Sydney Aquarium and the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb

I have been wanting to see Sydney since I saw that little girl seemingly fly across the stadium in the opening ceremony of the Olympic games back in 2000. Television is also responsible for my want to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge since I saw the cast do it on The Real World: Sydney when I was 14. My first day in Sydney would encompass these two long-awaited adventures.

            Our first full day in Sydney, we walked down to Darling Harbor to see the aquarium and just enjoy the area. The Sydney Aquarium is very different from any I have been to before. Many of the larger tanks are built into the harbor, using the natural water the animals would be experiencing if they were out in the wild. My absolute favorite thing I saw were the little penguins (seriously- they’re mini penguins) that apparently nest off of Manly beach. They were so cute! I also saw things like giant (~3 foot long) lobsters. Those were not so cute…

            After the aquarium and some Thai food for lunch, Brittany and I made our way down to the bridge for our bridge climb! The entire activity takes about 3.5 hours, but the first hour is signing forms, getting all of the gear on, and getting briefed on safety. Part of the reason why the prep takes so long is that you have to wear a special suit that everything can be attached to. I mean EVERYTHING. The free bridge climb hat I got has a place for a clip because if I had worn it on the climb, it would have had to be strapped on. The bridge has constant car and train traffic, so falling objects are simply not an option.

            The climb itself started by us clipping our harnesses onto a cable that we would only be clipped off of when we returned to that same spot. As my group was about to depart, an eighty-year-old woman passed us after finishing her climb saying, “if I can do it, you can do it!” Needless to say, the bridge climb isn’t particularly hard. The very beginning as a few sets of stairs followed by four ladders that get you to the top arch, but from then on out there are stairs that take you up the gentle slope of the bridge. The group also stops often for long periods of time to take pictures and let everyone see the city.

            We paid the extra money to do the climb at sunset. If you ever do the bridge climb, you’ll already be spending a pretty penny to do it, so you might as well pay the extra money to get the incredible dusk or dawn views. Our tour guide told us so many random facts about Sydney and the bridge that I’ll probably be reciting them for years. For instance, 7 years after the bridge was completed, the government was asking the architect how to blow it up so that it would fall directly into the harbor and block the entrance in the event of an attack on Sydney during World War II.

            The view was incredible. I got to watch the city transform from a quiet, sunny, Sunday afternoon into the twinkling city it is at night. It was absolutely beautiful. It’s also pretty cool to say I’ve walked the same stairs as Oprah Winfrey.