Gold Reef City

A bar of gold that has just been solidified in Gold Reef City

Gold Reef City is an amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine which closed in 1971,^[1] the park is themed around the gold rush that started in 1886 on the Witwatersrand. Park staff wear period costumes of the 1880s, and the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period. There is a museum dedicated to gold mining on the grounds where it is possible to see a gold-containing ore vein and see how real gold is poured into barrels.^[2]

There are many attractions at Gold Reef City, including water rides and roller coasters. The live shows of Idols South Africa are filmed live in the "Hippodrome", a large auditorium based in the park. Gold Reef City is located to the south of the Central Business District off of the M1. It is also the site of the Apartheid Museum.

Rides and attractions

Liquid gold being poured into a cast to make a bullion bar at a Gold Reef City demonstration

Some of the popular rides at the theme park include:

• The Anaconda, one of two inverted roller coaster in the world built by the coaster design company Giovanola, and currently the record holder for the fastest and tallest inverted roller coaster in Africa. The other being Eurostar (roller coaster).
• River Rapid
• Jozi Express, a high-speed roller coaster built and manufactured by the German amusement park ride manufacturer Zierer.
• Tower of Terror (also known as the Shaft of Terror), a roller coaster originally designed by Swiss designer Ronald Bussink, manufactured by local companies, and built by the park themselves. It is a vertical-drop roller coaster which features a drop of 50 meters, and a pull-out which features a positive G-force of 6.3 Gs. This coaster is also the record holder for the current tallest and fastest roller coaster in Africa and also the most forceful coaster in the world.
• Golden Loop, originally White Lightnin' at Carowinds, known for its acceleration and the loss of gravity at points. It is a Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop.
• Giant wheel 55 metres in diameter, possibly the largest in Africa
• Miner's Revenge
• UFO, which goes at speeds of 50 km/h.
• Runaway Train
• Tornado
• Dream Boat

Recreation

There are hotels and restaurants situated near the park. Gold Reef City also features a children's science museum and a tour of what used to be the deepest gold mine in the world when it was in operation many years ago. South Africa has much deeper mines now, but these are not accessible to visitors. There is also a 4D Movie theater which features 2 movies at a time, with 3D effects, surround sound and chairs which move in sync with the film.

Potential flooding

It was reported in 2013 that acidic mine water was slowly rising within the mine on which the park is built, and that there was a possibility of the park being flooded if left unattended. Mine tours were temporarily halted, and the museum was moved from 215m underground to 80m above ground.^[3]

Photo Gallery

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  Original mining houses from the early 20th century on display in the par

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  The living room in the mine manager's house.

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  The dining room in the mine manager's house.

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  The kitchen in the mine manager's house.

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  The mine headgear as seen from the Big Wheel.

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  Class 19D steam locomotive on display.

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  The information board for the Class 19D locomotive on display in the park.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gold Reef City.

• Official Website