Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

By far my new most favorite Australia experience is the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb & it’s going to be hard to top.  The Bridge Climb is a popular tourist attraction & was highly recommended by everyone we spoke with about our trip.  It’s exactly as it sounds – you climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge – and it is awesome! 

Alex & I decided to go on Friday b/c we finally had some good weather and we went on the Twilight Climb, where you go up in daylight while the sun is setting but it’s dark when you come back down so you can see all the city lights.  The trek took just over three hours in total (including gearing up and a brief training session) with most of the time spent on the arc of the bridge.  It seems like it would be scary b/c you’re up so high but it’s really not.  The bridge is very wide, the walkway has handrails on both sides and you’re hooked into safety gear so you feel like you’re just walking up some steps; no big deal.  Even as you look down at the Opera House and city looking small, it still doesn’t hit you that you’re 450 ft. above the water (this is coming from someone who’s terrified of heights too).

We had a fabulous climb leader, Nick, who kept it light but informative while we were climbing.  Apparently, when the bridge was built in the 20s & 30s, there were no steps or safety gear for the men building the bridge – they were just up there at their own risk.  Even so, over the course of building the bridge, something like eight years, only sixteen people died.  There were eleven of us in our group and we started out beneath the bridge on a gangway up to the pylons at the edge of the water then climbed up four sets of steep ladder-like stairs through the bridge (right next to the traffic & trains) until we were on the top section of the arc nearest the Opera House (to give a clearer idea - we climbed up to where you see the flags atop the bridge in the stock header photo for my blog).  From there we took the stairs up to the peak where we paused for a photo op and to check out the sunset, which was stunning.  Then we crossed the bridge and walked down the other arc, back down the ladders and across the gangway back to where we started.  It’s one big efficient loop, which is key seeing as tours run every ten minutes from 6am to after sunset. 

The views from the climb were amazing but unfortunately no cameras are allowed on the climb (because they pose a risk of being dropped onto the eight lanes of traffic below).  You could see all the way to coastal beach towns on the outskirts of Sydney (we realized how ridiculously far we walked when we went to Bondi Beach), the gorgeous harbor with all its inlets and bays as well as the city in all its glory.  The difference from daylight to nighttime viewing was incredible too.  Buildings lit up and we noticed architectural details we’d missed on our way up plus it highlighted how urban the climb was, even though you felt worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  I could continue gushing about it but I really can’t put the experience into words.  So, if you’re ever in Sydney, this is a must do!