Johannesburg, or Jozi, is sometimes called the city of gold. However, many other images spring to my mind when I hear Johannesburg. One such image is Gold Reef City Theme Park. Consisting of about 20 extremely thrilling and blood-pumping adrenaline rides you will never be the same afterwards.
So please take this virtual journey with me in which I showcase to you one of Jozi's most thrilling things to do. In a city, which is similar to other big cities, there is not much to do. Maybe golfing, maybe shopping, but for the adrenaline junkie, the most thrilling thing to do is to go on a ride that falls down into an old mine shaft, put yourself in (safe) danger by being dropped from a scary height of about 5 meters, and by spinning in a ride that is called the UFO in frightening fashion. This is not for the faint-hearted.
Driving toward the theme park, you will also go through a South African adventure. The roads are crazy and you will drive in the city with all its problems. In a city riddled with poverty and joblessness, you will surely see some scary things if you are not careful. But this concrete jungle can be beautiful.
When you get to the park, your blood will slowly begin to pump. Anticipation can be a drug of sorts.
Tall golden men guide you towards the paying booth, or where to collect your tickets from. You can only buy them online and you redeem the ticket at the theme park. This has to be one of the cheapest things you can do, or it is the best way to spend R250 (or about $15). You pay to enter and you can ride as many of the rides as you want. You basically pay the entrance fee and you can spend the whole day riding rides and test your ability to withstand fear.
But unfortunately, a lot of people want to do the same thing. So you will stand in queues for a while. Fortunately, some of the rides take a lot of people so the lines go quickly. Early bird catches the worm, but even then there are still a lot of people in the line.
But then you get your ticket and you are off!
The theme park is littered with old equipment form mines. Some of them are hundreds of years old and has helped shape Souther African history. For better and worse. A lot of inequality comes with riches. So there are some pros and cons to having so much wealth. But one can at least wonder and appreciate the beauty of these majestic machines.
Without machines like this, South Africa (and the world) as we know it would not have existed. It literally shaped the world we live in.
The scarriest thing in life, I think, is falling from a height. Why would one willingly do it? I am not an adrenaline junkie, I stay clear from things that can kill me, but with recent changes in my life, I got a partner that loves these rides. So I pickle along.
The first ride, one of the scariest, one that people never do, one that's line is so short because everyone chickens out is called Tower of Terror. The name should scare you off, but onwards we go. It is basically a straight downwards fall into an old mineshaft. Here is a video of the event, and listen to the screams. They are there because it is really scary.
The next ride is the most famous: The Anaconda! This one is not scary but adventurous and thrilling. It is also quick and adrenaline pumping. You dangle from the ride, feet open, and the ride flings you through the air. Here is also a video of the event.
The next ride, one that makes your stomach turn, is the golden loop. It goes through the loop and go backwards in reverse. It slings you up a ramp and then it is over.
From the bottom, you can see how high it is. Scary, if you ask me!
There are so many other rides, scary ones, thrilling ones, but most of them you cannot even fathom why you would want to do it. But fear and adrenaline can make you feel so alive!
For those that would opt out of the adrenaline junkie rides, there are food, slow rides and PuttPutt.
The restuarant has one of the best names!
Puttputt has to be the strangest addition to the park. It surely is for those that cannot handle stress.
What a contrast, the ride in the background and the slow paced golf game in front.
I love to spot hidden messages and images. When you walk through the park, and you stay alert with all the adrenaline in your system, you might spot some hidden images on the walls.
Also, outside the theme park, you can spot over the city these awesome graffiti works:
And so it ends. Your head spins, you cannot fathom why you did it but in the end, you stand there with a pack of chips and a weird feeling in your stomach.
But it is all about memories. You feel the most alive when you are close to death. But these rides are not unsafe for the most part. I think that they take your safety as most important. Alas, we trust the engineers!
All of the images and videos were taken with my iPhone. What a way to feel alive! I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of a small part of Jozi with me. Safe travels!
