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Gold Reef City

Coordinates: 26°14′10″S 28°00′44″E / 26.23611°S 28.01222°E / -26.23611; 28.01222
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Gold Reef City
View from the Giant Wheel to the Jozi Express, with the city in the background
LocationJohannesburg, South Africa
Coordinates26°14′10″S 28°00′44″E / 26.23611°S 28.01222°E / -26.23611; 28.01222
SloganPure Jozi - Pure Gold
AreaOrmonde
Websitehttp://www.goldreefcity.co.za/
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, roller coasters and the famous Gold Reef City Casino. 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:

  • Chuckies D
  • River Rapid
  • Jozi Express, a high-speed roller coaster built and manufactured by the German amusement park ride manufacturer Zierer.
  • Tower of Terror, a high-speed rollercoaster with a vertical drop into an old mineshaft.
  • Golden Loop, originally White Lightnin' at Carowinds. It is a Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop.
  • Giant Wheel Ferris wheel
  • Miner's Revenge
  • UFO, a giant wheel that spins at high speed while being lifted from a horizontal position to a near-60 degree position.
  • Runaway Train
  • Tornado
  • Dream Boat

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]

  • Original mining houses from the early 20th century on display in the park
    Original mining houses from the early 20th century on display in the park
  • The living room in the mine manager's house.
    The living room in the mine manager's house.
  • The dining room in the mine manager's house.
    The dining room in the mine manager's house.
  • The kitchen in the mine manager's house.
    The kitchen in the mine manager's house.
  • The mine headgear as seen from the Big Wheel.
    The mine headgear as seen from the Big Wheel.
  • Class 19D steam locomotive on display.
    Class 19D steam locomotive on display.
  • The information board for the Class 19D locomotive on display in the park.
    The information board for the Class 19D locomotive on display in the park.

References

  1. ^ "Gold Reef City". South African History Online. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Official Website". Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Acid mine water rises under Gold Reef City". Business Day. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
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