Thrills galore at Gold Reef City

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The ride everybody wants to take – the fearsome Anaconda

It’s the screams you hear first, even before you get there. Screams of delight, screams of terror, screams of disbelief, screams of joy.

I recently went to Gold Reef City (just a short ride from downtown Johannesburg) with 4 grandchildren, including a 16-month-old baby who sat in his pushchair transfixed by all the people, the noise and the fun everybody was having.

The dreaded Anaconda ride was the first stop.

Up and away, hurtling round the tracks, this way, that way, every way, upside down, on your side, head over heels. Definitely not for sissies. Although it only takes 45 seconds for this mechanical ‘snake’ to climb up to dizzy heights (and I do mean dizzy) and another 45 seconds to complete the hair-raising ride, it feels much, much longer.

If you’re even braver, then venture on to the heart-stopping Tower of Terror and be prepared to drop 50m at 100km/h down into an open mine shaft.

The Dreamboat will rock you – but at a 90º angle from the ground. More screams.

The Swing will swing you – but at an impossibly high speed as you whizz round at right angles to the middle pole. More screams.

Safety is predominant and there are strict procedures in place.

Rita, aged 7, and Alice, aged 5, were bitterly disappointed they couldn’t reach the 1.3m height regulation needed for the ‘big’ rides, but soon added their screams to others when they found the dodgems at Kiddies' Corner, where all sorts of exciting but safe rides for the little ones were waiting.

Dr Doolittle’s Farmyard, with furry, feathered and cuddly real-life critters, was another huge hit.

Your entry ticket is R160 (with special offers for families and kids), and you can book online and avoid queues.

So what’s stopping you?

Category: Attractions