If you are looking for a sensational night out, look no further than what my wife and I experienced over four hours at Melbourne’s Skydeck and Eureka 89. It was so special. It is situated at Riverside Quay in Southbank. If you are driving in, there is a Wilson carpark literally seconds away (where you can benefit from $15 parking if you get your parking ticket validated at the Skydeck check in desk).
So, now, onto the details about the full experience. First off, we attended the space age, virtual reality Voyager theatre, which I believe is the largest of its kind in the world. The first impression is striking. There are 24 elegant, egg-like pods, featuring comfortable, plush seating, positioned in a darkened room. You only find out once you start the experience that the pods gently rotate – I am talking 360 degrees – during your journey through greater Melbourne and beyond. The 11-minute experience is immersive. You feel like you are a fly on the wall in the many places you visit.
Let me give you a bit of a rundown. Filming took place around the Skydeck and the Yarra River, in Hosier Lane (world famous for its street art), Flinders Street Station, Chinatown, the 12 Apostles and the Great Ocean Road, Bells Beach, Luna Park (where you literally ride the Scenic Railway and feel the bumps), Phillip Island (where you watch the penguin parade), a vineyard in the Yarra Valley and in a Redwood forest in Warburton. Then, we come to some of the great sporting attractions for which Melbourne is renowned. I speak of the AFL Grand Final at the MCG, the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Another of the highlights was literally feeling like I was on the back of what appeared to be a Harley Davidson motorcycle, cruising near town. Great stuff! There is so much to take in. It is an inspiring sensory experience that I would highly recommend. It is all there. The visuals. The spectacle. The sound. The feel.
Then, it was up the fast lift to the 88th floor and the Melbourne Skydeck, an observation deck that is 285 metres high, making it the highest in the Southern Hemisphere. Wow! What breathtaking 360-degree views of Melbourne you get through UV-protected, laminated, thick, full glass windows. There is even a small outdoor section protected by black chain link fencing, where you are exposed to the elements. We deliberately chose to visit late in the day, so we could see the views by day, by dusk, as the sun set and, then again, by night, as the lights took over. It turned out to be an awesome move.
We walked around and around Skydeck, time and again taking in the visage, at the same time capturing some superb shots with our phone cameras. There is also a neat little bar serving food and drinks on the 88th level, so you can sit and watch from on high and let the world go round. If you want to take a bit more of a walk on the wild side (I assure you not too wild), then the Edge is for you. Complete with evocative sound effects – namely loud creaks and, even, glass shattering – you step into a glass cube, which slowly moves out from the building. Yes, you are suspended 88 floors above street level, beside the Eureka Tower. At first, the all-glass box you are in has the panels shaded, but then, with a bit more dramatic sound, hey presto and you see everything around you in its full glory. Look straight down and you can see what appears from this height to be matchbox cars.
You are little more than a hop, skip and jump away from Melbourne’s tallest building, Australia 108, which rises to 317.6 metres, but unlike Eureka Tower it doesn’t have a public viewing platform. Honestly, I didn’t find the experience at all scary – just a lot of fun. As part of the experience, the operator outside enters at the end of the five minutes you spend there to take a couple of shots of you with a camera positioned on the wall. You can download those photos at home. If you like, you can pay for them to be developed on site and put into a special folder as a memento. We spent a good hour on Skydeck before it was time to partake in a superb three course meal, which we had booked for 5:30pm.
Called the Altitude Dining Experience, we walked up one flight of stairs to be greeted and escorted to our table, which was at the apex of two glass walls. Again, amazing look and feel. We could hardly believe it. Just took our breath away. The ambiance is serene, with gentle music playing in the background and a touch of real class in everything about the roomy restaurant on the 89th level. Known simply as Eureka 89, the carefully curated menu by executive chef Renee Martillano is superb. We had an utterly charming waitress who poured us some water before kindly taking our photo so we could preserve the experience, so to speak.
After bringing out a few slices of warm, crusty bread, which tasted delicious, our entrée choices were Yellowfin Tuna with smoked roe, jalapeno and fennel, which my wife had, or Truffled Confit Leeks, featuring potato, buttermilk and puffed quinoa, which I decided on. There was an unhurried feel about the meal, which in our case included four mocktails and, boy, were they good. I had two coconut and white chocolate concoctions, while my wife enjoyed Berry Blush, which consisted of cranberry, raspberry and pineapple juice (there were crushed, iced raspberries on top) and then a lychee Mojito, with lychee, cucumber and lime. The other choice was passionfruit breeze, combining pineapple, orange and mango. We could also have had non-alcoholic wines by the glass. The range of signature cocktails and other alcoholic beverages is extensive. That includes white, rose and red wines, shiraz, spirits, bubbles, beer and cider.
The choice of mains numbers three – four, if you choose to upgrade with a wagyu beef short rib. I had the Hazeldene chicken breast with an assortment of vegetables, while my wife chose the Infinity blue barramundi with albufera, braised fennel and potato puree. The other option was a 15-hour roasted Kent pumpkin. Of course, all the while we were chatting and taking in the glorious night views of Melbourne. We felt great – on top of the world. Dessert was to die for. Both of us chose the rich and indulgent passionfruit gateau with coconut and lime sable, mandarin caviar and basil. We could have had Tiramisu with coffee ganache, cinnamon crumb and chocolate tuill.
At 7 o’clock we left our dreamy experience feeling totally satiated after partaking in one of the best meals we had ever had in an environment unlike any we had been in. We walked down a floor, to again take in the night views from Skydeck. More photos and then another Edge experience, now well after dark and, with it, a different vibe. I even sat down on the glass bottom of the cube to get a tad closer while looking down. Melbourne by night sparkles from on high. Exiting the lift, having been transported back down to ground level, we left through the excellent souvenir shop, where we bought a few keepsakes – a couple of magnets and a small gold replica Eureka Tower. Did we have a night to remember or what? One of the best nights of our lives.
Let me give you an idea of pricing. At the moment, there is a Christmas in July special for entry to Skydeck at $21 per adult for online bookings. Thereafter, it reverts to $33 for bookings online, with concession pricing available. During the Christmas in July special, you can pay an additional $21 and receive entry to the Voyager theatre and the Edge, so that represents very good value. The usual fee for the Edge, which includes a digital photo, starts at $47, as does the virtual reality experience in Voyager theatre. You can enjoy Cocktail in the Clouds at Bar 88 from $55, while the Eureka 89 Dining Experience is $140 per adult, with seatings at 5:30pm and 7:30pm available. With an additional Victorian beverage package, the price rises to $175.
I should mention there is a special international Pinot Noir four-course dinner option coming up on Tuesday, 18th August at 6:30pm, with matching Pinots to each course. It is $240 per person and to find out more about that, go to https://eureka89.com.au/pinot-noir-dinner/ Otherwise, if you want to lash out, you can try the chef’s signature six course tasting menu, Eureka 89’s degustation offering, Tuesday to Sunday at 5:45pm. That is also $240 per person, in this case without drinks, and $295 with a beverage package included. Finally, to find out about more about the full range of experiences open to you at Skydeck, go to https://www.melbourneskydeck.com.au/experiences/ Depending upon the time of year, Melbourne Skydeck is open from midday to 9pm or midday to 10pm daily, although public holidays can have varied closing times.
Alex First
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.