An Abandoned Power Station

[JuiceZA]

A while ago some friends invited us to join them at the Orlando Cooling Towers in Soweto, a township just South-West of Johannesburg for a Power Swing experience. The power swing itself was mindblowingly terrifying and exhilirating with a 100m drop from the top of the cooling tower to the ground, but being a big fan of urban decay, I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the abandoned power station. This one is one of the better ones from the interior.



This is a picture of the inside of the cooling tower from which we jumped. It looks a bit like a concrete eye, doesn't it?



And I believe that also marks my 50th post! Thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome here in the DPS community. Sharing my photos with you has been awesome, as well as inspirational.

[sspratham]

waaoo great shots. I Like 2nd. Nice perspective

[kmohankumar]

Good shots. I like the 2nd one in particular

[gturner]

Hey Juice - a big fan of Urban decay... you are in the right place for loads of that I would love to shoot downtown Hillbrow.
Those are cool shots. Is the station pretty safe or are there residents in the place?

[JuiceZA]

Originally Posted by gturner

Hey Juice - a big fan of Urban decay... you are in the right place for loads of that I would love to shoot downtown Hillbrow.
Those are cool shots. Is the station pretty safe or are there residents in the place?

Orlando Towers is quite secure. Since the extreme sports people moved in there they have security guards and well-maintained fencing. I don't think they have any vagrants or squatters in the complex, and I didn't see anything to worry about when I went there. Check out the web-site for directions and go take a look on a Saturday sometime.

I'd also love to shoot some of the areas around town, but I'd feel a little vulnerable wandering around on my own with an expensive-looking camera around my neck. Some friends of mine recently went on a photo-walk through Newtown which I sadly missed out on. If you're on Facebook, look up the "Weekend Culture Club" group run by Mark Straw. They're planning on doing more photo-walks in the future. Safety in numbers is much more preferable than trekking through there solo.

[gturner]

That may just be the definition of "looking for trouble"
I am in slaapstad and am trying to hitch a ride with police for a weekend of action. My Mrs will not give me a pass however.

[JuiceZA]

Originally Posted by gturner

That may just be the definition of "looking for trouble"
I am in slaapstad and am trying to hitch a ride with police for a weekend of action. My Mrs will not give me a pass however.

Get them to arrest you

[leonaashlee]

Oh Juice, thanks for showing me more of my beloved South Africa. Is this a place that was bombed during apartheid? I thought I remembered the name. Nice shots, btw

[JuiceZA]

Originally Posted by leonaashlee

Oh Juice, thanks for showing me more of my beloved South Africa. Is this a place that was bombed during apartheid? I thought I remembered the name. Nice shots, btw

Thanks

No, as far as I know there weren't any bombings at the power station, though the suburb of Orlando (West) was the scene of the Soweto Uprising where police opened fire on school students marching to protest against education in Afrikaans instead of English.

Nelson Mandela also lived in Orlando when he was practicing law.