BridgeClimb - The Sydney Harbour Bridge

Originally uploaded by lools.

Standing at 440 feet from the sea at sunset with a bird's eye view of one of the most gorgeous cities in the world has got to be the experience of a lifetime for anyone - it certainly was for me! The adrenaline rush itself was enough to make me feel like this was the most extraordinary thing I have done in my life.

I've been raving about Sydney on my blog but the BridgeClimb was the ultimate Sydney experience that was exhilirating, exicting and totally magical. They say that the best things in life are free but this one comes with a cost - $225 Austrian dollars for the climb at twilight! But it's worth every penny and more.

The entire event was three and a half hours. It began with extensive safety procedures including an on-ground simulation of the climbing conditions. Our guide, Shani, was a native Sydneysider with a gorgeous smile and a lovely personality. She expertly lead our group and kept our spirits high throughout the trip. The climb itself was not scary (unless you have vertigo) at all, much to my disappointment. The thrills came from the breathtaking views of Sydney harbour from every angle at every height. From the Opera House to the botanical gardens, Luna Park to the South Pacific Ocean, being so high up changed my perspective and gave me a wonderful sense of the landscape.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a magnificent and enduring symbol of Australian ruggedness and old-fashioned virtues. It's not half as lovely as the San Francisco Bridge but it has an imposing presence on the city skyline that is quite endearing. The construction took took eight years and over 1400 people. It was completed in 1932.

BridgeClimb is a fabulous enterprise that met with quite a bit of opposition before it opened the fabulous opportunity of climbing the bridge to the public in 1998. New Yorkers can look forward to this out of this world adventure close to home. Shani told us that BridgeClimb Brooklyn was scheduled to open in 2001 but has been pushed back several years because of the terrorist attacks. Hopefully it will be up and running soon. Wouldn't it be spectacular to view the Manhattan skyline from the top of Brooklyn Bridge? Now that's something exciting to look forward to in 2006!