I’ll never forget the first time I rode the Cobra.

What a rush, man, and then whilst I was waiting to see the photos once the ride was done I vomited all over the floor.

That’s how you know it’s good, right?

Now, finally, and after years of threatening to close its doors, Ratanga Junction is no more.

It is dead, deceased, expired, and it has gone to meet its maker (Monty Python fans, that one’s for you).

Anyway, we digress, because you’re after one final thrill-seeking ride on the Cobra. Apparently queues were quite ghastly yesterday, which was the final day of operation, but Times LIVE can offer this.

Buckle up:

Not sure that’s going to make you chunder, but it’s a decent sense of what the Cobra was all about.

A eulogy of sorts:

Cape Town’s 32-metre high Cobra will be laid to rest…

The yellow and black beast has been terrifying locals and tourists for almost 20 years at the Ratanga Junction amusement park. which is set to shut its doors on May 1.

The Cobra‚ said general manager Bill Taylor‚ has been the most popular ride since the opening of the park in 1998.

In 2005‚ Taylor’s company purchased the park and it was set to close several years ago already. But because the venture had been so successful it continued to operate.

Now‚ the time has come‚ said Taylor‚ for the land to be developed…

“This is a bitter sweet time for me. I will be heading up the new venture. I love Ratanga‚ it is in my blood. My children were essentially raised here‚” said Taylor.

And who knows‚ the mighty Cobra may rise again. The roller coaster has been sold‚ along with the Bushwacker‚ to a European broker.