Day 3. Sydney. 19.1.25

"This one-of-a-kind BridgeClimb experience takes you on a guided tour across the entire span of the iconic Harbour Bridge - from South to North and back again - offering unbeatable 360-degree views of Sydney from every angle. It promises an unmatched sense of achievement. Along the way, our expert Climb Leader (aka your tour guide to the top) will share fascinating stories about the Bridge, and Sydney’s history, while you earn bragging rights for conquering the full journey of this world-famous icon.

QUICK CLIMB FACTS:

• Fully guided tour along the lower and upper arches
• 3.5 hours in total (2.5 hours on the Bridge)
• 1,621 steps covering 2.3 kilometres, with gradual stops along the way (no ladders!)
• Reaches the Summit… twice"

So far we have climbed 3 iconic structures,  Story Bridge in Brisbane, Statue of Liberty in New York and the Q1 tower on the Goldcoast. This morning we added a 4th, we climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Headed out earlier than needed. Caught a tram down to Circular Quay and wandered around the harbour/rocks area like tourists snapping too many photos. The weather has improved thankfully, still overcast and windy but not as strong as yesterday. 

Huge P&0 cruise ship. There were 3 or 4 smaller ones docked as well.

Our group of 14 climbers.

All photos taken by our guide, Gabby, as we were unable to take any cameras with us.

After all that excitement we went for another walk in search of sustenance. We found a little place out of the way that sold delicious Thai street food then headed off to play tourist again.

This use to be a bank in the 'olden days', when Mark worked there for 6 months.

Mark has a saying along the lines of "it's gone to Gowings". I was too afraid to go in there incase I found everything he's ever lost!

Today has been a bit of a trip down memory lane for Mark. We visited the Strand Arcade which his dad had restored 49 years ago, after it burnt down.  

Mark's dad, Roy, personally worked on getting this elevator restored and in working order.

Lots of damaged tiles in the fire. Roy sent a sample off to Italy to be matched for replacement.  The same tile company was still in business. 

Lots of lead light. 

We treated ourselves to a delicious Matchu slice to share.

Another Sydney icon. If we have time later in the week we will check it out. 

                ↕️

This building was known as the David Jones building in the olden days 😉. Mark worked for the Standard Chartered bank upstairs on the 9th floor back in the late 80s.

A few shots from around Martin Place ⬇️

Queen Victoria Building ⬇️

By this stage my body was a bit tired so we headed back to the hotel for a rest. We had been on our feet for just over 9 hrs and have walked close to 10 kms.

The temperature got to a perfect 22° and the winds dropped to 20-30 knots.

We went to the hotel restaurant for 'just a snack' for dinner 🙄 We waddled out very full.

Mark had a seafood dish. The very finely shaved pieces of ?? was so light it was moving with the steam from the food.

A little about the hotel we are staying in

"Sitting on the edge of Hyde Park, in the heart of Sydney CBD is Song Hotel – a 4-star hotel with a purpose. Song Hotel is Australia’s first Profit-for-Purpose Hotel, where the profits are reinvested back into supporting women in Australia.  Song Kitchen is downstairs and provides a complimentary hot buffet breakfast every morning to fuel your daily adventures.

Best of all – you can rest your head on our comfy pillows knowing that by staying with us, you’re giving back. 25 cents from every dollar you spend at Song Hotel and Song Kitchen is reinvested and contributes to the work of YWCA Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that has been supporting women for over 140 years."