to the Waterfront City stop.

3. Car- Go to Melway’s reference 2E C2. Direct access is available off CityLink and Footscray Road. Enter the precinct via Waterfront Way or Pearl River Road. Over 2,850 car parks are available. Street parking is limited.

Econonomic Benefits of the Melbourne Wheel

The developer, ING Real Estate, forecasts that the wheel will attract 1.5 million visitors each year to "Waterfront City" (the area around the wheel). The $100 million project will also perhaps bring a lot more tourists to Melbourne in the future; and that isn't too hard to forecast if you look at the success of the London Eye.

Melbourne Wheel Pricing

For general access a trip on the observation wheel is expected to cost $29 for adults and $17 for children for the 30 minute trip. For pensioners it's $20 and for seniors $26. Premium access where you can "walk straight up to the front of the queue" is $58 for adults and $34 for children. Group flights are cheaper and there are frequent flyer, disabled, educational group and international student packages available. To book a private cabin for up to 20 people will set you back $800. The Southern Star Opened on the 20th of December 2008, check out all the Melbourne Wheel Opening information.

Melbourne Wheel Construction

Brief Construction History:

End 2006- Construction begins on Melbourne Wheel.
July 2007- Columns completed.
August 2007- Hubs installed.
Late 2007- Installation of spokes and wheel frame.
Early 2008- Construction of support building at the bottom of the wheel.
Mid 2008- installation of pods.
November 2008- Opens to the public (originally scheduled for November 28th but delayed due to bad weather and radio wave problems with the backup operating system to the 20th December, 2008).

Detailed Construction History:

Construction of the Melbourne Wheel, or more officially the "Southern Star", began in 2006 and has been a major project in Melbourne since then. The $100 million construction was designed and constructed by ING Real Estate Development Australia, a Japanese company, Sanoyas Hishino Meisho Corporation, head contractor Hansen Yuncken and steel fabricator and erector, Alfasi Steel Constructions.

The Southern Star is 120m (390 ft) high; or if that doesn't excite you, around 40 storeys high! The structure will have 1250 tonnes of steel and 3.7km of LED lighting to brighten Melbourne's landscape at night. The 21 air-conditioned pods/enclosed capsules are 5.7m (19 ft) in length and 3.7m (12 ft) in height. Each pod can comfortably accommodate 20 passengers and will offer fantastic views of Melbourne City, Port Philip Bay, Geelong and other areas of Victoria.

Inside each cabin a central seat provides room for people to walk around and take advantage of the views from floor to ceiling glass walls

The supporting steel columns were manufactured in Tasmania by Alfasi Group and the wheel structure was manufactured in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.

Proper construction work on the wheel didn't really start till middle 2007. The outer ring of the wheel was completed on the 1st of March 2008. The passenger pods arrived at the Melbourne Eye location on the 10th of June 2008 for installation. By the 20th of October 2008, the pods were receiving their fit out.

Late October, Victorian Premier John Brumby announced the Southern Star will be fully operational and open to the public on November 28 (later delayed due to bad weather and radio wave problems till the 20th December, 2008). The area surrounding the wheel is likely to be quickly developed in the next few years to allow easier access to an attraction that looks set to become one of Melbourne's biggest.

About this Melbourne Wheel Blog

This blog is dedicated to providing its readers with the latest news and information about the Melbourne Wheel (The Southern Star Observation Wheel).

At the time of writing, we aim to ensure all information is correct but if there are any mistakes please feel free to comment and let us know.

If you would like to share any information you have or let others know about your experience with the amazing Melbourne Wheel, also feel free to leave comment.

Thanks for the visit, http://melbournewheel.blogspot.com/