How could I come to New Zealand and don’t explore Auckland….so on my one day visit, I decided to the do the Skywalk at the famous Sky Tower. When I arrived I just missed a session and the next one was at 2:30, so I decided to have lunch. During my lunch, I needed some liquid courage and had two glasses of wine. Who in their right mind would travel over 44 hours to walk on a walkway that is 192 meter? Yeah, that would be me.
The Auckland Sky Tower, standing 328 meters (1,076 feet), is the tallest building in the Auckland skyline. In fact, for the longest time, it was the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.
You can take the glass-bottomed elevator up to the 60th floor for 360-degree views out over the city of Auckland, and even eat in a revolving restaurant on the 52nd floor.
The cost is for the skywalk is about $145 NZ. About $100 US Dollar. After I paid, I couldn’t back out. I was a blabbering fool until the guide came out. Would you believe that they make you take a breathalyzer? If I failed, maybe it was a sign that I shouldn’t do it. Guess what, I am almost failed! Anyway, I didn’t and I was given the most beautiful orange jumpsuit. Who said “orange isn’t the new black”.
Taking the Walk
I began my adventure in the sky with the SkyWalk, a 45-minute(ish) walk around the Sky Tower on a 1.5-meter-wide outdoor platform 192 meters (630 feet) above the ground. The walk is incredibly safe (you go through a ton of safety checks before you even get in the elevator), but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Outfitted with harnesses and safety ropes, our group slowly made its way around the outside of the Sky Tower. Along the way, our guide pointed out different parts of Auckland, as well as set us different “challenges.” Hanging over the edge of the platform backward and forward; walking without looking down; walking backward.
It is amazing how much scarier things get when you’re a few hundred feet up in the air.
Totally worth it, though, since you can’t do something like this everywhere.
