Last year, the Sandton Convention centre was transformed into a prehistoric landscape, where dinosaurs roamed (or fiercely roared from their mounted positions, at any rate) and visitors were able to experience what life would have been like for these Jurassic age giants.
Now the same team that brought you the Day of the Dinosaurs fast- forward a few millennia to the Ice Age… an era which holds the key to the elusive missing link; a time when mammoths strode across the glacial plains, sabre-toothed kitty cats weren’t just creatures you watched in an animated movie, and Neanderthals and Homo sapiens (modern man’s ancestors) competed for dominance.
The invitation-only evening that took place earlier this week witnessed a number of South Africa’s media darlings and their loved ones descend on the icy artificial steppes, including Zuraida Jardine and “the three L’s”: Lee-Ann Liebenberg, Leanne Manas and LeAnne Dlamini.
The exhibition showcases over 45 life-size animals modelled within their natural habitats, all of which took more than a year to create in careful consultation with paleontologists.
While much of the exhibition (which, as with last year’s offering, comes to our African shores from Argentina) is aimed at children of school-going age, the displays themselves may, admittedly, be rather overwhelming on the information-overload front for younger visitors.
Fortunately for those flustered parents with offspring too curious to ponder over the mounted models, the interactive play area is bound to keep them busy!
From the virtual aquarium that offers them the opportunity to be submersed in a tank (digitally, not literally) and enables them to experience underwater life with the prehistoric species that once ruled our oceans; to the sandpit that affords them a taste of amateur archaeology as they dig for fossils; along with the bear carousel and rides atop a mechanical Glyptodon for the little ones, there are a number of options on offer. Be warned though: if your young’uns are more adventurous in nature, be prepared to spend a fair share of your time (and mucho moolah) on the ice slide!
On that point, each of the activities are only available at an additional cost to the entrance tickets – and they don’t come cheap! So if you’re an average family of four, be sure to come loaded with a full wallet.
l The Ice Age Exhibition run at the Sandton Convention centre until August 8. Exhibition opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, Saturday, Sunday 9am to 8pm. For full info and ticketing details, check out www.theiceage.co.za. Schools interested in booking a field trip can contact Ilani at [email protected].