Gold Reef City Gold Underground Tour
Mine underground gold tour – Gold Reef City
Gold Reef City – Underground mine gold tour – Johannesburg gold mining in its heyday.
With Ekala – indeed more than simply a set time underground gold tour.
Gold Reef City – Gold Mine History
The Gold Reef City theme park is situated on a 10Ha site which surrounds the then number 14 gold mine shaft at Crown Mines. Indeed this 19th century gold mine produced 1.4 million kilograms of gold before closing in the 70’s.
The shaft was opened in 1897, thus only 11 years after Johannesburg was established and was part of the gold reef stretching 100 km from east of Boksburg to Randfontein in the west.
This made the Gold Reef City shaft 14 the world’s then richest producer of gold, 1.4 million kilograms over its 90 year life span.
This shaft was then at its time, one of the deepest gold mines and worked by 30 000 miners.
Gold mine tour takes you back in time with a first hand look at an old mining town, as well as the vibrant life of such a gold town.
A miner’s language (Fanagalo) was developed in 1910. This then enabled the miners from different cultures and languages to communicate.
Fanagolo was simplistic consisting of only 2000 words relevant to gold mining, however 25% of these were swear words.
For the miners, this was a tough way to earn a living with the heat, dampness, darkness and additionally the ear shattering noise of the drills.
Lighting was by candle-light, thus posing a continued risk of explosion due to the presence of methane gas.
Donkeys pulled the gold laden coco pans, staying down the mine for three months before then going blind.
There is gold remaining in the mine, however the price of gold at the time the mine closed, made it uneconomical to remove.
The lower levels of the mine are currently flooded – 19th level to the 57th level. Thus underground gold tours are conducted only up to the 5th level.
Gold Reef City – Underground mine gold tour
Thus traveling down a Gold Mine shaft – Gold Reef City
Gold Reef Shaft No 14, in production for 84 years – 1887 to 1971 and indeed, at its time, the deepest mine in the world.
Then travel down the Gold Mine shaft (under 5 years not allowed) in a large clangy lift to level 5 – 720 feet (226 meters) for a guided gold mine tour.
Walk down tunnels with a hard hat and a torch in hand and so experience the tough conditions that the gold miners had to endure.
Experience a short burst from a miners drill, this will accordingly give you an understanding as to why the miners would go deaf without ear plugs.
Then see the mine manager’s office with the miner’s identity box. This then helped identify missing miners.
Follow the coco pan tracks past the red dynamite box and get a view up a 35 degree slope with little head room and then wooden steps that lead to the surface of the mine in the event of a power failure.
Once back on the surface you experience daily demonstrations of pouring molten gold into gleaming bars of bullion and traditional miner’s gumboot dances on visiting the then mine manager’s house.
Additionally see how coins were pressed in the past and a museum dedicated to gold mining.
Gold Reef City – Mining Town Theme Park
The gold mining town has been reconstructed to capture the gold rush era times of the then early Johannesburg.
A comprehensive depiction of life in a turn of the century mining town. Including period houses and colourful street entertainment, hence discovering for yourself as to how the gold miners worked and played.
Staff wear period costumes and you can additionally have your picture taken in a period costume. Enjoy a beer in the saloon, then take a stroll through the animal farm or a ride on a steam train.
In addition a penny farthing cycle and a horse drawn carriage around the mine village.
The international appeal of the Gold Reef City amusement and theme park with its depiction of nineteenth century gold mining life is seen daily by a large number of tourists.
Johannesburg is one of the most popular cities in Africa and is also the continents economic powerhouse.
Its history is based solely around the discovery of gold and this park brings the gold tour to life with a glimpse into the economic development of Johannesburg and its gold mining.
Travel back in time with a first hand look at an old gold mining town.
Gold Reef City – Gold Mine Underground Tour – Mining Town – Helicopter Tour.
If you are going to Gold Reef City yourself for the underground gold mine tour – then you need to book directly with Gold Reef City.
Ekala only includes the underground gold tour in our specialised gold tours.
Not for someone traveling to Gold Reef City themselves.
The Gold Reef City complex is indeed made up of various components.
- Gold Reef City Casino.
- Apartheid Museum – generally included as part of a Johannesburg and Soweto tour.
- Gold Reef City – Gold Mining town with Amusement and Theme Park.
- Underground Gold Mine tour. Accordingly included in Ekala’s gold tours – mining
- Helicopter flight – Johannesburg CBD – Soweto – optional extra on a Johannesburg day tour
Gold Reef City – travel back to look at an early Johannesburg gold mine.
The only components that Ekala Eco Tours may include in a day or multi day tour:
Details on separate page
- Underground Gold Mine Tour – Crown Mines Shaft 14 – further information on gold mine tours.
- Helicopter flight – Johannesburg – Soweto – only if accordingly requested/included/quoted as part of a Johannesburg multi day package.
