My walk across the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
In Cairns I was debating where to go next. I wanted to spend more time in Sydney, but I also wanted to see more of the coast. Accepting that it's impossible to see everything on one trip, I flew back to Sydney, since I was flying out from there.
It was a three hour flight which got me back in the afternoon. This time I found a hostel overlooking the harbor, with pretty cool rooftop views. That evening I decided to face a fear - heights - by signing up to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
It's a very professional and safely run activity, but it was expensive. And scary. You are sized into a one-piece suit, without pockets. You can't bring anything up with you. They give you a headset so you can hear the instruction, make you walk a practice plank-type of bridge and a vertical iron ladder to make sure you can move ok, and that you know what you're about to face.
Then you walk out. With a metal rope attached to you and the bridge the entire way, you walk on the outer curve of the structure to the peak before returning in the same direction. You can sign up for the morning, daytime, or sunset / evening walks - which is what I did. The views from the top are awesome - especially seeing the city and Opera House lit up below you at 11:30 pm. It takes about 4 hours to complete the walk, at one point reaching 150 meters above the water.
The next day I visited a couple of the local beaches, and in the evening I hit a casino, and took in the scene that is watching how much Australians can drink. They really love beer!
On Sunday, my last day, I took a two hour train from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, finishing my travels with another four-hour hike through this awesome national park.
I returned to Sydney in time to catch my flight to Honolulu, and then spent the 10 most uncomfortable hours I've experienced on a plane. But the end result was perfect, a hotel on Waikiki Beach to sit back and reflect on my two weeks in Australia - and knowing I want to return to see the same and more another time.
