Rainbow’s End has announced a new and improved version of a beloved ride — the Pirate Ship — will swing once more with its return to New Zealand’s largest theme park in 2025.
The original swinging sensation was described as a “guest favourite for nearly 40 years” at the Auckland amusement park before it was scrapped in 2017 due to the limited availability of replacement parts.
A new 50-seat, 13-metre-long replacement ship will become the largest capacity ride – seating up to 50 thrill seekers per ride – at the park, propelling guests 75° to each side and about 15 metres in the air at the top of the ride.
Rainbow’s End chief executive Susan Mudie said the park had “listened to repeated requests from Kiwis asking for it to return,” and was thrilled to bring a new and improved Pirate Ship to life next year.
“We are confident the new ride will offer heaps of enjoyment for all ages, with some exciting twists to the original,” she said.
The construction began in 2023 with steel works, and focus had moved to completing final sculpting and painting of decorative elements for the hull, mast, sails and crow’s nest in Europe before the parts would be shipped to Auckland in December 2024.
Major site works would commence in mid-January 2025 and the 13-metre-long ship would be installed after the April school holidays to open in spring 2025.
