The Sky Tower

 

After we got done with our meat pie we went to the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 328 meters.  When you get to the Sky Tower you decide what you would like to do.  There are several levels of observation decks, you can walk around the outside on the Sky Walk, or you can do a guided free fall off of one of the upper levels with the Sky Jump.  We decided to just go to the observation decks, which disappointed the people that I am living with but I was satisfied with.  I was already nervous about being up so high much less jump off.    

Laura and I went up to both of the observation levels and luckily for us it had cleared up quite a bit!  We took a 40 second elevator ride in the glass elevator up to the Main Observation Deck at 186 meters.  On this level there is glass floor in sections that is 33mm thick and supposedly as strong as concrete.  There are also windows all around so you can see in all directions.  There were great views of the city, harbor, and surrounding islands.  There were also lots of facts around.  I learned that the sky tower weighs 20,000 tons, consists of 15, 000 cubic meters of concrete, and 2,000 tons of reinforcing steel.

 

 Then we went up to the other observation deck at 194 meters.  On this level there were metal tubes that you could look though that pointed your eyes other significant things in the city.  We also got to see the sunset, which was cool but the clouds were starting to roll back in.