#MarchSquare | The Eternal Traveller

Canada #27 CN Tower, Toronto

If the thought of walking around the outside of a concrete tower 356 metres above the ground leaves you feeling uneasy, it might be best to look away now. But if you’re comfortable seeing others do it please read on.

At a height of 553.33 metres, CN Tower dominates the skyline of downtown Toronto. With a 102 metre broadcasting antenna atop the concrete tower, the structure is visible from anywhere in the city.

Up closer, look again and you may see intrepid tourists braving the EdgeWalk, the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk. Balanced on a ledge just 1.5 metres wide and attached by safety harnesses, EdgeWalkers go right around the main pod, testing their daring along the way by leaning out over the edge.

I’ve said in the past I’m not bothered by heights, with the proviso that I know I am safe. Even though I had no reservations about the safety of EdgeWalk, I knew this was literally a step too far for me. So while Glen and our daughter took up the challenge, I rode up in the elevator to the SkyPod. From a further 91 metres above, I watched their father-daughter adventure unfold.

After half an hour outside, they re-entered the pod and I could see them no more. It was my turn go wandering.

As I waited for them on the Lookout Level I enjoyed spectacular 360° views of the city.

I gazed out over the Toronto Islands to the vast expanse of Lake Ontario.

I stood on the glass floor and looked down to the pavement 342 metres below.

I ventured onto the Outdoor Sky Terrace, where a chilly breeze blowing through the safety netting was proof that I did actually go outside the tower.

So if like me you draw the line at walking around the outside, make sure you still go to the top of CN Tower. The views are amazing and you can always look down on those who do go walking.

Join Jo for Monday Walks and Becky for March Squares

Kevtoberfest #12 Blue Mountains Part Three

After scaling the heights of Prince Henry Cliff Walk and negotiating 900 steps on the Giant Stairway, you might think we’ve had enough adventure for one day. But at Scenic World there are four record-breaking options for seeing the Blue Mountains from completely different perspectives – our day is not yet done.

We arrive at the Scenic Railway just in time to see the shiny red train departing Bottom Station on its way up the mountain. The 310 metre track goes through a tunnel in the cliff at an incline of 52°, making it the steepest passenger train in the world.

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We join the crowd on the platform and don’t have long to wait; the train runs every ten minutes and it’s soon back at the bottom again.

We take our seats and, while Glen would have liked the front row seats, I’m secretly relieved we’re sitting further back. Like the other passengers, we hold on tight as the train begins its steep ascent.

Next we ride on the Scenic Skyway, which we’ve already seen gliding across the Jamison Valley at the start of the day. Travelling 270 metres above the valley floor, the cable car is the highest in Australia.

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As we leave the station, the glass floor beneath our feet changes from opaque to clear. Far below, cockatoos rest in the treetops. The water of Kedumba Creek drops over the edge of the escarpment and tumbles over rocky outcrops on its way to the forest floor.

As we come to Skyway East Station, it’s easy to see how close to the edge the walking path and lookouts we’ve been to earlier in the day really are.

After returning on the Scenic Skyway, we take another ride in a different direction. The Scenic Cableway carries Australia’s largest cable car from the top of the mountain, over the edge of the escarpment and down 545 metres into the Jamison Valley. On this ride we pass close by Orphan Rock, once accessible but now closed to walkers, and wonder how they ever got to the top.

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Instead of returning in the cable car, we decide to walk back to the Railway via the Scenic Walkway, 2.4 kilometres of elevated boardwalks through the temperate rainforest. We’re hopeful of spotting one of the lyre birds which live in the forest but it’s late afternoon and they’ve gone into hiding.