A notorious German daredevil claims he has been banned from Australia after a death-defying stunt drew the ire of the authorities.
Andrej Ciesielski, 21, illegally scaled a crane perched atop a 240 metre (777 ft) skyscraper in Melbourne during a holiday last month.
Stomach-churning footage shows the free-climber, from Munich, teetering on the precipices of the building and peering into the abyss.
Andrej Ciesielski, 21, illegally scaled a crane perched atop a 240 metre (777 ft) skyscraper
But Andrej claims he has paid a hefty price for the stunt, with Australia now joining a list of countries including Japan and Egypt who refuse Andrej entry due to his shenanigans.
Andrej said: ‘I’m sad that I got banned, but it’s the consequence when you play with the law.
‘The problem is that I would never get a permission to climb any buildings that’s why I have to do it illegal, but it’s worth it for the videos.
But Andrej claims he has paid a hefty price for the stunt, with Australia now joining a list of countries to ban the young German
Stomach-churning footage shows the free-climber, from Munich, teetering on the precipices of the building
‘The view from the crane way more stunning that what most people will ever experience.’
Andrej, who grabbed headlines in 2016 for illegally climbing Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, said he had long wanted to travel to Australia.
He spotted the building, on the corner of Elizabeth and Franklin Streets, while visiting Melbourne’s CBD and knew at once the risk of losing his life and being slapped with severe penalties by police.
Andrej, who grabbed headlines in 2016 for illegally climbing Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, said he had long wanted to travel to Australia
He spotted the building while visiting the CBD and knew at once the risk of losing his life
But Andrej said the stunning footage of the climb made it all worthwhile.
Andrej said: ‘I always wanted to visit Australia.
‘As soon as I saw this crane I knew it would be a perfect spot for a climb, but my biggest fear was getting caught by the cops. Trespassing fines are huge in Australia.
‘The climb was dangerous because the crane was almost vertical and oil was also on the crane which makes it risky.
‘I’m free when I’m climbing buildings, away from normal everyday life.
‘I’m happy that I had the chance to see beautiful places in Australia. Maybe I’m able to come back one day.’
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said they do not comment on individual cases.