It was my last week in Australia for my third project before going back home, I planned a 3 days vacation which combine my time in lieu at work and few vacation leaves. As per my project schedule it was my last week at work as well, but because of my planned vacation, the last week become my vacation week, my last day at the project ended a week earlier.
I was really excited in my holiday plan in Gold Coast in Queensland, I stayed in Australia for 14 months and never been to Gold Coast until my last week in my project in Australia happened.
In my 3 days holiday, I was not able to squeeze in a tour on my first day as it was the same day of my flight from Melbourne to Gold Coast. I took the earliest flight to Gold Coast but unfortunately even taking earliest flight will not guarantee that I will make it to the tours available because of timing is so close to each other.
After I landed at Coolangatta Airport or Gold Coast Airport , I bought a ticket where it combines airport bus return, local busses around Gold Coast and busses to theme parks at Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle. The airport shuttle bus took me to my accommodation at Meriton Service Apartments Broadbeach wherein I was booked for 3 days.
My first day activity was unplanned and because I am traveling solo, though Gold Coast is famous of theme parks I did not planned to go to any of it because of the main reason that theme parks are not place for a solo travelers. I haven’t tried going to Carnivals alone, because for me, theme parks are places together with friends and families or I may go there if it’s part of the tour that I booked.
After I arrived at the hotel, I did check what’s on in Gold Coast that I can take in the afternoon with the aim to maximize my time until I found Skypoint brochure. I was curious on climbing adventure in the tower ads then I decided to try it. From Broadbeach accommodation, I took local bus and Q1 building which is located in prime location in Surfers Paradise. From bus stop , I walked to reach Q1.
Q1 Building (from the beach)
At the ground floor, I found the Skypoint Climb store where I bought my ticket for the adventure climb. Because the climb has schedule and I was a bit earlier on the schedule, I went up to Skypoint Observation Deck (entrance included in the climb) which located at 77 to 78 floor. When I hopped in to the elevator, I experienced one of the fastest elevator, we reached the observation deck around 47 seconds and at the ceiling of the elevator, you can see the top and visualize how fast the elevator travels from the bottom to the top and vice versa.
At the Skypoint Observation Deck, I had a great time enjoying 360 degree view of Gold Coast. I saw a beautiful coastline, the city itself and the surrounding nearby mountains and hills in the area. I can’t imagine I was in the tower and seeing all of the views that I only see in TV.
Around Gold Coast From Skypoint Observation Deck (Before Sunset)
I went down again when the time is almost near for the climb. Then I met the other people who will join the same climb. Our guide met the group and went inside the Skypoint store and there she gave us overview or introduction to the climb activity. Then, told us to prepare ourselves by getting our safety suits and harness equipments, she taught us wearing the stuff while giving useful information of safety climb. Why we were wearing safety uniforms and harness? Because we will climb the top most part of the Q1 building which is outside the observation deck. The idea is already scary and what about the actual feeling at the summit of the tallest building in Australia?
Around Gold Coast From Skypoint Observation Deck (Night Time)
We were at 77th Floor where we started the climb and we went outside to reach the summit of the building. Our guide helped us and instructed us to put the harness in the grill where it fits and connected us so we will not be fall no matter what happened. We followed the stairs track and we went around the area and the crow’s nest which is the summit of the climb. While we were climbing the stairs, there were part of the climb we looked downward to the ground and other parts of Gold Coast area. We posed in various areas for photo shot. We witness the sunset while climbing the summit and we experienced the cold breeze outside the building.
After spending sometime at the summit. We descent the area and went back to 77th floor. That’s how we ended our Skypoint climb. I sensed that all of us in the group enjoyed the climb adventure.That was the first climb I did in a building and I had a great time. I bought one photo as my souvenir and another free photo which is a group shot for all of us at the summit. Most of the photos shared here were captured at the Skypoint Observation Deck.
