Sydney Bridge Climb

Today was an adventure of a lifetime.  We climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  Nothing can really explain what it is like to stand on top of the world’s largest single span bridge after climbing up its exposed arch covering 1650 feet.   We weren’t really sure what to expect before the climb.  The staff of the BridgeClimb did a wonderful job equipping us with climbing suits; safety harnesses; radios; hats; shoes and doing about an hour of rehearsal/climbing to prepare for the ultimate climb.  After the preparation it was off under the bridge’s super structure and then we climbed vertically up through the pylons to the arch of the bridge.  This is where the real nerve racking climb began.  I guess what you don’t realize prior to the climb is how exposed you are on top of the bridge’s arch.  But once on top of the arch and climbing, all the way holding on to steel cables, the real fear hits home. But, once underway, who can turn back now.  The views from up top speak for themselves.  The total time of the climb was a little over 3 hours

Width	49 m (161 ft.)
Height	139 m (456 ft.)
Longest span	503 m (1,650 ft.)

 

Arrival At Sydney



We arrived in Sydney, Australia at 8:00am this morning.  The ship docked at a pier near the beginning of Darling Harbor very near the Rocks.  We passed under the Sydney Harbor bridge as we approached Darling Harbor.  The weather is overcast, 65 degrees with a slight wind.  Later today at around 2:30pm we will be climbing the Sydney Bridge.  Hopefully, more of the sun will be out by then.  So far today we have cleared immigration and now just waiting until time to head over to the bridge.  We will be here in Sydney  for 2 days, so will post more after the bridge  climb.

Thunder and Lightning

Thunder, lightning, and rain welcomed us this morning. The sea isn’t too rough, just some minor rocking and rolling. But, it appears that we will probably have thunderstorms throughout the day.
Our current position has us between Nengonengo Island and Hereheretue Island on our course toward Papeete, Tahiti in the Society Islands. We are 378 miles away from Papeete; 2420 miles from Auckland, and 3557 miles from Sydney.

Yesterday, we made the decision to do the Bridge Climb on our first day in Sydney. Hopefully, my new knee will do just fine during the climb and the weather will clear.