The contact is signed, the deal is done, the day is over. But the adrenalin is still pumping away and you're wired up and capable for more. Don't let night be an excuse not to explore - there are things better done when the sun goes down. Lau Liang Tong and Kenneth Cheong suggest a range of activities that entertain as well as educate.
AUSTRALIA
SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB
WHAT TO EXPECT: Certainly not for the faint-hearted or those prone to shortness of breath as the experience consists of clambering up ladders and tramping and inching through catwalks in the gathering dusk to reach the summit of one of the world’s most famous icons, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And that means being 134m above sometimes placid, sometimes choppy ocean waters. The reward? The priceless panorama of a radiant city, capped by the Opera House, another landmark, bathed in a golden hue, and of course, the satisfaction of having made it to the top. THE TOUR: Do not think you are going to get up on the bridge as the construction crew did in 1923, sans hard hats, safety lines and sturdy clothing. In fact, a good 40 minutes of the three-and-a-half-hour tour are spent prepping up participants with procedures such as breath tests (for alcohol levels) and simulation on a small ledge, all done thoroughly and efficiently by the young staff. Besides a specially designed jumpsuit, with adjustments to all kinds of Sydney weather, the most important protective detail is the BridgeClimb latch that hooks on to railings that line the entire tour path. Nothing, of course, prepares you for that first step into the open and the lightheadedness of feeling like a kite about to soar. Then, reality kicks in when habit makes you look down. Then, you realise that what seems like ants below are actually people and cars and yes, you are that high above them. But before your knees start to buckle, your team leader barks for the group (usually made up of 12) to move on. Most of the ascent is gradual, the only hoary experience being climbing some steep ladders while beneath your feet a commuter train thunders by. COST: Until June 30, 2009, the twilight climb costs A$249 (US$244), Monday to Sunday, while day and night climbs are both A$179 (US$169) Monday to Friday and A$199 (US$188) Saturday and Sunday. Children’s rates are also available. Peak season rates apply from December 26 to January 9, 2009. CONTACT: BridgeClimb, tel 61 2 8274 7777, www.bridgeclimb.comMargie T Logarta