Visiting a new city is always fun especially when you have the time to see it from a few different angles. Over the school holidays, I took the boys to Melbourne for a short stay and made a point of including the soaring heights of the Eureka Skydeck and Edge Experience into our itinerary.
I think seeing the city from above really helps to give kids some perspective on their current location and also shows just how big the world really is.
Eureka Skydeck
At 297 metres above the streets of Melbourne, the fun for us started with a super-charged 30 second elevator ride 88 levels up. The boys loved counting the floors as we zoomed past them and were keeping up with the changing display – but only just! 🙂
Tip: Prepare for the ear pressure change, by teaching your little one to hold their nose and gently blow, do a few forced yawns or come prepared with something to chew or suck on.
The Eureka Skydeck is the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing platform and also home to Australia’s highest letterbox! The boys were pretty proud of this discovery.
During our visit we enjoyed 360 degree views of Melbourne including a great view of the Australian Open Tennis and distances that stretched past the Melbourne Cruise Terminal.
The Skydeck is an experience that can be savored and enjoyed…yes, even with kids. There were plenty of places to sit down and enjoy the view as well as a cafe that sells light refreshments, ice creams and drinks while you take in Melbourne’s favourite attractions and landmarks.
Tip: If your phone is running a little low on charge, there is a complimentary charging station that’s suitable for most devices. I also noticed complimentary WI-FI.
Edge Experience
When you purchase your tickets to the Skydeck you have the option to add on the ‘Edge‘ attraction. Don’t be put off by the signs that say that there is a 30 minute or more wait. You are given a buzzer to alert you (similar to what they give you in bistros to tell you that your meal is ready) when it’s your turn to try out The Edge. And as I mentioned above, the time goes quite quickly while you’re up there.
The Edge is unique to Melbourne and extends from Eureka Sky Tower‘s 88th floor…you are then suspended nearly 300 meters over Melbourne in a glass cube…that’s glass floor, glass walls…glass everything!
The views and experience is breathtaking; but please note this attraction is not for the faint-hearted. All that stands between you and the ground is a glass floor and the sound effects of ‘glass cracking’ are enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat (or ten).
The Edge proved a bit too much for my seven year old and 50 year old Aunt who both gave it a go; but retreated back to the Skydeck once they’d seen enough.
My 5 year old on on the other hand… was all over it. HE LOVED IT. He smiled for photos and said ‘Is this all you’ve got!’. He’s going to be fun to parent in later life, watch out for his extreme sports youtube channel next! As for me, I thought it was pretty cool. It was fun as long as you didn’t look down too much!
Tip: If not all of your family is brave enough to try the Edge, they can watch you and take photos from the outside viewing deck.
The Verdict
The Eureka Skydeck and Edge are pretty unique experiences and we can see why it’s regarded by locals and visitors as one of the must things to see and do in Melbourne.
We visited during the day but i’d love to go back another time to check out Melbourne when it’s looking super stunning and lit up at night.
Tip: You can also purchase ‘Sun and Stars’ passes so that you don’t miss sunrise or sunset from this amazing vantage point.
Details
The Eureka Skydeck is open 10am – 10pm daily with last entry at 9:30pm. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are 10am – 5:30pm.
The Skydeck is located at Riverside Quay, Southbank, Melbourne. We got there by taking the tram Flinders Street station (the last stop in the inner-city free zone) and walking across the bridge to Southbank. It was an enjoyable and easy 10 minute walk.
For ticketing and other information, please visit: www.eurekaskydeck.com.au
Credits
We visited Eureka Skydeck and participated in the Edge Experience as media guests. All opinions are our own and true at the time of publication.
