Last week I had a friend stay over and so I suggested we do some exploring in the local area. I'd been meaning to check out the Athena Tower ever since Za Gringo mentioned it to me last November, and especially since I saw the reports that are already on here.
We set off in the witching hour and it was a still night, quite chilly and ever so slightly misty. Once we'd accessed the site, we tip-toed in silence all the way up the wrong stair case, only to have to go back down again and find another one. We eventually hit the right one and began our ascent to the top.
All tiredness dissolved in the exhilaration of reaching the roof. This was the first time I'd ever explored any high places, and was the first time my mate had explored anywhere...the views were great. I went around taking pictures (which I found surprisingly difficult for some combination of these reasons: wind, awkward fencing, twinkly light conditions, numb fingers) and most of them were useless, but I just about managed to get enough that were sufficient to make this report...
Looking East
Looking West
Looking North
Looking South
Looking Down
Looking at the City
What you looking at? (me)
Here's looking at you! (pal)
After this we went back down to find the crane. I climbed up it, and after a bit of hesitation, my mate followed me up there. The views from the crane are amazing! Once again, this was the first time I had ever done anything like this, and I loved it! Here's a view with the cab, which I made by stitching 2 pics together:
Finally, here's a bunch of panoramas. I usually do these by hand in Photoshop with layers, but I used a bit of software for these ones, and they seem to have come out alright...not great, but what you gonna do?
The East end of the Olympic Site
Olympic Site and Buildings to the South
...and a horizontal panorama
West towards the City
180 Pano from the roof
Pano from the crane...(that great black void in the foreground is about to be filled by a Westfields shopping mall
)
So anyway, there you go. I thoroughly enjoyed my night out at the Athena, and my mate did too. Although we didn't get in till 5.30, he had to go to work a few hours later... but I didn't.
We set off in the witching hour and it was a still night, quite chilly and ever so slightly misty. Once we'd accessed the site, we tip-toed in silence all the way up the wrong stair case, only to have to go back down again and find another one. We eventually hit the right one and began our ascent to the top.
All tiredness dissolved in the exhilaration of reaching the roof. This was the first time I'd ever explored any high places, and was the first time my mate had explored anywhere...the views were great. I went around taking pictures (which I found surprisingly difficult for some combination of these reasons: wind, awkward fencing, twinkly light conditions, numb fingers) and most of them were useless, but I just about managed to get enough that were sufficient to make this report...
Looking East
Looking West
Looking North
Looking South
Looking Down
Looking at the City
What you looking at? (me)
Here's looking at you! (pal)
After this we went back down to find the crane. I climbed up it, and after a bit of hesitation, my mate followed me up there. The views from the crane are amazing! Once again, this was the first time I had ever done anything like this, and I loved it! Here's a view with the cab, which I made by stitching 2 pics together:
Finally, here's a bunch of panoramas. I usually do these by hand in Photoshop with layers, but I used a bit of software for these ones, and they seem to have come out alright...not great, but what you gonna do?
The East end of the Olympic Site
Olympic Site and Buildings to the South
...and a horizontal panorama
West towards the City
180 Pano from the roof
Pano from the crane...(that great black void in the foreground is about to be filled by a Westfields shopping mall
)So anyway, there you go. I thoroughly enjoyed my night out at the Athena, and my mate did too. Although we didn't get in till 5.30, he had to go to work a few hours later... but I didn't.
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