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I can't believe I actually went through with this but now that it's over with, I feel like I've accomplished something great. Yes, I did go hang gliding in Rio, and yes, it should be on your list of things to do (if you're into adrenaline pumping through your bloodstream, anyway).
At first I was a bit apprehensive, but as you're flying high through the sky overlooking the coastline, it becomes very apparent why this is an activity that is sought by many tourists from all over the world. Plus, its easy to schedule and the price is affordable.
Having visited Sydney aged 15 with my family and doing all the things that a family should do when going down under - tours of the Opera House, ferry trips to Manly, relaxing on Bondi Beach, etc, I returned to Sydney determined to try out the more unusual attractions that the city has to offer which are maybe more off the beaten track from the hordes of tourists.
Of course, I did the adventurous stuff in Sydney to start with - climbing the Harbour Bridge and swinging out over 250m above the city on a glass floor on the Sydney Skywalk atop Centrepoint Tower (millions of tourists alas), but who'd have thought that just an hour away from Sydney, I could be hang-gliding over the beautiful (and devoid of tourists) cliffs of Stanwell Park, or that a couple of hours away on the train I could be racing over massive sand dunes to shipwrecks and tin cities on a quad bike at Port Stephens?
I did all this and more, in what truly was the adventure of a lifetime. Sydney is a wonderful city, and contains something for everyone. My advice - do everything - you only live once and you may only visit Australia once or twice in your lifetime. My only regret was not having the money to scuba dive with sharks at Manly Aquarium.
Check out these websites for the trip of a lifetime:
www.hanggliding.com.au
www.quadbikeking.com.au
www.bridgeclimb.com/
www.skywalk.com.au/
sharkdive.oceanworld.com.au/
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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