Few places in this world evoke images of faraway splendor quite like Australia. Perhaps it’s the thought of pristine beaches, prolific wildlife, or the unspoiled Outback. Or, it could be pure curiosity of what there is on the flip side of the Earth. Whatever the…Read More

Few places in this world evoke images of faraway splendor quite like Australia. Perhaps it’s the thought of pristine beaches, prolific wildlife, or the unspoiled Outback. Or, it could be pure curiosity of what there is on the flip side of the Earth. Whatever the reason one has for visiting the land "down under", I can guarantee that there are surprises for even the most jaded traveler.
The port of entry for most international visitors is also Australia’s most famous city—Sydney. Located on a wonderful natural harbor along the Parramatta River, this former prison outpost has certainly come into its own. The city’s most identifiable landmark is of course the famous Opera House, situated on a promontory along the water’s edge in the lovely Botanical Gardens. While one can indeed enjoy a performance inside, just circling this uniquely designed building and snapping photos is enough for most who come calling. From here there is a panoramic view of the downtown area with its modern skyscrapers, and an area called The Rocks near the base of the climbable Sydney Harbor Bridge. Here was one of the original settlements, back when visitors were much less happy to be arriving. Today it is a quaint area of boutiques and souvenir shops for the many cruise passengers that disembark nearby with regularity.
Just a bit inshore is the Queen Victoria Building—an elegant stone edifice that houses a modern shopping mall while retaining much of its gilded colonial history. A short monorail’s ride to the west is happening Darling Harbor, a waterfront district with more shopping malls, lots of busy restaurants, and a variety of street performers. My take on it was that it is an Aussie version of New York’s South Street Seaport, with all the same energy on a summer’s night. All in all it’s a great place to meander around and soak up the surprisingly cosmopolitan scene that Sydney delivers, though it must be admitted that few people come to Australia for it’s urban landscapes. No worries, the Australia people come for begins just outside of town.
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I found out about the Historic Houses Trust through the Sydney guidebook which I bought for our trip in July 2009. I hadn't done a lot of preparation before we went but I had liked what I'd read about the Elizabeth Bay House and had…Read More

I found out about the Historic Houses Trust through the Sydney guidebook which I bought for our trip in July 2009. I hadn't done a lot of preparation before we went but I had liked what I'd read about the Elizabeth Bay House and had gone online to look for more information. Since the EBH is one of the Trust's most visited properties, I soon realised that the best way to see a whole bunch of great historic buildings was to buy a so-called 'Ticket Through Time'. As a tourist who's only in the city for a week or two it makes no sense to buy an annual subscription so the Trust offers this special ticket which has a 3 month validity and includes all the houses in their care.

The exchange rate was really good when we visited – about AU$2 to the £ - so everything seemed like good value. However, even today with the rate closer to 1.50 to the pound it's still a bargain. We paid AU$30 each for the pass and (I hope they won't read this) when we left after our holiday we passed the tickets to my parents who used them a few times as well.

We bought our tickets at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum, a fascinating place that tracks the history of immigration into Australia. It's one of the most visited attractions in the city and would cost you $10 to get in without the ticket. We also visited the Mint Building next door which is the home of the Historic Houses Trust. There's not too much to see there and that would normally be free. The next day we visited the Government House on a guided tour (that one's also free but you must turn up and get a timed ticket) as well as the Justice and Police Museum. In a city where rather a lot of the early settlers were on the wrong side of the law, the development of policing methods and justice systems was very important.

We took the train to Paddington to go and see the Elizabeth Bay House, an absolutely beautiful period house which once stood in large gardens. Following financial problems the land was nibbled away at and sold off for developments. In contrast to the grandeur of the EBH, we also visited the Susannah Place Museum on The Rocks where a guided tour takes small groups of visitors through a terrace of small houses that have been decorated and furnished in keeping with different time periods. These were the houses where the poor folk lived and there's even a cute little corner store.

Our final visit was to the Museum of Sydney which contains an eclectic set of exhibits on a wide range of topics. There are recorded testimonies of early settlers, information about trade, transportation and the building of the city.

