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The Sydney Sky Tower stands as Australia’s tallest building!  There is an incredible 1504 steps in the emergency staircase and the record time to travel up the steps is 6 minutes and 52 seconds.  The Sky Tower has greated 16 million visitors since its opening in 1981 with 70% being overseas tourists.

We reached the sky tower, looked up in marvel and excitedly ran into the building and raced into the lift.  The lift travels up to the sky tower viewing deck very quickly and all our ears popped on the way up!  The viewing deck offers stunning 360 degree views over the stunning city and with free telescopes you can explore every nook and cranny of the streets below.  You will also see in the observation deck the highest working post box in the Southern Hemisphere.  There is also a great restaurant up there but beware it is quite pricey!

For just a $40 upgrade to do the sky walk, we thought what the heck and soon we were dressed in fashionable blue and yellow suits and converse trainers.  We all had flip flops on and you need closed shoes to do the sky walk.  Make sure that if you are planning to do the sky walk that you have not been drinking.  On arrival you are met with a breathaliser to test your alcohol levels and wont be allowed to do the activity if you have alcohol in your system.We signed a deceleration and braved the winds and stepped outside onto the sky walk path.

We walked around the tower and you do feel pretty safe, no matter what your fears of heights are.  We walked around and then posed for a series of photos.  We did a series of jumps so we could rock the observation deck and annoy the tourists below and to show the sheer strength of the tower.  We were told that the tower deck can withstand the weight of an elephant, not that it has ever been tested!

While we were up there it is really peaceful and you learn so much about the city from your helpful guide.  We learned about the Anzac Bridge, the Harbour (the 2nd largest behind Hong Kong), the Coca Cola sign in Kings Cross (which has only been turned off once at night), the surrounding Blue Mountains, the different sport stadiums, Hyde park, the Docklands,Manly and Bondi.

The most frightening thing that I have done thus far on my round the world trip is standing on the platform that moves you out from the sky deck and leans you over the streets below.  It isn’t fast but its petrifying.  

The photos you get up there are a must purchase.  The prices are quite reasonable: A CD is £39.95, and prints vary from $20-£30.

If you are feeling especially adventurous then you can enter the annual race up the tower and if you happen to win the competition then you win a free trip to New York to race up the Empire State Building!

March 18th, 2009 | Tags: Sky Tower, Sky Walk, Sydney Attractions, Views Of Sydney | Category: Australia, Oceania Trips | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL