As part of our new site we’re going to be featuring a whole heap of new guest bloggers.
First in the mix is Kez – the Scottish lass who’s just returned from a year down under – and she’s bringing us a weekly feature – “Oz Wednesday”.
Oz Wednesday (some might notice it’s a take on the title of a particular fruit named phone company and their 241 deal at the cinemas!) is a feature to showcase the main cities of Australia.
Every month will change to a different city and I’ll choose my favourite parts of them, and try my best to sell it to any backpacker/tourist that happens to pass through!
An where else would i start but the iconic Sydney?!
Sydney
Lonely Planet – “Jealous as hell, the rest of Australia stereotypes Sydney as more body-beautiful than bookish, morecarpe diem than museum – a narcissistic ‘Sin City’ fixated on sunglasses, salons and soy lattes.”
The city that everyone believes is the capital of Australia, it is one of the most popular due to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and those sails of the Opera House, amongst other things of course!
Harbour Bridge
If you’ve already looked up to the latest guide to the city, you may have already come across the ever popular Bridge Climb.
It’s an amazing way to experience the city from above and fully take in the features of the Circular Quay on one side, with the Sydney Luna Park to the other – a full overview of man and nature against the backdrop of the ocean.
However… if you’re anything like myself… the three figure cost of the Bridge Climb may throw you off a little!
But don’t panic! There is an alternative which I feel can give you just as good an experience as the Infamous Bridge Climb can offer…
I ended up opting for what can only be described as the ‘Tower Climb’.
The Backpacker Budget
Instead of aquiring a rather fetching grey all-in-one boiler suit… attaching yourself to a safety harness to prevent yourself from falling to a nasty ending… you can pay a tiny price to merely climb the stairs of the tower (found north and south of the bridge) and view the city surrounded by the safety of a concrete wall! (Don’t worry… you can actually see over this wall!)
When I say tiny price… I’m talking less than $15. I climbed the towers at the beginning of last year, and paid a hefty price of 10bucks! A far cry from the $100+ price tag of the official bridge climb.
I know the experience may not quite reach the same heights (excuse the pun!) as the real bridge climb, but as I said, if you’re a backpacker strapped for cash, but still strive to take in the city as much as the elusive “flashpacker” would… then this is your perfect substitute!
Convinience
Another great thing about the Tower Climb is the fact that you can just turn up, pay your money, and head on up the stairs. No need to book well in advance, which I reckon is a huge positive. Afterall, you may book your bridge climb well months ahead of arriving, only to discover it’ll be pouring rain on the day you arrive!
No one wants cloudy, wet photos from their holidays, do they?!
If the sun is shining on Sydney, make your way towards the bridge, pass your blue note (thats a 10dollar bill!) to the receptionist, for your entree fee… head on upstairs, passing the museum and enjoy the view.
So check out the official Sydney Bridge Climb website if your budget allows, if not there is also information on the Tower Lookout – Otherwise known as Pylon Lookout on the website too.
