Every major city has its premiere viewing platform. New York has the Empire State Building. Sydney has the Centrepoint Tower. Auckland has the Sky Tower. And never a city to be outdone, Melbourne has the Eureka Tower, which has its viewing point – the “SkyDeck” – on the 88th floor of the building. At 285 metres, this makes it the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere.
If you’ve ever been up a tall building, and chances are you have, you know the drill. You pay an entry fee to fly up an elevator (88 floors in 38 seconds) and land in a 360 degree viewing room of the surrounding city. It’s a chance to see a city you know well, or one you’re visiting for a short time, from an entirely new and unique perspective. I was lucky enough to head up just as the sun was setting, and it was a beautiful way to see the city transition from day to night.
Though the primary feature of the room is the 360 degree view the room itself provides, there is also an outdoor area called The Terrace, which due to the cold winds wasn’t anyone’s favourite place to be as the sun was setting, though the tourists still flocked out there to get a couple of photos and race back inside. I imagine it’s a much nicer place to enjoy the view when the weather isn’t quite as cold.
Back in the main room, guests are able to look through about thirty viewfinders to get their bearings and learn more about the landmarks that surround them; from Flinders Street Station, to the sporting arenas and Federation Square. There are even LED banners scattered around the floor to tell you more fun facts about the building and the area.
Though the windows are gold plated from the outside, this doesn’t affect your viewing experience on the inside – the view of the city is extraordinary. But, like many most man made viewing points in the world, the builders didn’t stop there. An optional experience can be found in the SkyDeck, which they called “The Edge”. It’s a one-of-a-kind glass viewing cube that moves out from the building, placing you almost 300 metres above the ground, in something not quite unlike the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The experience is given its own soundtrack and starts as an opaque box, before the sound effect of shattering glass gives away to a clear view of the city around and beneath you. It’s a little kitsch, as tourist experiences often are, but it is nonetheless surprisingly thrilling. Your instinct tells you, “this is not safe” as you grip the handle bars and hope that the glass cube doesn’t indeed turn into a glass elevator. Guests are rewarded with a “I Survived The Edge” bracelet for their bravery, and a photo is taken of you which you may purchase later.
In that respect a visit to the SkyDeck could end up being an expensive afternoon for a family, but even with an annual pass on offer, this isn’t an experience targeted at regular locals. It’s all about the one off, one-of-a-kind experience for curious locals and tourists. And for them, the SkyDeck creates an experience you won’t find anywhere else in Melbourne, while The Edge is something you’re not going to find anywhere else in the world. It’s definitely worth a visit next time you’re in town – I for one had never had the opportunity to see Melbourne from such a vantage point before, and it was one I do hope to have again.
Entry to the SkyDeck costs $18.50 for adults, $10 for children and $14 for concessions. Family packages are available. Entry to The Edge costs an additional $12 for adults, $8 for children and $10 for concessions. Find out more about the experience here: http://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/
