During the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational tournament, the weekend was dedicated to testing the DJI Osmo Nano action camera at the Valley of the Waves park in Sun City, which turned into a real adventure.
The first challenge was the famous Temple of Courage. As the name suggests, it is the scariest ride in the park—a high, almost vertical slide descending directly from a temple located high above the resort.
Climbing the endless staircase requires significant physical effort, taking about three to four minutes. At the top, there is a stunning panoramic view of all of Sun City, framed by the rugged Pilanesberg mountains. However, if you feel even the slightest nervousness, the fear intensifies when you stand at the edge, looking down.
Reality sets in when you sit on the slippery slide, where water rushes past, cross your arms over your chest, and lock your ankles. The desire to give up the descent is very strong before the start, and the author observed many people refusing and returning back up the stairs. Since he had tried this attraction before, including runs the day before, he decided not to give up and rode the Temple of Courage six times in a row.
Each ride represented a pure burst of vertical speed, followed by a slow, intermittent climb back up. By the sixth run, friction and the high water pressure had left the author's back quite sensitive.
After conquering the highest slide in the park, the visitor tried calmer family rides. He used the Tarantula, a closed slide. The incline was moderate—it was a gentle, winding swim until the jump into the pool below. After such an adrenaline rush from the Temple of Courage, this attraction seemed rather boring, so one ride was enough.
He also tried the tube slide, but it was even slower. There was another closed slide, but it was completely dark inside; using an action camera there was pointless, as the lack of light precluded getting useful footage.
This left the main attraction of the park—the huge wave pool. The system operates on a timer, creating giant mechanical waves that roll across the artificial bay. The author perfectly timed his arrival for when a new cycle began. A clear warning is given by a series of water fountains resembling lions, from whose mouths water pours out; as soon as the last stream shoots out, there are only a couple of seconds before the wall of water rushes into the swimming area.
Not knowing how many waves were left in the session, he immediately plunged into the water, energetically swimming towards the approaching wave with the camera on. He managed to capture a whole series of consecutive shots—diving under the crests, swimming over the rolling waves, and getting excellent underwater shots from the camera's perspective. After riding four or five large waves, he decided to end the day.
Ultimately, testing the DJI Osmo Nano at the main site of Sun City was an epic adventure. If a visitor is ready to handle the stair climbs and withstand the onslaught of the waves, Valley of the Waves guarantees unforgettable experiences every time.
