Observation Decks in Sydney CBD: The Home Of High-rise Buildings In Australia

Sydney is the home to the most high-rise buildings in Australia so there is no doubt that the city consequently has a number of observation decks that are open for tourists to see the other skyscrapers, structures, suburbs, national parks and watercourses of this part of New South Wales. After all, Aussies surely love to chill with a good view. That’s part of their laid-back lifestyle.

When we visited Sydney, we didn’t miss going up to these obsevation decks, gaze the panoramic view in day and night and look at the city a unique perspective.

Sydney Tower Eye

Sydney Tower Eye has become the city’s icon, alongside Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Being the tallest structure in Sydney since it was built in 1981, the tower is visible from a number of vantage points throughout town and from adjoining suburbs. I’ve been to Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building and St. Mary Cathedral and its turret is always peeking.

Consequently, there’s also a lot to witness when you are on its top, especially the places you haven’t been to. The tourist spots I’ve mentioned above can be seen, of course. You’ll also learn that despite of being a highly-urbanized district, Sydney still protects biodiversity through their national parks. It’s so serene to be surrounded by all these lush green foliage.

I know that Sydney lies on a submergent coastline but perceiving the city wrapped by lagoons with my bare eyes is such a rewarding experience. I have been to a number of observation towers in other countries before like Tokyo Skytree but the view isn’t as lively as this. Sydney has a variety of attractions, may it be natural or manmade, making it the perfect place to view from top. It shows different colors such as yellow from city lights, blue from the waterways and green from lush parks. We were fortunate to be there at sunset so we also caught orange on the horizon. Such a lovely scene!

Going back inside the air-conditioned deck, we stumbled upon these guests in VR headsets. I thought I’ve seen this in SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, then, I realized that both attractions are operated by the same management, Merlin Entertainments. I don’t know what these people are watching but it seems that they are having a virtual reality tower coaster ride. 

And it doesn’t stop here! Sydney Tower Eye has also opened the top of this observation deck for those tourists who wanted to experience the unrivalled 360-degree scene of the skyline at a more elevated level without the glass borders! If you are up for adventure, you can book for the Skywalk tour and step out into open-air deck of the tallest building in Sydney.

While you’re enjoying everything Sydney Tower Eye has to offer, you can fuel yourself with the snacks from the mini mart inside the deck. Souvenirs, such as this cute replica of the tower, are also available in the store. For heavier meals, there’s actually a restaurant beneath the observation deck. Infinity and SkyFeast are fine dining and buffet restaurants respectively. It would be memorable to dine in at one of these rotating restaurants.

Sydney Observatory 

The second viewpoint is not actually a tall building or tower like most observatories we picture out. Well, there isn’t a need to build one when your location is on a hill at the city, right? Visitors have to climb a few steps up though since there’s no elevator. But at spring time, it wasn’t tiring because of the cool weather. After all, once on top, it will be a pure relaxation with all the superb scenery around.

Sydney Observatory is not just a view deck. It’s a real observatory! As you can see, this place is equipped and used for making observations of astronomical, meteorological or other natural phenomena and for time keeping. Evening visitors can observe the stars and planets through a modern telescope and a historic refractor telescope built in 1874, the oldest telescope in Australia in regular use.

Sydney Observatory is lucky to acquire this location, which has the Central Business District at the hill’s foot. In fact, I got closest to Harbour Bridge when I’m here. On the others side, the Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour can be seen. 

This Italian Renaissance palazzo was constructed in 1858, making it a heritage site in Sydney. is now a working museum. It is open for night-time tours from Wednesday to Saturday every week.

The Sydney Observatory was closed when we arrived so we just hung out at the rest of the hilltop, which was turned into a park. I’m surprised that even outside the museum’s viewing hours, the Observatory Hill is still being flocked by guests. Some are having picnic. Some are walking their dogs. Some are having their exercise. There’s even a rotunda for viewing.

Skydeck at Crown Sydney

Another skyscraper that will let you see Sydney at a greater height is Crown Towers in Barangaroo. With its architectural design that seemed to be sculpted, the tower already gives a majestic view from Darling Harbour. Little did we know that it also offers panoramic views of the city skyline and glistening waterfront below through Sky Deck. Sky Deck is accessible to the general public through personalised guided tours. I won’t be tackling Sky Deck of Crown Towers further in this blog post because I’m planning to write a separate review about this once I visited not just the Sky Deck, but also the hotel, for a night.