DDF14
Mega Poster
I am very lucky that in my job of a Hawk-Eye systems engineer for sports television productions I get to travel most of the year. For the past 3 years (2009,10,11) I have found myself at the South African Tennis Open in Monte Casino resort Johannesburg every January which is a short drive to Gold Reef City theme park world famous for its TOWER OF TERROR & ANACONDA rollercoasters both of which are unique and thrilling.
Gold Reef City is located in an old gold mine site where the old mining equipment and towers can still be seen as can a few active mines on the journey to the park. The park is exceptionally clean and tidy and all 3 visits to the area have been pleasant with the views from far away of Anaconda and Golden Loop enticing and welcoming for a coaster enthusiast on a day off from a pretty tough tournament. The resort also plays host to the Apartheid Museum and a Casino which are worth visits if they are of interest to you.
The park is quite well laid out and is fairly large but also has a way of hiding some attractions and lead you into hidden paths and places. It uses mostly influences from its past use as a gold mine for themes which is basic in its actual execution of themeing and atmosphere (story / narrative) but is first rate and beautiful on the eye (some say rivaling Disney) it gives the place a very relaxed charming feel to it. There are some nice walkways and ponds, waterfalls and other features to the landscape to make the walk around a pleasant one. I was very very lucky that all of my visits have come on off peak days which apart from the odd school bus means the place is very very quiet which is great for hitting plenty of multiple rides HOWEVER like most smaller parks it does mean that on the bigger rides sometimes they will tend to wait on loading a full train for 10 minutes which can be a little frustrating especially on Anaconda.
TOWER OF TERROR
A vertical drop rollercoaster built on and into an actual mine lift and shaft with a slightly twisted drop and a vertical lift up to the top of the tower. The ride stands approx 115ft above ground with an underground section of the drop / pull out of 50ft. Without a doubt your probably reading to get a comparrison with Oblivion so here goes Oblivion is larger and a longer ride experience that looks and feels like a modern thrill ride which most would say is an extreme thrill ride. Tower of Terror rips up the rule book it was designed and made by the park themeselves and has a look that just seems totally wrong and that of a complete death trap. Funny enough the ride experience is not far off of that and the look and sound of the thing as it drops as you approach to queue is by far more intimidating to me than Oblivion.
The ride cars are very similar in look to the Gerstlauer Eurofighter and are very compact yet comfortable. A fact for some who are new to this ride is that when it opened in 2001 it did so with just LAP BARS! (Oh how I wish I could have ridden it then) It was converted to OTSR.
You trundle out of the station down a piece of track and turn 180 degrees into the bottom of the tower and onto the vertical lift where the car is carried up on a small piece of track in the conventional sense of a lift rather than on your back like a Eurofighter. It is quite a smooth and rapid process to get you up there and build some good tension (Once again when it opened it had a 45 degree chain lift). At the top it is an agonising wait for the track to level out and for the car to move forward in a creeping crawling manner that makes you doubt that the car will even make it to the edge. Unlike oblivion there is no pause and you cant even see the track in front of you or the drop just pure horizon leads you into a false sense that this aint so bad. The car suddenly kicks over the crest of the drop with some awesome ejector airtime and plumets like a demon at the speed of sound for hell and then into a red shed around the tiny narrow mine shaft which is very claustrophobic. You dont really notice the twist in the drop and then into darkness the drop takes your breath away much the same as Oblivion but here comes its famed final twist and what makes it for me a bigger impact ride than Oblivion.... the famous 6.5G PULL OUT !!! Unlike blivvy where you pull up in a soft smooth motion into the daylight and around a nice banked turn Tower of Terror at the bottom of the 165ft drop flicks you back up as quick as you went over the drop and an explosion of G hits you. Feels like your organs are going to escape. Your face feels like Stone Cold Steve Austin just hit you with the stunner, but unlike the pain that would surley follow that, it is a glorious feeling like you would imagine a jet fighter turning quickly. Your heart will be pounding trying to get the blood back to the right places rather than 8 pints in your toes. You take a smooth short turnaround similar layout to blivvy and hit the brakes back into the station... Breathless and pumped...
Now it is in my eyes a far better ride experience to Oblivion HOWEVER! it does not have any real narrative or theatrics and therefore does not grow the tension or make use of the fear of what to expect against you. No soundtrack or audio of any sorts means that the ride just lacks that atmosphere and extra level that good old blivvy goes to. Its a shame because with some nice touches this could have been a true enthusiasts must visit ride. It still rates a 9/10 for me and no amount of re-rides lets your body get used to the forces involved so its a real thrillseekers machine.
TOWER OF TERROR IS AMAZING 9/10
ANACONDA
YEP THATS ME
Right then Anaconda first of all WOW! what a beautiful beast this is. Set in a tropical oasis wrapped around a canyon the newer orange colours look amazing especially against the lush green plant life and cool waters and pools that surround. Anaconda is a very unique Giovanola Inverted coaster with 2 seat seating rather than the 4 across found on B&M's and Eurostar. It retains the same box track and looks just like a B&M the seats are very comfortable but rather than the drop floor on a B&M it is a solid floor station. The ride sits a very average 112ft high and features 5 inversions after a swooping curving drop.
The layout is very exciting but basic except for the wonderfull downward helix and the fact the train feels like its cutting through the air quicker than a standard 4 across inverter. With just 2 a side seating you feel more exposed and more aerodynamic than normal. On a very warm or rainy day they told me the had recorded the train travelling at 60-65mph (Avrg 57Mph) which for a coaster such as this packed with 5 g force inducing inversions is pretty cool.
My colleague and cool dude Pete "PEDRO" Stainforth was impressed!
