AMP Centre Point Tower, Sydney

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I have found that if there is some kind of tower that gives you a view of the city, it is a good thing to do after you are a little familiar with the city (NOT when you first get there) and when the weather is nice and clear. Also that if there is a restaurant, you can go eat in the restaurant and while the food may be more expensive, the meal includes the tower visit. Lunch will be cheaper than dinner. If you get an on-line ticket it is $18AU for an adult.

Lunch Daily $55AU for an adult
11.30am - 2.00pm

Dinner Daily
5pm - 9.00pm

We went down to the concierge desk and made a reservation for lunch at the Sydney Tower for 11:30 which was their first lunch sitting. We got there too early, but eventually they let us go up in the elevator - it took less than a minute to get up to the restaurant

It took 90 minutes for us to do a complete circuit. The weather was gorgeous and clear and sunny. I had fixed my camera as to the size photos it was taken and I was much happier with them. We saw the lightship and lighthouse from there too. Unlike in NYC and Seattle, there was no map that showed what the things we were looking at were.

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We went up here and ate lunch and took photos of the city below us. It was a buffet and there were a lot of foods that I liked, but I think it was expensive for what we got. I had a child's ticket which was $25 and less than half of what my grandmother paid for hers. And I got more to eat. We made reservations through the concierge.

My grandmother had to explain to me that our table was moving, and the windows didn't move so I couldn't put anything on the windowsill. Also the table moved in relation to where the food was, so you had to hunt for whatever it was that you liked and wanted more of.

It took 90 minutes for us to do a complete circuit. The weather was gorgeous and clear and sunny. Unfortunately there was no map, so I had to guess at what I was seeing.

Look down at the city from the highest point above the city for a breathtaking 360-degree panorama. On a good day, the view is well worth the visit up.

The tacky part of the visit is that the price of the ticket also includes "OzTrek", supposedly the largest simulated ride in the southern hemisphere, for a so-claimed thrilling virtual adventure across Australia. I think the kids may find this entertaining.

As from what I seen on the website, coming July 2005, there will also be a "skywalk" ala the one already offered by Macau Tower whereby guests can get all strap up and embark on an outdoor walk at 268 metres above Sydney.

GETTING THERE
Walking: Within the city, corner of Pitt & Market Street.
Bus: Sydney Explorer Bus Stop 14
Ferry: Ferries from Circular Quay
Monorail: City Centre Station
Train: Town Hall Station

OPENING HOURS
Sunday to Friday: 9:00am to 10:30pm
Saturday: 9:00am to 11:30pm

PRICING
Tickets include a visit to the Observation Deck at Sydney Tower and admission to OzTrek.

Adults $22.00*
Child (4-15 years) $13.20*
Under 4 years FREE
Seniors $15.00*
Concession $16.50*

Family Tickets Available
Family Ticket A 1 adult & 2 children $39.00*
Family Ticket B 2 adults & 1 child $45.90*
Family Ticket C 2 adults & 2 children $57.00*
Family Ticket D 2 adults & 3 children $67.00*

Sydney Tower is the city’s tallest building, standing 250m (820ft) above Market Street, with 360 degree views over the city, harbour, Olympic Park and as far as Blue Mountains & Terrigal Beach (100km to the north). It is also tallest building in the southern hemisphere, so it is not hard to miss. It resembles a giant steel pole skewering a golden marshmallow. Below the tower are 3 floors of stores & restaurants.

Entry to the observation deck includes a 35-minute Skytour on the podium level. Skytour is the largest simulated ride in the southern hemisphere. It takes you on an amazing virtual adventure through Australia’s cultural history and geography.

Photo on the left, taken from Tumbalong Park south of Darling Harbour, gives you a glimpse of the Sydney Tower. Time was tight for me, so I had to give this a miss. Anyway, you should allow 1 hour for this activity.

