Harbour Bridge Climb
It’s a symbol of Auckland and the object of commuter curses every day. It was built too small and has never caught up with demand: Aucklanders love to hate it but would be lost without it.
Since it was opened in 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge has been an integral part of city life, so it’s fascinating to get up close and hands-on with it on a two-hour AJ Hackett Bridge Climb to the top of the arches.
Kitted out in a boiler suit and helmet, you take a short walk with your guide underneath the bridge to a razor-wired gate, then pass through into new territory: the hidden girders, stairs and pillars under the road.
Clipped on to a guard rail, you trail along and up, the water gleaming far below the walkway. Admire the delicate-looking pattern of triangles formed by the beams and struts, and listen to the facts, figures and history.
Learn with horror that those solid concrete piers are, in fact, nothing of the sort. Stop to watch the Bridge Bungy jumpers plunging from a pod tucked into the girders, just 40 metres down to a head-dunk in the harbour, their screams echoing under the road. Then carry continue up.
Why go?
You’ve possibly crossed the bridge thousands of times, but these angles are new and fascinating. Once you’ve felt the vibrations and the flexing, and seen the construction, at once complicated and simple, you’ll have real respect for its designer and builders.
Then you emerge at road level for the gentle climb along the eastern arch until you reach the base of the flagpoles at the top, 67 metres above the sea. The 360-degree view is wonderful: the city, the North Shore, the harbour and the Waitākere Ranges laid out for you.
Insider tip
You can’t carry anything, but your guide will take photos and video for showing off later. Once you’re done with posing, and with marvelling at those spectacular views, get to feel figuratively superior by spying on the drivers passing beneath you, and note how many of them are using their phones.
On the way/nearby
Afterwards, you could amble back into the city around Westhaven Marina and along the boardwalk, for a bit of refreshment in the Wynyard Quarter. Then take a sail in the scow, Ted Ashby, at the Maritime Museum, to see the bridge from another angle.
How much?
Adults $130, and children (minimum age 7) and students $90. You have to weigh between 35kg and 150kg. If you fancy doing the bungy too, a combo is $215.
Best time to go
You’ll want a fine day and, ideally, not windy. There are climbs at 9am, 11.30am and 2.30pm daily. The bridge will always be busy with traffic, but to see some Bungy jumpers, later is a better bet. bungy.co.nz