It was the scene of tragedy a month and a half ago but families queued outside the gates of Dreamworld as the Gold Coast theme park reopened its doors following the death of four people on a ride.
Despite their enthusiasm the park was noticeably quiet with many of the key attractions still closed during an ongoing safety review.
Signs were placed in front of the closed rides explaining that they are waiting for their reviews to be completed.
...And the gates are again open at Dreamworld @9NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/hMdxffj5Eh — Nat Wallace N-A-T (@NatJohnWallace9) December 10, 2016
The Thunder River Rapids has been decommissioned and a large fence is in place around the ride, where four people lost their lives on October 25.
Local pass holders Kim Brezac and her son Dominic, 11, said they were excited to be back at the park.
"We've been respectful about why it's been closed, we're here to support the families as well as Dreamworld," Ms Brezac said.
Die-hard fans Craig and Deborah McGill both wore Dreamworld t-shirts for their visit.
The local couple come several times a week and have been eagerly awaiting the park's reopening.
"We've been waiting for the last six weeks to attend this grand event," Mr McGill said.
All nine of the park's major thrill rollercoasters are still shut, as well as Dreamworld Express, Rocky Hollow Log Ride and Shockwave.
CEO Craig Davidson paid tribute to the victims and thanked his staff for their hard work.
"Dreamworld is like a family, we have more than 1,000 team members and a fantastically supportive local community," he added.
"It was fantastic to see the support there, it felt like it was a normal Saturday morning at Dreamworld."
A number of local politicians, including Queensland minister for education and tourism Kate Jones and federal tourism minister Steven Ciobo, attended with their families.
They enjoyed their first ride on Escape from Madagascar before exploring the rest of the park.
"I'm here in my shorts and t-shirt with my three sons," Mr Ciobo said.
"Notwithstanding the tragedy it's great to see the park back up and running."
Dreamworld will donate $25 from every ticket sale over the weekend to the Australian Red Cross.
The total amount raised will be announced on Monday and will be distributed to the families and those most affected by the tragedy.
Special ticket prices will be in place for the summer, while season-pass holders will receive an extra six months entry.
