A replica of the infamous Titanic will be on display to explore at the Flamingo Casino in Kimberley from today (17/02) until Wednesday (23/02).
This replica is the main attraction of the “Tintanic” Ship of Dreams Exhibition at the casino. The model can be viewed and explored for free. Schools are encouraged to explore the replica of the ship on Monday and Tuesday.
The Titanic was proclaimed to be practically unsinkable due to her innovative internal bulkhead design. However, she struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 14 April 1912 – making this year the 110th anniversary of the tragedy.
“Tintanic”, the largest Titanic model in Africa, measures in at a striking 8,7 m, with more than 4 000 internal cabins and public rooms on nine different deck levels.
This model has covered thousands of kilometres and docked at select venues countrywide, being shown to an audience of more than 10 million visitors in the past five years.
Gino Hart, “Tintanic” designer, said when he recalled the early days in the studio, he could never have imaged the wonderful tour his ship would go on.
“I am tremendously proud to be the torchbearer for our South African heritage and to pay tribute to Edith Brown Haisman and her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Brown of Cape Town, who sailed on the Titanic that April, and lived to tell the tale,” he said.
Themba Marasha, the Flamingo Casino’s general manager, has emphasised the unique nature of the exhibition.
“We are very proud to be able to bring a real-life smaller scale replica of the Titanic to the local community, showcasing a piece of history that should always be remembered, while commemorating those souls who were lost,” said Marasha.
“As we are roughly 900 km from the closest beach, viewing a cruise liner is not something we can do every day, and something local schools should really enjoy.”
After her time in Kimberley, the massive exhibition will weigh anchor and “sail” on for her final public appearance in Randburg.
A virtual counterpart, “Tintanic” Virtually Unsyncable!, will be released temporarily, courtesy of Realscan 3D, as it can sync with compatible devices.