From the first drop you can feel the force of this snake you hurtle through some lush tropical foliage and a tight tunnel into the first vertical loop which punches with plenty of G then before you know it your up into the slightly longer zero G roll which despite its length snaps very nicely through the inversion smooth as silk but has that shockwave wow factor maybe again due to the exposure of the seating. You are then treated to another vertical loop not quite as forcefull but still delivers due to the speed the train seems to carry, there maybe a touch of hang time on cooler days similar to nemmy. Next comes maybe the best part of the ride, out of the loop you speed into the downward almost double helix that is wrapped around the canyon like the coils of a real Anaconda squeezing the rocks tight there are leg choppers and rocks as close a possible. The speed and G force around this turn is fantastic, there is also a chance interaction with the Raging River Rapids that adds to the buzz. The turn is taken and executed in such a way that the relentless g forces feel like you yourself are being squeezed to death, it really is a great feeling and moment of the ride. Anaconda is the only name this thing could be called. As the turn eases back out from the tight centre you then approach the track that was leading into the turn looking to surely hit it before you suddenly snap into a gorgeous corkskrew gliding over the track then straight into another one up and over the rapids again. The two corkscrews are taken at a glorious pace, on one of those warm or wet days the speed is carried into them very nicely and then is eased off by a flick to the left up into another tight turn to finish the ride. You are taken up and down through this helix and its a nice finish to the ride with a good pop of G before your into the brakes.
Im going to give this ride the best compliment I can, on its day when all is perfect this ride is only second to Nemesis. It has to be ridden to be believed there is nothing else i can say to convey just what a great ride this is. Begining Middle and End are very well defined the pacing is perfect as is its surroundings and atmosphere. There is just some special factor that this ride has similar to Nemmy but different in the way it executes it. I have been on far bigger and complex inverted coasters but Anaconda goes straight up into number 2 where it has stayed for the past 3 years for me. Once again a good soundtrack is what is needed to improve the area.
It gets the same score as Nemesis from me. AMAZING
ANACONDA 9.5/10
The Best Of The Rest
There are plenty of other quality rides in Gold Reef City but could maybe do with a wooden coaster added as its next big project and an increase in quality flat rides. It does have a very good little log flume ride themed to perfection (See additional photots) and a selection of fair ground flat rides such as wave swinger, big wheel, Inverter and a Mack mine train. There are plenty for little ones too with a good selection of the usual kiddie ride line up.
Pedro enjoying a defunct kids roundabout ride LAD!
Its 2 stand out flat rides are the UFO and Miners Revenge (Top Spin)
Miners Revenge is your usual Top Spin most of the time run on a fair setting. HOWEVER
Unlike UK parks the operators are very approachable and seem to love plenty of banter and attention from tourists. A quick question of does it have a hardcore program was followed by an even quicker reply of "Get back on breu!" We were in for a real treat. The ride was very intense to say the least plenty of flips , inversions, loops and rolls smooth fast and fun. It was up there with some of the fairground examples I have done before. 6/10 Normal program 8/10 Intense program
The Raging River Rapids was a stand out water ride, a good long interesting layout filled with plenty of splashes and great views. Easily one of the best I have been on for such a simple ride and no cheap gimmicks. I wont ruin it with detail. The 2 Archimedes screws used to lift the water were in particular impressive. A cool 7/10 Rapids
FINALLY TO THE 2 NICE SUPRISES
JOZI EXPRESS
Jozi Express is a custom Zierer Force coaster standing 80ft high its very similar to the old Schwarzkopf rides of the past and has a dynamic and fun layout. The ride gets up to some good speed and a few nice forces. On the whole it was a really nice suprise and was always quiet and good for a few lazy rides.
Nice coaster simple 5/10
NOW THE BIG ONE FOR ME !
GOLDEN LOOP
Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop (Same as but not Thunderlooper)
Oh yes get in I finally got to ride one big moment for me !!
So im not going to insult your intelligence you know what it is you know how it works. It was a massive moment for me, I never got to ride Thunderlooper and so this was my chance to put a wrong right !
So how was it ???? ... ummmmmmmm
POV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEYlzicBYw&feature=related
EPIC RIDE
Oh lap bars feel so good even more so round one of Antons loops. The launch was a real suprise jeez I was not expecting that much force and the Arm choppers out of the stations are fantastic. All those that got to ride Thunderlooper I bow to your supreme knowledge of how good this ride really is. And for all those that have never been on one and want to know what its like... Totally cool dudes ahhh I wish we had one close in the UK.. The loop was just how I expected and the ride is as good as it looks ..
8/10
look at the launch and the arm choppers before the loop!
Pedro had a lot of love for Anton
One mean cool loop !
Video Links
ANACONDA POV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8uoFzxrXM
PARK MIX VIDEO (EXCELLENT) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekc5UDixyBY
In conclusion I would 100% recommend Gold Reef City to anyone who could afford the trip. The themeing is top notch in areas especially the water rides. Dont be put off by what you here of South Africa it is a fantastic place and I have spent Almost 9 months of my life there and never had a problem apart from the beer being soooooo tastey and too cheap so you get tipsy easily.. Also Biltong Rules !!!!!
Additions needed in my opinion would be :
Mack megacoaster with a Dark Mine Theme.
or
B&M Flying coaster with Bat theme underground in mines bursting out into lush areas.
Wooden Coaster Similar to TROY a Toverland (My favourite).
Dark Ride.
1 more water ride.
2-3 decent flat rides.
Music soundtrack added to areas and rides.
Thanks for reading Im happy to answer any questions you might have.
Apologies for spelling and grammar written very late in the evening.
Regards
DDF14
Link to my worlds highest bungee jump report http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=32800
