Sydney Tower

Stand at the foot of the tower for a moment and tilt your head right back. Above the shoppers and the hum of Pitt Street Mall, a slim grey shaft rises into the sky. At the top sits a gold turret, shaped a little like a wide basket. On a bright day the sun catches that gold, and the whole crown seems to glow above the city. From down here, the tower looks almost delicate. It is anything but.

This is Sydney Tower, and it is the tallest structure in the city. Locals have called it by several names over the years. Many older Sydneysiders still say Centrepoint Tower, after the shopping centre it was built on. Today the observation deck goes by the name Sydney Tower Eye. Whatever you call it, the tower reaches just over three hundred metres from street level to the tip of its spire.

The tower opened to the public in 1981, after years of construction through the late 1970s. That timing matters. In those decades, Sydney was turning its old commercial centre into a modern city of glass and concrete. Office towers were rising fast. A tall public lookout in the middle of the shopping district was a bold statement. It said that the city centre was a place for everyone, not just for people in offices.

Here is the first thing most visitors miss. This tower does not stand on its own patch of ground like a lighthouse. It grows straight out of a shopping centre. Beneath your feet are floors of shops, food halls and walkways. The shaft passes through the building and down to its foundations. So when you ride up, you begin your journey surrounded by clothing stores and coffee counters. Within a minute, you are hundreds of metres above them.

Now look again at that gold turret, and then at the thin lines around the shaft. Those lines are steel cables. There are fifty-six of them, and they run from the turret down to the base. They act like the ropes on a tent. They hold the structure steady and help it resist the wind. A popular claim says that, laid end to end, the cables would stretch all the way to New Zealand. It is a fun image, and one you will hear often.

The second surprise sits inside the turret itself. High in the gold crown there is a large water tank. It is not only there for drinking or for fighting fires. The tank also helps to calm the tower when strong winds blow. As the structure sways, the heavy water moves against that motion and reduces it. Engineers call this a damper. It is a quiet piece of design that most visitors never think about while they enjoy the view.

The lifts are part of the experience. They are fast, and many people feel their ears pop on the way up. The ride lasts well under a minute. Then the doors open onto the observation deck, about two hundred and fifty metres above the street. The windows wrap all the way around the turret. Suddenly the city spreads out beneath you in every direction, like a map that someone has laid flat on a table.

Turn first towards the north, where the harbour is. The steel arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge crosses the water. Just to the right, the white shell roofs of the Sydney Opera House sit on their point of land. Ferries move across the harbour and leave thin white lines behind them. From this height you can see how the city wraps around the water. Many of Sydney's suburbs sit on bays and coves along the harbour shore.

Now move around to the east. On a clear day, the land ends in a long blue line. That is the Pacific Ocean. Closer in, the green spaces of the Royal Botanic Garden and the Domain run down towards the harbour. Look south, and you will see Hyde Park, with its avenue of trees. Further away, planes rise and fall over the airport near Botany Bay. The whole layout of the city becomes clear in just a few minutes.

Then face west, especially late in the day. The suburbs roll out towards the horizon. On a very clear day, a low blue ridge appears in the far distance. Those are the Blue Mountains, which got their name from the blue haze above their eucalyptus forests. At sunset, the sky behind them can turn orange and pink. Below, the city lights begin to switch on, street by street. Many visitors say this is the best moment of their visit.

For people who want more than a view through glass, there is the Skywalk. This is a guided walk on an open platform outside the turret, even higher than the main deck. Walkers wear special suits and stay attached to a safety rail the whole time. Parts of the platform have a glass floor. You can look straight down at the streets far below. It is not for everyone, but those who try it rarely forget it.

The tower also has a life beyond tourism. Once a year, runners and walkers climb its stairs in a charity race. There are well over a thousand steps from the bottom to the top. Higher in the turret, revolving restaurant floors turn slowly while guests eat. A full turn takes a long time, so the view changes gently during a meal. You might begin dinner looking at the harbour and finish it looking towards the mountains.

Before you leave, take one last look out over the city. Find the harbour, the ocean, the parks and the far ridge. Then ride back down and step out into the mall again. Pause on the pavement and look up once more. The gold turret is still there above the crowds, held steady by its cables. As you walk away through the city streets, you will catch sight of it again and again between the buildings.