Story Bridge Adventure Climb in Brisbane: Dawn, Day, Twilight or Night, and Who Can Do It
5 min read
The Story Bridge Adventure Climb is the climb that sells Brisbane from above. It also has a long list of conditions, and they are worth reading before you pick a date.
What you are booking
The Story Bridge Adventure Climb costs €92.46 per person on the booking page, rated 4.7 stars from 518 reviews. It runs for 1.5 hours, in groups of up to 14 and in English, with a Climb Leader. The meeting point is the operator’s base at 5 Boundary Street, in the Howard Smith Wharves precinct below the bridge.
The operator describes four sessions: dawn, day, twilight and night, seven days a week. It says the climb reaches 80 metres above the river and that the night climb is the only illuminated bridge climb in Australia. The price is a from-price, so see what the date and session you want cost after you check availability.
Included, and what you leave behind
The booking page lists all safety and climbing equipment, a climber cap, commentary, and lockers for your belongings. Individual photos are on sale after the climb and are not part of the price.
Cameras and cellphones are listed as not allowed on the climb, as are headphones, open-toed shoes and bare feet. You need fully enclosed shoes, and the page suggests lightweight, breathable clothing. This catches people out: if you expect to take your own pictures at the top, you won’t be able to.
The rules that exclude people
These come from the booking page, and you should confirm them with the operator when you book:
- Age. The page says 6 and over, and lists children under 6 as unsuitable. The booking page says children aged 6 to 10 need one adult each; from 11 to 16, one adult may accompany up to three children.
- Height. At least 110 cm.
- Weight. Up to 130 kg.
- Alcohol. Every climber must register below 0.05 on a breathalyser before climbing.
- Fitness. The operator calls it achievable at a moderate fitness level.
- Pregnancy. The page contradicts itself here: it lists pregnant women as unsuitable, and in the same page says women up to 20 weeks may take part at their own risk. Ask the operator before you book.
The operator also advertises what it calls the world’s first wheelchair-accessible bridge climb. The booking page does not set out the conditions of that climb. If that matters to you, ask the operator which session offers it and what the conditions are, before you plan around it.
Weather
The page says the climb runs in most weather, and rain gear is provided. In extreme conditions such as electrical storms, high wind or hail, the operator will try to move you to another day, or refund you in full. The tour also carries free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Choosing a session
Night gives you the lit-up city and is the one the operator advertises as unique; twilight combines daylight and lights in one climb. Dawn puts you on the bridge as the day begins. The page names 360-degree views of the city, Moreton Bay and the Scenic Rim as the draw of the climb in general; it does not rank the sessions by view. The listing gives 1.5 hours for each of them.
If a climb doesn’t suit you, there are other ways to see the bridge. A river cruise passes beneath it, and the abseil at Kangaroo Point Cliffs is €52.40 for another view of the city. More active options are listed under Brisbane adventure tours, 43 of them from €31.44.
