Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

Again - WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I did it! I did the bridge climb & it was absolutely awesome!!! The day turned out completely gorgeous, sunny & mostly cloudless from the get go, although it was a bit chilly in the morning. So Derek & I go to the place to check in & get ready; we, well, I really looked geeky in my jumpsuit & all the gear attached. The made sure we were properly suited up & had all our stuff with us, they give you radio headsets so that you can hear the guide talking, which was really cool. You're always attached to the bridge by a bungy type cord thing, which hooks onto a wire on the bridge, I found this really neat because it's totally connected all the way up & down the climb.

At first, climbing up the four initial sets of stairs, under the bridge it was a bit chilly & windy. I did huff & puff a bit, but generally, the climb up is relatively not too terribly taxing. In the lobby of the base of the building they have pictures of lots of celebrities who've done the climb, & there's even a picture of a 100 year old woman who did it, so, if she did it, so too can I! Once you get out on top of the bridge & start your assent, the views are just indescribable. I could see as far out as possibly in every direction. The views of the opera house were stellar, the water crisp & green, the million dollar mansions & apartments, Luna Park, honestly, you could see everything in every direction possible. The views from the top of the bridge are priceless; unfortunately, you're not able to bring a camera up there with you, but they do take pictures for you, I've got photographic proof, along with certificates that Derek & I did this climb, but it'll have to wait to be shown til I get home.

After the climb, Derek & I were quite please with ourselves, smiling as we walked through the markets, making our way to Circular Quay to meet up with Linda, Derek's sweetie; we stopped to look at a few things, well, I did, Derek just trailed through behind me, hahah. We stopped at one table selling dark chocolate so we both got some; Derek got some chocolate covered coffee beans which didn't appeal to me, any more than my Rocky Road chocolate appealed to him! Once we met up with Linda, we wen't off on a ferry ride to Watson's Bay for a fish lunch at, Doyle's I think was the name of it. It was an excellent lunch. The ferry ride was really cool, literally a bit breezy out on the water, but nice, especially seeing the many boats out on the water. After our lunch we went for a short walk along the paths they have to some of the small beaches you can go to for a swim, including a nude beach, which, no, I did not go to, because that would've been just too horrible a sight to see! I did however see plenty of flesh myself as we walked on by.

The views of the open ocean, when we got to the lookout area, are just beyond words how incredibly beautiful it is out there. Stunning just doesn't even begin to cover it. There's something so magical, peaceful & serene about staring out into the deep blue. I could've stayed there for days just staring at it, but my pictures will tell a thousand words. With the wind blowing & the salt air, I think being near an ocean may well just be where I want to find myself again. Later we caught the ferry back to the mainland & said our goodbyes for the day; I'll see Derek again on Sunday before he heads back to Newcastle again for the week, but he'll be back again on the following weekend to do more sightseeing with his sister.

Last night, I met up with two more friends, Karen & Tabatha, & we decided to check out the gay & lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Well, I am a mardi gras virgin no more! Hahah, that had to be the most fun, most outrageous, funniest, neatest thing to see. It was loud & boisterous & fun, everyone looked great in their costumes, when I'd left the hotel hours earlier, I happened to run into a couple of ladies in tutu costumes, I had no doubt where they'd be going later! We managed to wrangle our way close to one of the barriers, so we had a great view of what we were watching. It was a really massive mass of people everywhere. We didn't end up eating dinner until much later that night, just trying to get through the crowds was insane, the streets were literally littered with glitter & bottles & stuff everywhere, so we had to be careful where we walked, but we managed to get through the crowds unscathed. There will be things there that I saw that night that I won't soon forget, it was a really great experience nonetheless.

All in all, I think this March the 1st was a day very well spent. By the time I got back to my hotel, I think after I cleaned up & went to bed, I was asleep within seconds.

Lisa xo