Long flight over and done with and it was now time to meet my fellow travellers for our 30 day trip. There are 10 Aussies on this trip - so pleased to have a small group and hope we can all get along.

So I was not exactly excited to be visiting Johannesburg AKA Joburg, Jozi and the City of Gold. As a female traveller the crime reputation was almost enough to scare me off. However the closest I got to any crime was to see the many houses with electric fences and razor wire above them with a sinister sign indicating an "armed response" and a sign on the roadside saying "Crime Alert - do not stop for next 5 kms".

In fact, the city was a pleasant surprise. Yes I was staying in a gated area and felt safe and secure, but I also did enjoy seeing some of the sights that have contributed to the poor reputation in recent history.

Johannesburg was established in 1886 when gold was discovered, triggering a gold rush. Many mine dumps can still be seen throughout the city and these sandy coloured hills are a reminder of the city's legacy of gold mining. As an aside, out guide told us that we would see loads of eucalyptus trees from Australia as these had been imported because of the strong wood which was used to support the mine roof.

Today, Johannesburg is the economic engine of South Africa, and an important financial and business centre for the entire African continent.

Apartheid Museum

Whilst photos cannot be taken in the actual museum there are ample opportunities in the outside exhibits to gain a feeling for what you are about to witness. This is a must-see for everyone not just tourists. Be confronted at the entrance with being admitted as either white or non-white (depending on your ticket allocation) and gain a different perspective. Consider the words of Nelson Mandela on the outside wall "to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others". View the pillars of the Constitution: Freedom, Respect, Responsibility, Equality, Democracy, Reconciliation, and Diversity.

The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of the apartheid story. The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid - the story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and oppression. A series of 22 individual exhibition areas takes you through a dramatic journey that tells a story of a state sanctioned system based on racial discrimination and the struggle of the majority to overthrow this tyranny. There is an entire section on Nelson Mandela and his fight for freedom. The exhibits include provocative film footage, photographs, chilling personal accounts, text panels and artefacts illustrating the events and human stories that are part of the epic saga. This museum is both a reminder of the past and a beacon of hope showing the world how South Africa is coming to terms with its oppressive past and working towards an inclusive future.

Soweto

First thing I had to learn is that the word "Soweto" is actually an abbreviation for South Western Townships. These urban townships lies 20 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg and offers a journey into the soul of the fight for freedom.

Soweto was created in the 1930s when the White government started separating Blacks from Whites. Blacks were moved away from Johannesburg, to an area separated from White suburbs by a so-called cordon sanitaire (or sanitary corridor) this was usually a river, a railway track, an industrial area or a highway etc., they did this by using the infamous "Urban Areas Act" in 1923.

Soweto became the largest Black city in South Africa, but until 1976 its population could have status only as temporary residents, serving as a workforce for Johannesburg. It experienced civil unrest during the Apartheid regime. There were serious riots in 1976, sparked by a ruling that Afrikaans be used in African schools there; the riots were violently suppressed, with 176 striking students killed and more than 1,000 injured. A popular attraction to visit here is the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, which honours the brave students who protested apartheid during the Soweto Uprisings, some of whom were shot by police, including the museum's namesake, who was only 12 years old. Reforms followed, but riots flared up again in 1985 and continued until the first multiracial elections were held in April 1994.

Today, this area is a land of contrasts. Neighbourhoods range from Kliptown's informal shack lands to the mansions of Diepkloof Extension. Mansions have sprouted up among the shanties

There are 240 schools and the Johannesburg University is sited here.

The hospital has 3,600 beds - one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere - and they are recognised for their expertise in treating gunshot wounds!

Soweto has been home to two Nobel Prize winners - Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.

Soweto's brightly painted Orlando Towers - once the cooling towers of a power station - are now connected by a footbridge and bungee-jump platform.

The township has also produced the highest number of professional soccer teams in the country. Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows all emerged from the township, and remain among the biggest soccer teams in the Premier Soccer League.

In between seeing the sights with our tour guide I also found time to check out some of the sights around our hotel - Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Melrose Arch. Seems to be some interesting street sculptures to pique my interest and plenty of cafes and bars to sort out my dining options.

All in all I have enjoyed my few days here.