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Sun City’s newly overhauled Valley of Waves reopened just in time for guests to celerate heritage weekend and proved to be very popular.
Before reopening the facility, maintenance crew upgraded all the wave generating mechanisms to ensure they are operating to full capacity.
The adult pool contains approximately 1 million litres of water. The wave pool contains 10-million litres of water and creates swells high enough for surfing, as they move away from the dam wall at 35km per hour to subside onto a sandy beach, 120m away. Every year roughly 10 tons of sand is needed to top up the valley, and a further 50 tons is needed to rake around the extended beach area.
For the foreseeable future, the Valley of Waves will be open to all hotel guests, Sun Vacation Club residents, Sun International Most Valued Guests (MVGs) and golfers. It will operate normally between 9am and 6pm.
Among the many attractions in Valley of Waves is the 500 metre long Lazy River which meanders around the Island of the Valley of Waves, as two million litres of water gently bob happy children along its waterway in brightly coloured tubes.
The Roaring Lagoon is a pure adrenaline rush. Every 90 seconds a siren wails, warning swimmers that a 1.8m high wave with a velocity of 35kms is approaching them as it makes its way toward the sandy beach.
The brave-at-heart should not miss the Roaring Lagoon in the Temple of Courage where they will experience a 17-metre drop down a 70 metre chute as they hurtle under a bridge and splash into the pool at the foot of the slide. This activity is not recommended for the faint hearted.
In addition to the Temple of Courage are Six water slides. To the left of the Temple of Courage is the Diamond Mine, which forms the starting point for two meandering flume rides.
The underground Tarantula envelopes thrill seekers in darkness as they hurtle through watery mountain tunnels in nothing but a tube and travelling at breath-taking speed. The only audible sound inside the tunnels are the screams of alternating terror and delight.
New fun experiences that were included in 2014 following Sun City’s R1-billion refurbishment include Boomerango and Aqualoop rides. There are six rides in total now.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Valley of Waves attracted over 1 million visitors a year, 10 000 per weekend. It has a maximum capacity of 12 000.
The nearby Royal Arena open-air amphitheatre regularly hosts live entertainment for up to 800 spectators but this facility is closed for the moment. Guests should visit the Sun City website for regular updates about when different concessionaire stores and facilities will reopen.
The Valley of Waves offers an activity for every member of the family and there are lockers and cloakrooms and an umbrella and towels hire facility.