- Consequently depends on actual tour booked with requirements/timing/time available. Accordingly detailed on quote or booking confirmation.
Private, professional and reliable tailor made gold mine underground tours
Different Gold Reef City tour options are available – hence with different prices.
Best ability to contact Ekala for gold mining tours:
info@ekalatours.com
Then will respond within 24 hours. Actually in most cases less. However depend on time differences.
Additionally Cell phones do create some problems. Due to time difference or because we may all be on tour and thus unable to answer your call at that time. Thus email works perfectly.
Furthermore difficult to deal with tour specifics on a cell phone.
Gold Reef City Underground Tours.
Ekala’s gold tours are private – thus each Gold Reef City component that we cover can be uniquely designed/included in a Johannesburg gold mining tour for an individual experience.
Underground gold tour not available Mondays and Tuesdays. Nevertheless Ekala does still structure other mining tours on these days as the Cullinan Mine underground or surface tour or other items of our Johannesburg gold history tour.
Helicopter flight over Johannesburg and/or Soweto however only available over weekends and holidays.
Inclusions for a day or multi day gold tour package need to be detailed in the enquiry to enable us to accordingly structure the package as required.
Solo South Africa safari and travel:
South African safari and eco tour holiday then catering for the single / solo traveller.
Indeed, for all diverse interests and ages.
Then accompanied by Ekala’s professional guides.
As a solo South Africa traveller the private tour is accordingly customised to your needs.
Hence providing quality time on your interests and requirements.
While striving to make long lasting memories for you.
Other options for mining tours – surface and Underground.
Transfer and safari options to add to any South Africa visit
Scenic and wildlife sanctuaries – South Africa Birding:
Cheetah:
Cheetah Experience – day trip from Johannesburg
Elephant:
Elephant interaction visit, Hartbeespoort dam.
Monkey:
Bush baby monkey Sanctuary, Hartbeespoort Dam
Bird
Ekala Eco Birding – South Africa
Kruger and Pilanesberg National Parks Safari
Pilanesberg
Overnight Pilanesberg private safari
Kruger:
Ultimate Kruger National Park private safari
Eco tours and safari
Environmentally sustainable safari
Palaeo – Cradle of Humankind:
Maropeng and Sterkfontein Cave day trip
Scenic and Nature:
Graskop Panorama
Panorama route – en-route to or from the Kruger
Botanical Gardens
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
South Africa Transfers – Airport transfers – Train transfers – Kruger transfers
Transfers
Private point to point transfer service in South Africa
Layover transfer
Layover transfers – Pretoria/Johannesburg/Kruger
Kruger transfers
Transfer to Kruger via panorama route
Airport transfers
Airport transfers – Johannesburg O. R. Tambo airport
Train transfers
Mining – gold and diamonds:
Gold mines:
Gold mine – surface/underground.
Diamond Mine:
Cullinan surface – including new operations
Diamond Mine Underground:
Cullinan – underground in a working mine
Mining historical:
South Africa Historical and Cultural:
Soweto:
Focusing history, people, and culture – non invasive
Alexandra:
Alexandra walking day – or driven as you require
Lesedi:
Tourist multicultural day – Tribal ancestral village
Johannesburg:
Cultural trip of the city of Johannesburg
Pretoria:
Pretoria city day travel – cultural diversity
Soweto:
Historical day through Apartheid struggle
Johannesburg:
Johannesburg historical private day trip
Pretoria:
Pretoria day journey – colonialism to democracy
Struggle against segregation/apartheid
Gandhi:
Walk in footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa
Apartheid freedom Struggle:
Mandela Apartheid Route – Freedom Route – South Africa
Liliesleaf Farm:
Nelson Mandela – Rivonia trial – Apartheid opposition
Apartheid Museum:
Racial oppression-guided Apartheid Museum
Constitution Hill:
Constitutional Hill + Constitution Court + Old Fort visit
Military/Battlefield
Ekala’s Gold Reef City gold tours can then be adapted to the client’s individual needs.
Accordingly we accommodate specific mine tour and personal requirements.
Tailor made gold mining underground tour experiences that cater for solo travellers, couples, families and group mining tours.
Planning stage of South Africa safari/tour/trip
So if you are in the planning stage of a South Africa trip, we can help.
Please supply the duration that you are looking at being in South Africa, group size, then your estimated dates and duration.
Then additionally what you wish to include in this time, and we can advise using our extensive South Africa experience.
Take a sightseeing Helicopter flight over Soweto and Johannesburg.
Helicopter flight over Johannesburg and/or Soweto. Great opportunity for photos and a greater view of Johannesburg.
Inclusion in tour generally only available over weekends.
Must be asked for in the tour enquiry, thus enabling us to structure the gold tour and price correctly.
Short selection of Ekala Eco Tours most popular package safari and tour options
British and Irish Lions vs South Africa Springboks
For multi-day safari tour package – Ekala Guest House