Orlando Towers

Orlando Towers, an old, disused power station just off the highway in Orlando, a suburb of South Africa’s iconic township, Soweto, has recently become a hub for all adrenalin junkies. The stations two cooling towers, which push up 100m into the African sky, have become a familiar part of Johannesburg’s skyline since they were built. Painted with huge, colourful African murals in attempt to brighten up the drab concrete, the old station recently got a new lease of life when they were fitted out to enable both adrenalin junkies and urbanites alike to experience a few seconds of free fall above Soweto’s skyline. The towers are in the same neighbourhood as the stadium that will be hosting both the opening ceremony and the final match of the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup Orlando Tower’s Facelift The two huge towers, which are both hollow inside, have been connected with a sky bridge which forms the launch platform for those who choose to bungee from these towers. The western tower has been fitted with mine elevator, which is on the outside of the tower. This lift can fit up to twenty passengers, and affords visitors and staff alike a speedy way up the 100m towers. The western tower has a gangplank that extends half way across the width of the tower, allowing visitors to get unique view into the very bowels of this gigantic cooling tower. Read more at Suite101: Orlando Towers in Soweto, South Africa: Bungee, Abseil, Swing in Johannesburg http://south-africa-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/orlando_towers_in_soweto_south_africa#ixzz0cwoxVcHk