Extreme Sydney Experiences

1 Hang-gliding

It's the closest thing you'll get to flying. With nothing but a delicate sail, a harness and howling gusts, there's never been a better excuse to jump over the edge.

For 30 minutes, the instructor will take you on an aerial tour of the landscape for bird's eye views. At once freeing and frightening, just pretend there's a net underneath and you'll be fine!

Sydney Hang Gliding Centre Stanwell Park, Helensburgh 2508. (0400 258 258) Weekends $220; weekdays $195.

2 Skydiving

Do the math. A 4,000-metre drop at 220 kilometres an hour equals 60 seconds of extreme airborne flying.
Vertigo victims and those with sensitivity to elevation pressure should take heed before jumping out of a plane, but don't let a little thing like fear of heights keep you from experiencing a massive freefall. You'll be in good hands and an even better parachute.

Skydiving around Sydney

3 High speed boating

A tour of the harbour at a ferocious pace, this is not boating for grandma. A Sydney Harbour jet boat ride takes passengers racing through Circular Quay, pausing for the occasional 270 degree spin and sudden stop. Take your Dramamine and leave the camera at home - shutter speeds haven't quite caught up with this wild ride.

Oz Jet Boating Circular Quay Eastern Pontoon, Circular Quay 2000. (02 9808 3200) Daily 1pm. Adult $80; child $55. Bookings essential.

4 Skywalk

Get eye level with skyscrapers in a heart-pulsing Skywalk on the Sydney Tower Roof. You can take in far-reaching views while 260 metres in the air. Never mind the fact you've got a pillow of CBD concrete spied through a glass-floored viewing platform. Watch your step while your trusty guide points out all of the breathtaking sights.

Skywalk Centrepoint Tower, 100 Market St, Sydney 2000. (02 9333 9222) Daily 9:30am-8pm. Adult $65; child $45.

5 Eastern Creek

This is petrol-head paradise. Strap yourself in and feel the raw power of laying rubber, burning it up in the dirt or getting sideways action in the V8 supercars. Whatever fuel-driven adrenalin you crave - four wheels, two wheels, small wheels - you'll find it here.

"Unless you're on the F3 or parts of the M4, the fastest you can drive legally in Sydney is 110km per hour," says Eastern Creek's Phil Harrison. "But if you've got a high performance car or motorbike, you can come to Eastern Creek and really open her up."

Eastern Creek International Raceway Brabham Dr/Ferrers Rd, Eastern Creek 2766. (02 9672 1000)
V8 Race Experience
Eastern Creek Karts

6 Trapeze

Circus Arts Trapeze School sounds like a back-up plan for a once promising dental career, but honestly, it's just an excuse to wear some glittery leotards while white-knuckle gripping a bar. A trapeze class is open to everyone five and up. You'll nail that triple somersault in a jiff.

Circus Arts Trapeze School Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park. (0412 402 742) Tue & Thu 3pm-8am; Sat & Sun 9am-7pm. $45 per lesson, $175 for five lessons. Bookings essential.

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