Marchelle Abrahams goes in search of places around the country that are best enjoyed during the colder months.
Cape Town
Recently opened, SuperPark, at The Watershed in the V&A Waterfront, brings one-of-a-kind adventure to adults, teens and children of all ages.
The unique venue is ideal for team building adventures, family outings, school holidays, weekends, birthday celebrations and any other occasion. The park is divided into two sections:
PlayDate provides a safe space to let loose and work off steam. Situated on the ground floor, it’s suitable for kids of all ages. Popular highlights includes the Freestyle Zone, which comprises Obstacle Course, Flying Fox Zip Line, Escape Games, Extreme Structures, 3D Maze and other games.
HintHunt is an experience of a lifetime. Escape games are multi-player games that require skill, patience and teamwork. Participants are locked inside a themed adventure room and need to figure out the best escape route before the hour runs out.
Also catering to older children is the virtual reality room. In this version of the HintHunt game, four participants play the same game in the same room but as avatars instead of themselves. The addition of a one way mirror in the room means that people can watch the game from the outside without interfering.
More info: www.superpark.co.za/
KwaZulu-Natal
Durban Ice Rink was relaunched in 2015 after extensive renovations. Today, it is a world class establishment and considered one of the city’s most iconic and historic recreational facilities.
With a range of fun-filled recreational ice skating activities, the Durban Ice Arena offers activities for pros and novices alike. Up for a weekend of ice skating or a Friday night disco? They even do birthday parties with a twist.
The arena also offers a host of team-building exercises, birthday parties, group parties, school events and excursions, ice shows, ice hockey lessons and ice skating/figure skating lessons all under one roof.
For the smaller kids, there’s also Bobby the Seal and Penny the Penguin - fun characters to encourage them to get moving on the ice.
Other highlights include rock climbing - enjoy their 7m high rock climbing wall for just R20 during any public ice skating session.
Did you know the arena also offers school excursions? Launched in 2012, the educational programme incorporates fun aspects like how ice is formed, how they keep the ice surface from melting and the history of the Durban Ice Rink.
More info: www.durbanicearena.co.za
At Wetrock's indoor heated water park there’s fun to be had all year round. Come rain or shine, the good times never stop. There park has super tubes, a lazy river that goes through a cave, adult and kiddie slides, a pool as well as a baby and toddler dry zone area.
Water is heated and the venue is in a climate controlled environment. Wet Rock is available for parties, corporate events and school outings or excursions and are open to the public. Venue is suitable for all ages.
More info: wetrockadventures.co.za/
Trampoline parks consist of interconnected trampolines, that stretch from wall to wall and offer a safe zone to jump to your heart’s conten. Jump 4 Joy, located in Durban North and Waterfall, is an indoor trampoline park that consists of 40 interconnected trampolines, a foam pit, basketball slam dunk and dodgeball Court.
More info: www.j4j.co.za
Johannesburg
Not exactly in the Joburg vicinity, Warmbaths, a Forever Resort, is an ideal getaway for winter.
Situated just minutes away from Bela-Bela, a town in the Limpopo Province, the 3-star resort comprises luxury hotel rooms, self-catering chalets and Caribbean style log cabins. The kids will be spoilt for choice with a selection of outdoor games, including volleyball, tennis, squash, putt-putt and outdoor chess.
And then there’s the outdoor heated pools. Well known for their mineral properties, the hot springs originated from the Voortrekker farm, Het Bad. Other water activities include water slides, cable skiing, river boats and paddle boats.
There is also a kiddie play park, target shooting, monster web climbing and a hydro spa for the older folks who need a time out.
The resort has a private game reserve offering guided game drives and guided horse trails, exclusively to guests.
More info: www.foreverwarmbaths.co.za/