Hours:
9am-10:30pm Sundays to Fridays
9am-11:30pm Saturdays

Prices: (details pricing on their webpage)
A$22 Adults
A$13.20 Children (3-15 years)

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As is my norm when I get to a new city a quick elevation to the highest point was a priority in Sydney.

That highest point is'nt to hard to spot for pretty obvious reasons. Went early Sunday morning and there were no queue's of any note, lift up to the top in no time at all.

On reaching the top the panoramic views of Sydneys most famous sites is certainly worth making the effort for. Watching the planes land is fun, you are about the same altitude as many of them and watching the airport is like watching some kind of toy town.

You can spot the Aussie Olympic Stadium in the distance one way and easily see the Northern Beach suburbs in the other, guess you can see for miles and miles on a clear Sunny day, of which Sydney has more than its fair share.

I notice now you can actually go outside at the top on the SkyWalk, no doubt they will charge you extra for that though.

another great Sydney landmarkthis 305m tall tower has the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere, and its said that on a clear day you can see the Blue Mountains 100km away, l have no idea if this is true, it was raining so much we could scarcely see across the street, so we gave the tower a miss

it costs $19.80 to go up the tower, this includes admission to the Skytour, a virtual ride, there are also revolving restaurants, it takes about 70 minutes for the tower to complete a revolution so chew slowly if you want to get all the way around

the tower is open daily from 9.30 to 22.30 [ Saturdays 23.30 ]

Centrepoint tower is one of the main tourist attractions in Sydney (along with the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge) and it is definately worth a look.
For $22 you get a magnificent view of the city and you also get a virtual tour of Australia.
The lift takes you 250m above ground level, to the top of the tower, where you can see the whole of Sydney laid out before you. The view really is fantastic, and when you have had enough, you can take the lift back down to the ground and go on the virtual tour of Australia, which is something very different.
But don't worry if you don't have time to do it all in one day, your ticket is valid for 6 months, so you can come and do it another time.

Not only because of the breathtaking view of the Sydney skyline, you will also enjoy the Sky tour. The sky tour gave me an idea of the diverse landscape of Australia - beaches, outback, caves. So now my dad will not ask me what an outback is. Best of all the sky tour has 3D imagery and surround technology. Ok, I dont work for them but I'm just a satisfied customer.

The Sydney Tower experience takes you a staggering 250 metres above Sydney, commanding breathtaking views, including the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. From the beaches to the mountains, you’ll be amazed at what you can see from the highest point in town.

Skytour, the largest simulated ride in the Southern hemisphere, takes you on an amazing virtual adventure through Australia’s cultural history and geography.

Adults $22.00
Child (5-16 years) $13.20

Ticket price includes a visit to the Observation Deck at Sydney Tower and admission to Skytour.

First place to visit in Sydney is the AMP Tower. It gives an orientation on Sydney, esp the city! There's a free guide every hour which will give you an overview and brief history of the whole thing! This also includes a SkyTour~ a great Australian Expedition. Its a virtual tour around Australia. There's also two revolving restaurants above the tower.

What is it?
- The AMP Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Buildings.
- Each year an event called the "Tour Run Up" has runners scale the 1312 steps (1504 total) to the top. They start at the podium level (30m up) and run 94 flights of stairs with 13 steps each. Record is 6 minutes, 52 seconds set in 1998.
- The tip of the Tower is 320 metres above sea level.
- Eight-floor turret, "golden basket", has 420 windows.
- To the top of the turret roof is 275 metres.
- The lengthy 7-year construction period was chiefly due to work stoppages, yet the project was on budget at $26 million.
- Called Sydney Tower during design and construction, opened as Centrepoint Tower, then renamed AMP Tower in 1998.
- AMP Tower is stabilized by 56 cables.
- AMP Tower was sold in mid 2002 and now owned by Westfields PTY LTD. A lightning rod was added to the top of spire in 1998 which extended its overall height to 309m (327m above sea level).