Welcome to the January 2014 edition of the "Australian Theme Park News Roundup", provided exclusively to Theme Park Tourist readers by AusParks.com.au.

For more Australian theme park news, please visit AusParks.com.au.

Luna Park Sydney debuts its "tallest and fastest ride yet"

Luna Park Sydney has unveiled a new thrill ride called the "Hair Raiser" just in time for the busy post-Christmas holiday period.

The ride begins with a leisurely accent up the 50-metre-tall tower, which overlooks the world-famous Sydney Harbour and city skyline.

Of course, once riders reach the peak, they are sent plummeting back towards Earth at speeds in excess of 80 km/h.

Melbourne icon returns after five-year break

After staying closed for almost five years, the Melbourne Star -- formally known as the Southern Star -- finally reopened to the public late last month.

The troubled observation wheel originally closed in January 2009 -- just 40 days after its grand opening -- after cracks were found in its 120-metre-tall structure.

After a series of unfortunate events slowed its reconstruction progress, the wheel finally reopened on 23 December 2013.

Movie World to launch revamped stunt show

Warner Bros. Movie World has revealed that it is planning to debut a new stunt show -- dubbed Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 -- in February.

Opened in 2008 at a cost of $10 million, the original Hollywood Stunt Driver replaced the former Police Academy Stunt Show. While it features a plot based around the production of an action movie in Italy, this is really just an excuse for some impressive car and motorbike stunts. The show runs for 20 minutes, with the arena able to hold up to 2000 guests.

The replacement show is rumoured to include more human-based stunts.