Staycation: Fool's gold at Reef hotel

My kids have been begging to spend a day at Gold Reef City. The start of the school holidays seemed the perfect time.

At five and seven, the attraction for them escapes me. They're too young to go on the exciting rides and their attention spans make them impossible to entertain while waiting (sometimes for hours) in the queues for everything.

But the park is filled with the things kids love: twirled potato chips on a stick, artificially flavoured and sugary drinks, screams of teens from the ''big kid rides", 4D theatre, a petting zoo and a journey into the tunnels under the city to experience the daily grind of gold miners.

Gold Reef City is clean, educational and modelled on the city's fascinating old-mining-town history. Once you've paid your entrance to the park you can go on any of the rides.

The hotel reception is designed to resemble a turn-of-the-century inn and the village gives a sense of what the city was like during its early years, minus the dusty streets and horses.

The day started with a ride on the big wheel. The kids refused to go on any of the rides in the kids' playground, but they were keen on the 4D theatre.

We waited for some other rides, but the kids didn't meet the height criteria.

We had a comfortable night in the hotel, eating at Barney's restaurant, where we enjoyed the bar and a few games of pool.

Provided you have patience for waiting in lines, Gold Reef City is a good day and night out for the family.

• Gold Reef City Theme Park Hotel, 011-248-6800 for bookings
• Nagel was a guest of Gold Reef City