Dare Bec - March 2007

The girl who went up a bridge

Imagine wind rushing through your hair, cars coursing under your feet and feeling like you're on top of the world.

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Now combine that feeling with struggling into an oh-so attractive full body suit and climbing a LOT of stairs and you have the bare bones of the Bridge Climb experience.

I've climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Brisbane's Story Bridge and both have been thrilling trips taken at twilight. The Harbour Bridge climb is thoroughly researched and its amazing just how much history the bridge has witnessed.

With Sydney as the hub of Australia's early settlement the bridge has always been right in the middle of the action. The view stretches around the 360 degree horizon for ages and captures so many significant sites it's awe-inspiring.

As the climb was done on twilight the uphill section showed the city bathed in sunset gold and the water was brilliant. The downhill section faced us back towards the city, which by now had lit up like the world's biggest Christmas tree topped with the Skytower. It was certainly the best view of Sydney, also the most peaceful.

The Story Bridge climb taught us a few things about Brisbane that, despite being a full-time resident, I had no idea. Local history and facts about the construction and importance of the bridge pepper the commentary and distract you from the many, many stairs.

Story Bridge climb

As the Story Bridge Adventure Climb web site details, "…the Story Bridge was one of the then governments' three major public works projects, creating years of employment for many men during the Great Depression. The Story Bridge is the largest steel bridge designed, fabricated and constructed in Australia by Australians." It's harder to take the bridge for granted when you realise four men lost their lives during construction and it's far more essential than a launching pad for fireworks.

Both trips are amazing and are two of only four bridge climbing experiences in the world. The other two are in Auckland, NZ and Kentucky, USA. I highly recommend you take advantage of a fabulous trip, right in our own backyard.

Rating: 4

Our Dare Babe Bec is up for anything (within reason!). If you have a challenge or a dare that you would like Bec to test drive before you do, please send Bec an email with your idea!

Bec Fortescue p 0423 125 458 e bec_fortescue@hotmail.com