Three iconic cities Down Under offer guided tours from where to sight the landmarks and the incredible life below:
SkyPoint Climb, Gold Coast
The oval-shaped climb atop the towering Q1 Resort building, Queensland’s most recognised landmark, pumps your adrenaline to the hilt. The approach to the climb is through a high-speed lift that takes you from ground level to 77th floor, which houses Australia’s only beach-side observation deck, in less than 45 seconds. The fast-paced lift ride, which provides a view of the dashing cubicle on an LED screen, sets the tone.
As you climb slowly on the steep and narrow stairs, you are greeted by a cool breeze. Reaching the peak of the 270-metre structure provides a stunning 360-degree view of the lively city, which is beautifully decorated by Nature with the mesmerising Coral Sea and its remarkable beaches on one side and the innumerable freshwater bodies and a well-crafted city on the other.
As you climb down the nearly vertical stairs, you admire the inland waterways, studded with romantically dashing jet boats, the 2018 Commonwealth Games venues and the city’s oldest highrise building — a 10-storey heritage structure, which had raised many an eyebrow about six decades ago.
The 90-minute experience is organised for a group of 10-15 people during the day time, twilight and nights.
Adelaide Oval
The 50 metre-high roof-climb at the spectacular sports venue, primarily known for hosting cricket matches and Australian-rules football duels, apart from housing the unique Bradman Collection, is one of the must-do things in the small and beautiful South Australian city of Adelaide.
The roof-climb was installed two years ago after the re-development of the venue, which became more eye-catching because of the addition of the 11 shells on the roof, in 2014.
As you walk over the five smaller arches on the western side of the stadium, you not only get to see the sports facilities adjacent to the main structure, but also an overall view of the city — its landmark structures, including St Peter’s Cathedral (established in the mid-1800s) on the right and the ultra-modern Adelaide Convention Centre on the left, the old scoreboard (established in 1911 and still functional), the neighbouring Adelaide hills and the coast.
When you take a left and get a seat on the largest roof on the southern side, you will be spell-bound by the bird’s eye view of the Oval, which turned literally oval from its original shape with straighter sides in the older days, inside the two-hour dose of thrill.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
The climb, which started in 1998, is one of the most popular attractions of the bridge, opened in 1932. It is an inherent part of Sydney’s identity and has wooed millions of adventure-loving visitors from around the globe.
The bridge, a jewel of New South Wales and Australia, has expanded its scope to become a unique stage to celebrate the cultural diversity of the world. It has hosted several events, including Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year’s Day, the Japanese tea ceremony, Haka performance, a same-sex wedding, Deepavali and World Yoga Day. The climb to the summit at 134 metres above sea level, the bridge-climb experience of three-and-a-half hours, including 1,332 stairs, offers a fascinating journey through an engineering marvel. It has different types of climbs and is open round the clock.
Once you are at the peak, you have an uninterrupted and breathtaking view of Sydney. The vehicular traffic beneath you and the jet boats on the waterways below present quite a sight. Add to this the magnificent view of Sydney’s landscape, dotted with tall towers, the Opera House and a lot of greenery, and you get your money’s worth.
The writer was in Australia on the invitation of Tourism Australia.