Taronga Zoo Sky Safari (Cable Car) - Sydney

Overview

CC Pines were engaged on a nine-month Design and Construct contract to replace the existing Cable Car ride at Taronga Zoo with a new and improved version

The client was the NSW Department of Commerce and our contracted steel fabricator was Poma, from France. The works initially involved the demolition of the existing towers and cables and removal from site.

The design process was completed in conjunction with the manufacturer of the new ride and the top and bottom station nodes were fully assembled and proof tested in France prior to shipment to Australia. The new towers and mechanical components were installed in conjunction with our manufacturer without causing interruptions to zoo operations. A unique design change allowed the cable cars to drop to a very low speed at the top and bottom stations to cater for use by children or the elderly.

At the bottom station, near the Taronga Zoo Ferry, a new lift for disabled patrons was installed. A rock saw and rock grinder were used for the excavation in order to deal with the space and environmental restrictions.

The rock attachments were also used to cut a new final approach grade into the bottom station to accommodate the new towers and cable cars. A general upgrade to the bottom station included a new verandah, disabled toilet and control room.

The tower base plates were manufactured from templates in order to “fit over” the existing footings and fixings from the old ride.

There were nine towers in total and all had a different template. The towers, cables and cars were all erected using multiple crane lifts and this was achieved with minimal interruption to zoo operations.

Each tower installation had its own degree of difficulty as they were periodically placed tightly around animal enclosures.

The photos below show the finished product in the foreground and Sydney Harbour in the background. The ride is approximately 750m long and rises approximately 140m. The project was completed on time and CC Pines remained engaged to operate the ride for six months and maintain it for two years

Location

Sydney, NSW

Client

Client – Taronga Zoo

Value

$7M

Contract Type

Construct Only

The design process was completed in conjunction with the manufacturer of the new ride and the top and bottom station nodes were fully assembled and proof tested in France prior to shipment to Australia. The new towers and mechanical components were installed in conjunction with our manufacturer without causing interruptions to zoo operations. A unique design change allowed the cable cars to drop to a very low speed at the top and bottom stations to cater for use by children or the elderly.