 |
| Eureka Skydeck 88 |
Melbourne is a wonderful city to visit. There are several ways to view Melbourne. You can keep your feet on the ground and, walk around and look up at the many tall buildings..
Or you can do what I did on my last visit to Melbourne - look down on Melbourne. I did this by taking the express lift up to the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the Eureka Skydeck 88, found on the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower.
The Eureka Skydeck takes up the entire 88th floor of the Eureka Tower, 285m above the ground.
This was the second time I had been up on the Eureka Skydeck 88. Previously I went up by myself, however this time I had the pleasure of my wife and son to take in the views with me. To get from the ground floor entry up to the Skydeck we took one of the 2 exclusive Skydeck lifts that whooshed us up to the 88th floor in just 38 seconds.
 |
| View from Eureka Skydeck 88 |
We had wonderful views of Melbourne from the 360 degree floor-to-ceiling windows. We looked down on Melbourne's CBD, the MCG and other sporting arenas, Port Phillip Bay, Docklands and beyond. There were many viewfinders and several high powered binoculars that highlighted the many landmarks down below. Something new that I noticed this time on my visit to Skydeck was the various soundscapes that played at various points. Sensors picked up the movement of people and played soundscapes that were appropriate to the view at that part of the observation floor. For example, when viewing the MCG we could hear the roar of the crowds at an aussie rules game.
 |
| Eureka Skydeck 88 |
Apart from the enclosed viewing Skydeck floor, there is a small outside viewing area called The Terrace. This is enclosed not by glass windows but by safety wire netting that we saw reflection-free views through. The day we visited we felt the breeze on our faces, though on other days I imagine the wind could be rather stronger.
 |
| The Cube |
We also went in The Cube, which has glass walls, ceiling and floor and moves 3m out from the skyscraper. The glass remained opaque and not see-through until the cube was fully extended out. Then it magically became clear. This meant that we could look down on the wonderful view below us through the clear glass, as if we were just suspended high up in the air. I took the opportune to lie down on the floor. It was as though I was floating in the air looking down.
The Eureka Skydeck 88 is on top of the Eureka Tower in the Southbank part of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria in Australia. This 297.3-metre (975 ft) skyscraper is the highest building in Victoria. Construction started in 2002 and it was finished in 2006.
To go up to the 556 residential apartments you can take one of the 13 lifts, or if energetic climb the 3,680 stairs. If you still have energy to burn you can wash the 52,000 m2 of windows.
The Eureka Tower was named after a famous event in the history of Australia - the Eureka Stockade. This was a rebellion of gold miners during the Victorian gold rush era. They refused to pay a Miners License, and things came to ahead with the battle at the Eureka Stockade in 1854. The Eureka Tower incorporates various symbols of this event. The gold at the top of the skyscraper represents the gold rush, the red stripe represents the blood of the battle, and the blue glass cladding represents the blue background of the Eureka Stockade flag.
To go up to the 556 residential apartments you can take one of the 13 lifts, or if energetic climb the 3680 stairs. If you still have energy to burn you can wash the 52,000 m2 of windows.
 |
| The Cube |
The Eureka Tower is just a 5 minute walk from Flinders Street Railway Station. Car parking is available under the Tower, and trams go nearby.
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm (last entry 9.30pm)
Address: 7 Riverside Quay
Phone: +61 3 9693 8888
Website:
http://eurekaskydeck.com.au/
No comments:
Post a Comment