Traveling the World

Typical Aussie

Overall I found that customer service was quite terrible, yet sadly still better than China’s. In some sense, they want to make you happy like in the States, but at the same time they don’t really care either way. Americans ask, “What would you like,” while Australians ask “What are you after?” like it’s a desire.

The country seems to be run by unions, and as a result things get done much slower, and it takes a lot more money to get it done. The minimum wage is about $18 and they get mandatory breaks (which even in the eyes of some Australians are far too often). I guess it’s a product of our generation who only cares about mucking around and not having any ambitions in life, and I think that’s something you’ll find in every country within our generation.

Another thing was that many people have tattoos and piercings and show them in public without hesitation, whereas in America one would do well to conceal these things from their workmates and bosses. I found many people to be either particularly overweight, or way too skinny. Most young people had their hair dyed and walked around with an attitude, but I doubt that’s who they really are (unless they’re just white trash like I believe them to be).

I hate to generalize or speculate, but this post is based on my experience in Queensland, Australia. Your experience may differ, so don’t hold my words to be true to the T.

You’ve just come off a very long plane ride to the tune of 12 hours. The time and money spent and lost to get here are completely worth it, and you know it as soon as you step off the plane. The incredibly deep blue sky and lingering clouds open your eyes and remind you of what life was like before China. You’re further reminded of this when you take your luggage from the carousel and are made to wait in line for an hour just to be searched and enter customs.

All the stress of travel leaves you as you are picked up by your mate’s father and enjoy a nice car ride (on the opposite side of the road) and take in the amazing scenery. First stop: a home-cooked meal. After having been away so long, this kind of special meal fully recharges your batteries and you feel great. Time to move on and enjoy the rest of your trip!

After we stop at street level, we begin to climb 30 feet, 60 feet in the air. It is a clear night and we can see the surrounding areas of the city with great detail. We are asked to stop and take pictures (which they will then try to sell to us later). 200 or so odd workers worked night and day for 5 years to get this bridge open for public use. When they weren’t working, they were at the local pub at the base of the bridge.

On the Bridge

We reach the bridge’s highest part, which is 80m or 240ft from the ground. Looking down is not a pretty sight, but screaming at the passersby proves fun. From here we walk down to the middle of the bridge and across. As we do so, our guide tells us that in 5 years of construction, only 4 deaths occurred. One man fell into the water and drowned, another fell onto the land, a third was hit by a tram on his way home from work and is counted as an on the job death, and I forgot what happened to the last person.

As we begin our ascent back to the top so we can return home, I feel nostalgic. I am reminded of home (minus the river cutting through the city and the bridge on top) and my family, and how much I miss them. I am grateful for the chance to experience Australia, a country so far away from Florida. With a renewed sense of pride and happiness, I climb on. The guide mentions that the bridge committee originally planned to knock down an entire street and move it over so the bridge could be built, however at the end of the bridge was a pub that the locals loved. So much in fact that they convinced the architect to instead move the bridge over so the pub could remain intact. In the end, the pub renamed itself after the bridge.

Certificate

If you wish to do this, you can contact the Story Bridge Adventure Climb website. You pay $89 either by credit card or cash upon arrival. They are located in Brisbane city at 170 Main St. in the Kangaroo Point area.

As I arrive, I see a shirtless man screaming F*** at the top of his lungs, and I know I’m in the right place. Next up is a girl who screams and tries not to flash everyone. I then go in to the office and happily pull $99 out of my pocket. I am weighed to make sure the cable is of the appropriate strength, to find either I’ve been a pig or the scale is off. The guy marks me off at 65kg, the heaviest I’ve ever been. The last person in front of me is a Viet girl raised in Germany and living in HK. She is really nervous and doesn’t want to jump. When she does, she covers her mouth. As she comes wooshing down through the air, I mentally prepare myself by taking off my shirt and shoes.

It begins to rain as the box descends towards me. My heart beats faster. The rain turns into a storm as I feel the rain beating down on me. I climb into the box and it slowly ascends 12 stories into the sky. The man talks to me to help me deal with my nerves, and he tells me what to do. We arrive and the button turns green. He opens the door to hell and asks me quite politely if I would step to the edge. I comply and do the one thing you are told never to do: look straight down. I look back up and tell him I can’t do it. He says, “yes you can, dammit!” I tell him he’ll have to push me.

Falling. Weightlessness. Disorientation. I scream not in fear, but in shock. My body is plummeting towards the ground at a speed faster than I’ve ever experienced. Nothingness. Excitement. The line reaches it’s maximum length, and my body snaps back upward towards the heavens. Wet. Exhilarated. Pumped. The rain continues to soak me as the man on the ground tries to grab my arms and pull me down to the ground. I’m released from the shackles around my ankles and am left feeling only that I can’t wait to do it again.

(PS – I have no pictures or video of this because of the rain, and their machine that records DVDs of the event was broken).