We're not recommending that you get really close to a shark, but a new ride at the Sydney Aquarium seems like a good way to try it without feeling too threatened. The Shark Explorer is a glass-bottomed boat which takes you on a journey over the surface of the Aquarium's Great Barrier Reef exhibition, with a perfect view of all the marine life below.
The ride costs an extra A$10 on your entrance cost, and only lasts ten minutes, but it's a lot cheaper than heading up to the Great Barrier Reef yourself. And with ten or so sharks swimming around underneath you, this is a good place to get close up to sharks that are around the same size as your boat. Just don't be tempted to jump in with them: They're probably not as friendly as other Australians.
For those planning to spend the coming New Year's Eve Down Under, one of the best spots for watching the Sydney Harbour fireworks will be on top of the Sydney Tower, high above the ground.
There are several packages available for revelers who want to get high above Sydney: You can get tickets for the Observation Deck at the tower itself, or head up to the Skywalk, made up of glass-floored platforms suspended over the city. A local radio station will broadcast live from the deck and play the fireworks soundtrack up there, too.
Tickets include an OzTrek virtual reality ride plus a glass of sparkling wine or soft drink, but you'd better stop at one sparkling wine: Party-goers heading out to the Skywalk will have to pass an alcohol test (and measure below 0.05%) before they can hang out above Sydney.
The Chinese are just starting to get out and discover the world in droves, but a few of them will be thinking twice before heading back to Australia. Down Under might normally be seen as some kind of holiday paradise, but a few unscrupulous tourist operators have really been taking advantage of Chinese tourists' inexperience and poor English skills, with a few really sad scams taking place.
The worst of these is when the Chinese tourists are told there's an entry fee for Bondi Beach--they have to pay $100 to have their photo taken there. The same story is repeated outside Sydney Opera House, though surely the Chinese must wonder about how other tourists just seem to wander up and take a picture without handing anyone any cash. The Australian government is trying to crack down on the scammers. Next they'll be charging for sunlight or blue skies.
The crown of Sydney, the 305-meter Sydney Tower, is doing everything it can to attract visitors. When it opened in 1981 it was the fourth tallest building in the world; these days that status is long lost and it's finding other strengths.
Take the Sydney Skywalk that opened in 2005--you can strap on a harness, head out onto a moving, glass-floored viewing platform and see Sydney literally beneath you. The walk "over" Sydney takes an hour and a half.
And if you get your timing right, you can take up Sydney Tower's Travellers' Tuesdays deal. You can get views from the observation deck, dinner and a drink, and a ride in OzTrek, the virtual tour of Australia. You'll need that if the weather's too foggy to see anything.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by amandak
