From marvelling at the bounteous arcs of the Sydney Opera House, to sipping on a crisp white in the sun-drenched harbour you should enjoy every minute of this city’s cool-as-they-come attitude.
Skydive in the best dropzones of Sydney! Image: Flickr/ dok1
And just when you think you’ve sussed her out as a hip destination with a smattering of glitter, she quickly reveals her wilder side, from the exotic slopes of the Blue Mountains and the radiant surf of Bondi Beach to her kaleidoscopic reefs offshore.
And what better way to gawk at this incredible city than strapped to a parachute for an all-encompassing, sensational view!
There are numerous skydiving outfitters across the city, and likewise numerous dropzones all easily accessible from the city centre and the available Wimdu apartments to stay in for your next break away, though most skydiving packages will include transfers in the price. Never jumped out of a plane before?
Worry not – beginners will be attached to their tandem master, so there’s little else to do other than take a deep breath, hold on tight and fall down to earth at more than 200km/hr. After a thorough briefing, you’ll be elevated to a jaw-dropping height of 14,000ft before taking the plunge into the abyss below for more than 60 seconds of hair-raising freefall.
Just ensure you purchase your skydive DVD after your safe landing – spine-tingling footage of this ultimate thrill. For the more experienced, meanwhile, a variety of courses are available in their bucketloads, such as the Accelerated Free Fall, taking you from complete beginner to category eight qualified skydiver in eight jumps.
Where to do it
Jump out of the plane today! Image: Flickr/ flawedartist
Stuart Park, Wollongong dropzone
What could be cooler than scaling the heights of Sydney before a spectacular landing on a beach the colour of butter, with sand as soft as sugar? This dropzone, on the fringes of Wollongong’s gem, North Beach, is bound with a lengthy reef break for post-skydive splashes.
And after burning hundreds of calories through sheer fear, sate your growling belly with an Aussie feast of sausages and an ice-cold beer at one of the beachside BBQs. Alternatively, North Beach’s growing number of decent eateries will do the job nicely, or stay in a wonderful apartment when visiting Sydney and organise your party in the city centre.
Penrith lakes
Just 40 minutes from the city’s Central Business District, this is Sydney’s closest drop zone, affording magnificent views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the east, and the UNESCO world heritage area of the Greater Blue Mountains to the west, in all its alluring beauty.
Keep your eyes open and you’ll quickly understand why these giant foothills gleaned their title: the bluish haze surrounding the peaks is in fact a fine dew radiated from eucalyptus trees. A bird’s eye view will give you a fast and furious taste of this iconic site, although you’ll have to venture along its footpaths on another day to spot some of its inhabitants, from the loveable koala and kangaroos to the odd dingo and the yellow-bellied glider.