Gold Reef City
Encyclopedia
Gold Reef City is a large amusement park
in Johannesburg
, South Africa
. Located on an old gold
mine
, the park is themed around the gold rush
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.
There are many attractions at Gold Reef City, not the least of which are water rides and roller coasters. The liveshows 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
.
There are numerous rides ranging from log flume rides to an inverted coaster. Some of the popular rides at the theme park include:
Restaurants include:
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Located on an old gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, the park is themed around the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. 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
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated to gold mining on the grounds where it is possible to see a gold-containing ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
vein and see how real gold is poured into barrels.
There are many attractions at Gold Reef City, not the least of which are water rides and roller coasters. The liveshows of Idols South Africa
Idols (South Africa)
Idols is a television show on the South African television network M-Net, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in 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
Central Business District (Johannesburg)
The Central Business District, commonly called Johannesburg CBD, is one of the main business centres of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the most dense collection of skyscrapers in Africa, however due to white flight and urban blight, many of the buildings are unoccupied as tenants have left for...
off of the M1. It is also the site of the Apartheid Museum
Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum is a museum complex in Johannesburg, South Africa dedicated to illustrating apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa. The structure pictured here is owned by Gold Reef - the Casino Company.- History :...
.
Rides and attractions
- Anaconda. This is the only inverted roller coaster in the world built by the coaster design company GiovanolaGiovanolaGiovanola Freres SA was one of the prominent thrill ride manufacturers in the world. It was well-known for thrill rides and also built electrical power stations, water storage tanks, pipelines, highway bridges, and many other steel products. The company started out as a small metal forging shop,...
, and is currently the record holder for the fastest and tallest inverted roller coaster in Africa. - River Rapids
- Jozi Express, which is a high-speed roller coaster built and manufactured by the German amusement park ride manufacturer ZiererZiererZierer is a German company located close to Deggendorf. Zierer manufactures Tivoli and Force line of roller coasters, as well as panoramic wheels, wave swingers, flying carpets, Hextentanz and Kontiki rides...
. - Tower of Terror (also known as the Shaft of Terror). This roller coaster was originally designed by Swiss designer Ronald BussinkRonald BussinkRonald Bussink Professional Rides is a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures. Previously known as Nauta Bussink, the company was renamed when it moved its offices from the Netherlands to Switzerland....
, manufactured by local companies, and built by the park themselves. It is a vertical-drop roller coaster which features a drop of 47 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. - Golden Loop, originally White Lightnin' at Carowinds, known for its acceleration and the loss of gravity at points. It is a SchwarzkopfSchwarzkopfSchwarzkopf refers to:- Place name :Germany:* Schwarzkopf , a mountain of Bavaria, Germany* Schwarzkopf , Berg im Nordschwarzwald* Schwarzkopf , a mountain of Bavaria, GermanyCzech Republic...
Shuttle Loop. - Giant wheel with 55 metres diametre, may be the largest in Africa
- Miner's Revenge
- UFO, Goes at speeds of 50 km/h.
- Runaway Train
- Tornado
- Dream Boat
Recreation
There are hotels and restaurants situated all over the city. It also features a children's science museum and a tour of the deepest gold mine in the world. 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.Restaurants include:
- OLA milky lane
- Mugg & Bean
- Barcelos
- Wimpy
- Anat
- Chip 'n Dip
- King Pie