This wharf has a nice restaurant right as you wait to dock. Good waiting area. Super quick walk to…read moremost things Kirribilli. Felt like home.

Super small stop for the Neutral Bay Ferry (F5), first as you leave Circular Quay. There are a…read morecouple of seats and a small coffee shop, that's open breakfast & lunch only. There are machines to top off your Opal card (or even purchase one if need be). The steps down to the ferry (or up to the street) are a bit difficult if you're not super mobile (or are dragging a roller bag after a 20 hour flight). Ferries are typically every 30 minutes at this spot. Still you can commute on a ferry which is awesome.

I took the ferry as part of the organized tour for the Blue Mountains. The ride was a tad bit long…read more(~ an hour) from Olympic Park to Circular Quay so I got off at Darling Harbor (it is closer to my hotel anyway). It was around dusk and the day was perfect so I got some great sunset photos. It was too windy to enjoy the ride at the deck though. If you have plenty of time, I guess it's a good option. Otherwise, there is so much you can otherwise do in Sydney.

Don your sunglasses, shorts and cameras round the neck, exhausted expressions and sunburn optional…read more It's time to play 'pretend I'm a tourist in my own city'. Parramatta Rivercat. One of those things I'd never got around to. Don't think of Parramatta as a river kind of destination. Hopped on the 'Marjorie Jackson' (the specially designed rivercats are all named after female athletes) for a trip down river. Or up river. I don't know. It's a terribly smooth ride, with barely a wobble when you cross another boat's wake, and a lovely way to see parts of the harbour I never get to. If you can ignore the 'Life Jackets under the seat' signs that are EVERYWHERE. This cat had onboard wifi and was comfier than it looked. We drifted up/down river, and I got to shudder at some of the indescribably fugly foreshore architecture and play 'if I inherited the fortune of a benevolent millionaire which house would I buy.' (Victorian era, preferably with turret, or maybe art deco, smooth lines). There's all these little parks and wharves I had no idea were there, and although it was a bit of a stretch to imagine you're ferrying down the Seine, there's a point at which the highrises suddenly end, and it's nothing but mangroves. Feel free to indulge in Heart of Darkness heading to see Kurtz and my doom fantasies at that point. The 50 minutes flew by, and we were deposited on the little wharf at Parramatta, handing over the cat to a troop of schoolkids dressed up like urchins in mobcaps and backpacks. Reading the plaques on the wharf, just imagine what it was like in colonial days, the first boat built to navigate up there was called 'The Lump' by the convicts, and the round trip could take a week. The trip back I caught another Rivercat of older vintage, after hopping on a bus to Rydalmere as the tide was too low for the ferry to make it that far. There were no signs or anything that this was happening, so keep your eye on the busstop or call the info line.

Trying to make it to Manly Beach from the main area of Sydney without having to drive for hours? No…read moreproblem - take the ferry! The ferry service here is quick and extremely efficient. They run often and they run fast. The prices are also reasonable considering the time you are saving. Do try to arrive a few minutes early before the designated time to assure you don't miss it! If you do, no worries, there will be more coming. The staff is friendly and helpful though your interactions with them are pretty limited. A pro tip is to sit on the top level, in the back right section to get the best view of Sydney and the Opera House as you are sailing away.

Circular Quay station must be the CityRail station with the most real estate value. Oops, I'm…read morerepeating myself here. Please read my Milsons Point station review. But this station's got the lot too: views of Harbour Bridge, Opera House (take that Milsons Point station!) and harbour water. It could be passed in as waterfront property almost, which in Sydney terms slaps another few hundred grands on its value. Circular Quay station is also close to transport: many bus lines end and start here, there's a taxi rank nearby and six wharfs to choose from (Circular Quay 2 - Milsons Point 1). Close to overpriced shops, heritage building (sort of 50s building, but that heritage here), lifts, 2 bathrooms, floor art on the platform, First Fleet garden, The Rocks. Alas, no parking spaces and no swimming pool here either. And so many train lines to choose from. Get a ticket! In terms of village feel, Milsons Point station wins, so it's a draw: Circular Quay 2 - Milsons Point 2. One last advice to impress visitors from overseas: Take the train from Wynyard to Circular Quay. Not only are you on the water front side, but when you step out you'll immediately see the duo Harbour Bridge and Opera House. A real winner!

This was a large train station. It was very convenient for visiting all of the popular iconic…read moretourist spots. As you exit the station, you get a nice view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From here, it was just a short walk over to the Sydney Opera House. Since it's a very touristy location, it will be very crowded all the time. There were plenty of food options of all costs and variety nearby. If you're headed elsewhere, you can catch a ferry ride from the wharf. You can also hop on the L2 and L3 light rail. The T2, T3, T4, T7, and T8 train lines ran through this station.

"Life goes on day after day Hearts torn in every way…read moreSo ferry 'cross the Mersey Cause this land's the place I love" (Gerry and the Pacemakers) Sydney's ferry network is one of the world's most scenic public transport systems. They operate nine official ferry routes. Route F2 connects Circular Quay's Wharf 4 in Sydney Harbor with the Taronga Zoo Wharf every 12 minutes. How convenient is that? The Sydney ferry workers are on strike, so our trip to the zoo was free, since the government declared they would be for the duration of the strike. We saw no effect from the strike on service, because service was great on our trip to the Taronga Zoo. The departure wharves are clearly marked with a visual posting of the next scheduled departure and a real-time countdown of remaining time. The ferry was clean and well maintained. The seats were comfortable, the ride was smooth and calm, and everything worked fine on our round trips. We loved how simple it was to leave the ferry and be in the zoo in a manner of minutes.

