DO THIS
Get your adrenaline pumping on the Ama Zwing Zwing zipline tour near Broederstroom.
AMA ZWING ZWING ZIPLINE TOUR, BROEDERSTROOM After five days of Gauteng traffic, you’ll be craving fresh air and adventure when the weekend rolls around. But nothing too crazy – your commute is already bad for your blood pressure! How about a zipline tour? Not just any zipline tour, one where you can glide through the air for 1,3 km… Ziplining has its origins in the 1990s, when botanists used cables to traverse the tree canopies in the rainforests of Central America to conduct their research. Before long, tourists and adventure seekers caught on and now there are zipline tours all over the world. Gauteng has one right in its backyard. At Ama Zwing Zwing, about 40 km from Pretoria, you can fly from platform to platform in the shadow of the Magaliesberg. When you arrive at the reception office you’ll be kitted out with safety gear. In your helmet and harness, you’ll look like one of those window washers who clean skyscrapers… At the first platform, instructors will show you how to hold on, use the brake and lift your legs when you reach the next platform at speed. I was too busy taking photos to listen properly and ended up bruising my shins. That’s what you get for not paying attention! Next you’ll be clipped onto the cable and then it’s time for take-off. At first I was too scared to look down, but halfway along the first cable I relaxed enough to appreciate the views of the valley and the Crocodile River in the distance. I even saw some zebra below. The tour consists of seven cables. You walk a few metres between the different platforms and you’ll be clipped in again at each cable. At the highest platform there’s time for a breather with a KitKat and a bottle of water. Once you reach the bottom of the valley, a bakkie will be waiting to take you back to your vehicle. On Monday morning, you’ll wish there was a zipline to take you to work! Cost: R450 per adult; R350 per school-going child. Rate includes a coupon for a R50 discount at the Amanzingwe Lodge restaurant. Children have to be seven years and older. Opening times: Daily from 8.30 am to 3 pm. Tours depart every half hour. Two to eight people per group. The tour takes about 45 minutes, depending on group size. Where? About a kilometre east of Broederstroom on the R512, at Amanzingwe Lodge. Contact: 082 803 7731; amazwingzwing.co.za