Our tour group recently took a beautiful ferry ride via Rose Bay back into Sydney cove. Circular…read moreQuay from Watson's Bay by ferry is one of Australia's great ferry trips. An unscheduled storm cloud had us all scrambling for cover but today the 125th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy featuring a fleet review of 30 ships from 19 countries right here in Sydney harbour meant we didn't really mind getting a tad wet. Our first ferry stop Rose Bay was once the home to Sydney's first international airport with amphibious aircraft taking the 30 stop kangaroo route from London to Sydney in 12 days commencing in 1938 and continuing right up to the 1950s. Passing the HMAS Sydney memorial Mast, Shark beach, Taronga Zoo, Garden Island (Royal Australian Navy) and the Prime Minister's house while also admiring some of the most expensive suburbs in the southern hemisphere, it was easy to see why this is such a well patronised ferry ride. Standing between Wharf 3 and 4 the RAAF roulettes then had us in awe at their 15 min display of raw energy and choreographed acrobatics.

While staying in Sydney's CBD, we found walking to the points of interest I had bookmarked to be…read moresafe and easy, as everything seemed to be within walking distance of our hotel. For places such as the Taronga Zoo or beaches (Manly and Bondi), which were farther away or across Sydney Harbour, we chose to use public water transport, AKA the Sydney Ferry System. We purchased single-ride tickets since we only used the system 4 times ( round-trip tickets) instead of getting an OPAL card, which you can recharge or top up for multiple trips. Anyway, we couldn't have been more impressed by the efficiency, high capacity, and accessibility of the ferry system, which services 38 wharves across Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Ferry Fleet is comprised of six different classes of vessels, ranging from modern, high-speed double-hulled catamarans for inner harbour suburban routes to larger freshwater-class vessels for handling larger or rougher swells. The cost of each ride varies by destination and as tourists, we found this ferry system economical, fast, and allowed us to get different views of the iconic landmarks in and around the Sydney Harbour and glimpses of the suburbs.

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!!

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.

#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!

This was fun, our family loves boat rides! Take the Ferry and enjoy Manly Beach! The views are…read morespectacular, sailboats, opera house, and so much more!! The captain is fun and has great commentary during the ride! It is clean, and safe enough for our family!

We took Eco Hopper from Circular Quay to Q Station. Even though one way adult ticket is $9, I…read morebelieve that is the only ferry that goes from Circular Quay to Q Station. The total journey took about 50ish minutes. Yes, it was VERY long but the scenery was pretty :) The best thing about the Eco Hopper is that you can purchase the tickets onboard. So no worries if you are running late, just dash to Wharf 6, get on board and sort out the tickets later ! The crew was friendly, and the Eco Hopper was virtually empty (yay!) Highly recommended ! [http://www.sydneyharbourecohopper.com.au/fares-info]

I came through here for the Sydney Marathon because race participants needed to get to Bradfield…read morePark for the start line. Each train car was packed once we arrived at this station so the train had to park there until everyone was able to get off. The bottleneck for getting out of the station were the stairs. Since it was an elevated platform, there were nice views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the surrounding area.

Milsons Point station (note no apostrophe in the name!) must be the CityRail station with the most…read morereal estate value. It's got the lot, incredible value, never to be repeated again: views (including water views and Harbour Bridge views), close to transport (yeah, literally, but ferries, f(r)eeway and buses are also not far away), close to shops (a couple of restaurants and cafes down there), heritage building, lifts built-in, gardens at your (non-existent) door-step. The list goes on. It also has got two bathrooms, an unknown number of rooms (probably more than your average home), but no parking spaces and no swimming pool:( Ok, in terms of real estate value I've lied a bit here. Circular Quay station is equally good (just see my review of it). The best part of this is you get to enjoy this value every time you check in here, and it only(!) costs you the price of a CityRail ticket. The interesting thing with the transport hub 'Milsons Point station' is that you won't even really notice it's there. Once you step out of the station building, which on its ground level really is just an arch-way under the extension of our Harbour Bridge, you're either in Kiribilli village, or Bradfield Park. From either side, it's just a stone's throw to the harbour. One last breath of harbour air. Breath-in...aaaahh fresh air: "Please stand clear. Doors closing." Oi, bummer.