High Point On The Gold Coast

The entrance is at the base of the Q1 building in Surfers Paradise.

Seventy seven floors in forty three seconds and you have arrived at your destination. You are on the observation deck of Gold Coast’s Q1, the 25th tallest building in the world at 322.5 metres high. When completed in 2005 it became instantly famous as the tallest residential apartment block in the world. (See the interesting facts below)

The views from the deck are stunning. We arrived at 1pm with the sun beaming across the glistening coast and, looking out towards New Zealand, you are mesmerised by the endless blueness of the Pacific Ocean. Views to the north are aweinspiring. You are standing high above the tallest sky scrapers on the Gold Coast, including Soul and the new Hilton Hotel. Unparalleled views of the majestic Broadwater and kilometres of dazzling coastline winding north, represent some of the best views in the world. To the west you will be amazed to see the extent of the canal system and islands that are a feature of the Gold Coast hinterland. To the south the coast line is magnificent, backed by the lush mountain range that gives you the feeling you are in one of the cleanest, most modern, dynamic cities of the world.

Although you may not want to venture from the safety of the glass enclosed observation deck, for the truly brave, you can experience an exhilarating SkyPoint Climb. The climb takes you outside the building and is the highest external building climb in Australia. The climb lasts about 90 minutes with 298 stairs to the summit where you can soak in the full 360 degree view, or look down to see the 270 metre sheer drop to the ground. The climb is of course guided and includes safety harness and a briefing. You can also climb at twilight to get that extra thrill.

We found it much more in our comfort zone to have a coffee at Seventy7 Cafe and Bar and watch tourists snapping selfies and sipping champagne with the mesmerising view as their backdrop.

Our next visit will probably be about 30 minutes before sunset to watch the change of light over the Gold Coast and the hinterland. A great tip is to look up at the elevator’s ceiling when ascending and descending to see the lift shaft above through a strategically positioned camera stationed on top of the lift itself.

Adult entry is $24 to the observation deck and follow the link below for SkyPoint Climb prices. Locals can purchase an annual pass which means they can return often and share this stunning view and exhilarating ride with all their mates when they visit the beautiful Gold Coast.

www.skypoint.com.au/SkyPoint-Climb/Book-Your-Climb.aspx

Mission Control located at SkyPoint Climb

SkyPoint phone: +61 7 5680 7700

Or via email info@skypointclimb.com.au

  Interesting facts from Wikipedia

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) defines a residential building as one where 85 percent or more of its total floor area is dedicated to residential usage.^[1] CTBUH is a non-profit international organization formed in 1969 that decides which structure is officially the world’s tallest residential building and sets the standards by which buildings are measured. It has maintained a list of the 100 tallest completed residential buildings in the world since 2000.^[2]

The tallest residential skyscraper in the world is Princess Tower inDubai, United Arab Emirates. It was topped out with height of 414 metres (1,358 ft) in 2012. The second tallest residential skyscraper is 23 Marina which stands at 392 metres (1,286 ft) in Dubai, it was also completed in 2012. The third tallest residential skyscraper is Elite Residence, which stands at 381 metres (1,250 ft) in Dubai, it was completed in 2012. The fourth tallest residential skyscraper is The Marina Torch which stands at 348 metres (1,142 ft) in Dubai, it was completed in 2011 while the fifth tallest residential skyscraper is Q1 which stands at 322 metres (1,056 ft) in Gold Coast Australia, completed in 2005.