I would highly recommend taking the ferry into the Taronga Zoo. We did uber from Rose bay to the…read moreZoo and it was expensive and time consuming. We took the ferry from the back side of the zoo back to Rose Bay. It was easy, inexpensive and fun. It was very easy to figure out. You can tap your credit card to enter and exit. I'm not sure of the cost but my pending charges on my credit card were very low. We arrived at Circular Quay and then told the ferry back to Rose Bay. The views were beautiful and it was fun looking at the opera house and bay bridge. I would highly recommend it for public transportation it was great.

#100 for 2021 This…read moreis what happens when government wants to give their citizens a good transportation system. I love catching the trains. I feel very safe and comfortable. They really do lower the stress one can have in your busy day. Instead of worrying about all the drivers around you and where you are going, you can put your thought to be better things that can relax you. Catch up on reading, the news or watch a movie all off your own smart device. The problem with that is what do you do when you get home? I guess I could clean. How dreadfully boring. Before you board get an opal card. It's a card that can be loaded with money and reloaded any time you want to. It's like a debit card to use to board trains, buses and ferry boats. Many vendors or kiosks will have the logo displayed that says you can purchase and refill your cards with them. Conveniently located around the stops so you don't have to travel far. Now that you have your opal card use it to enter the boarding areas for where you want to go. You'll see people trying to buck the system and not pay. You'll also see the several spot checks they do to see who hasn't paid. Quite embarrassing. Don't buck the system and embarrass yourself. Pay up my friend and enjoy the ride. Now it might get a little confusing how to get around, use the opal card or how you board or where you board. There is very few staff around that can help you. And you never see one when you need one. Don't worry. Your typical Aussie is very friendly and helpful. So make a friend and ask for help. It really adds to the experience and boosts your confidence and appreciation of the country and people. On the train if you're in a large group there is a way to flip the seat around so you can face each other and have fantastic exciting conversations with each other. I found this very pleasing because you don't have to talk over your shoulder. What a fun way to travel. They should do this on all transportations including planes. The trains are double deckers. If it's your first time there and you want to check out the vast scenery you may want to take a seat on the upper level. Some times when it's super busy and no seats look available as you board it's best to head up straight to the upper level for seating. And don't be afraid to take a seat with someone in it. There's lots of space to keep your personal space. Well, most of the time anyway. All transports are kept cleaned and maintained. However, I have seen people wipe down their areas before seating. I have seen maintenance crews on board spot cleaning too. On the major and frequent used rails the trains look brand new. As you move away from these busy centers and on the lesser used rails the trains are still good and clean but you don't get that "new" feeling. It's still very good though. Air con is phenomenal. You're not freezing cold but as soon as you step in it's a nice blast of coldness to feel relief from the heat. It helps to really relax. On the days I was traveling alone where the rides were an hour or more I would take a nap. I'd worry about missing my stop. A few times I did. All I did was get off and boarded a train going back. A hassle I know but I enjoyed the nap. They do make announcements of the stops coming up to give you fair warning. I guess I was in a deep dream with koalas and kangaroos. lol Another great feature is how the train stops at all the malls and greater shopping areas. You can get all your daily errands done without traveling too far away from the stops. So there's no need to uber, lyft or rent a car. We didn't. A much cheaper option for sure. Practically almost eliminates the need to own a car too. Think of all the money you can save. All in all it's a great transportation system Australia has and wish we here in the U.S. had one to use.

During my weekend in Sydney, I had been utilizing Public Transport which took me around town and it…read morewas an enjoyable experience! Make sure you get your Opal Card which is free and just load it up with $30 or so if you are travelling to and from Airport. Opal Card makes travelling so easy as you can just tap on and off and can be used on trains, buses, light rail and even ferries! For checking your balance, make sure you download the App on your smartphone. Daily/Weekly Travel Cap and the best is on Sunday you can travel the whole day for $2.50!! That's that best time to take a long distance train ride or a ferry ride! I just wish every major International cities would be that public transit friendly like Sydney!

Breathtaking sights and a heart-pumping adrenaline experience - these are the things that you'll…read morecertainly enjoy when you ride the Harbour Jet! The Harbour Jet is a gorgeously designed jet boat that will take you on a 45-minute exhilarating (and fast!) boat tour around the Sydney Harbour. The first half of the ride will get you to the picture-perfect spots to capture the magnificence of the Opera House and the the Sydney Harbour Bridge before it rests somewhere near Shark Island. After the short break, the Harbour Jet speeds up! That was by far the most-awaited part of the trip. Be sure not to go if you have a weak stomach! Bookings are advised, be sure to check availability with them in advance (they often book out very quickly). Highly recommended. If you have a bad back, neck or a weak stomach - its probably best you avoid this one! The boat reaches up to 75km/h... Hold on to your hat, or better yet probably don't wear one!

The people are friendly and help you figure out the system. Rather than pay for a dinner cruise…read morewith mediocre food, we ferried from Circular Quay during a lovely sunset and then ferried back for stunning night views. This short little trek gives it all- harbor views, the Bridge, Opera House, and beyond. Highly recommend sitting outside and breathing Sydney!!