In total, the seven properties we visited would have cost us $44 if we'd bought the tickets individually. We covered all the houses in central Sydney and would love to have visited the others which are further away but we had limited time and were reliant on public transportation so we couldn't cover them all. To get value from your Ticket Through Time you will need to be willing to dedicate several days to visiting the houses but personally I found it a fascinating way to structure our time in the city. Neither my uncle and aunt nor my cousins who've lived in the city their entire lives had visited any of the HHT properties and were a bit shamefaced that we'd done so many in so little time. Sydney's a very modern city and the HHT Ticket Through Time gives visitors a really easy way to pinpoint some of the most important and inspiring buildings in the city. I recommend it highly.Close

Glebe is an inner-city area of Sydney, located a couple of miles south-west of the Sydney CBD and a part of Inner-West region of the city. Glebe is situated on the Sydney Harbour (Blackwattle Bay) and borders the water to the north, while to…Read More

Glebe is an inner-city area of Sydney, located a couple of miles south-west of the Sydney CBD and a part of Inner-West region of the city. Glebe is situated on the Sydney Harbour (Blackwattle Bay) and borders the water to the north, while to the south it's bordered by the busy Paramatta Road and (nearer to the city) the Broadway. To the west of Glebe is Annandale suburb,

The main thoroughfare in Glebe is Glebe Point Road an attractive urban street full of cafes, restaurants and shops including one of the best independent bookshops in Australia (Glebebooks) and one of the best cake shops in Sydney (Glebe Pudding Shop: their chocolate cake, or should I say creamy gateau, is the best I ever had).

Glebe is an attractive mixture of gentrified and edgy, urban and suburban, cultured and rough. The housing is largely gentrified, with lovely 19th century villas and terraced town-houses lining the leafy side streets, but the population is, as in many locations in the Inner West, mixed. Glebe is quite studenty, as University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney are nearby and the great mixture of ethnic restaurants on Glebe Point Road attracts visitors from other parts of Sydney as well as backpackers and tourists.

All is not picture-perfect in Glebe though, as apparently after dark the side streets of Glebe are not the safest places, especially for young women who risk getting assaulted by members of teenage female gang known as TGG (The Glebe Girls). As long as you stay in the lit-up main street (or are not a young woman, presumably) you will be fine.

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We stayed in Annandale and walked to Glebe from there along the shore of the Rozelle Bay and through the Bicentennial Park. This was an interesting walk in itself, before we even got to Glebe proper, not because of any particular sights but because it led through Sydney's old inner suburbs, at first clearly more working class (if now rather gentrified), later on in Glebe more middle-class.

From the Bicentennial Park quay there is an unusual view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, framed by the modern ANZAC suspension bridge – look out for the best angle.

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All in all, Glebe has an appealing "established bohemian" feeling and is a great place to spend half a day when exploring Sydney, while its good transport links to the city centre and presence of several accommodation options means that it might be a good location to stay while visiting the city, especially if spending more than a few days in Sydney. Close

Mardi Gras has become a Sydney institution. On the weekend of the parade, central city accommodation is booked out and the crowds lining the streets are immense. The festival is fast developing into a week-long event. No other gay pride event has so captured the…Read More

Mardi Gras has become a Sydney institution. On the weekend of the parade, central city accommodation is booked out and the crowds lining the streets are immense. The festival is fast developing into a week-long event. No other gay pride event has so captured the imagination of the general public and gay people everywhere. As the magazine Spartacus put it, "a visit to Mardi Gras is an absolute once-in-a-lifetime must for every gay travelling man." Indeed many fly across the world again and again to enjoy it.

So how did Mardi Gras reach this iconic status? The ironic thing is that the key reason for its success was the opposition it faced when it began. The first march took place in 1978 and it met with police violence. The Mardi Gras was Sydney’s contribution to the international Gay Solidarity Celebrations, an event that had grown up as a result of the Stonewall riots in New York. Two thousand people followed a truck with a small PA system down Oxford Street to Hyde Park and then dispersed up to Kings Cross. After harassing the marchers for much of the route the police swooped and violently arrested 53 people. Over the months that followed more protests and arrests took place and the actions of the police came to be seen as heavy handed.


By 1979 the Mardi Gras was already developing into something of a festival. Up to 3,000 people marched in an incident-free parade. In 1980 a key new element was introduced – the post-parade party. In 1981 the decision was taken to move the event forward to summer to enjoy better weather. The event began to enjoy extensive media coverage from the mid-80s onwards and the crowds continued to swell, from 200,000 in 1989 to over 500,000 in 1993. By 1994 the event had certainly moved to the mainstream. In a controversial move the ABC television channel screened a 50-minute programme of edited highlights at 8.30pm. Despite the criticism the show gave the ABC its best ever Sunday night ratings.


After a couple of turbulent years in the early years of this century Mardi Gras is back to its old form. In 2006 Conde Nast named it as one of the world’s top ten costume parades in the world. Meanwhile Planetout named it as the best gay event in the world. 2009 was the largest ever Parade with almost 10,000 colourful participants. We happened to be in Sydney at the time of the 2010 event so we went along for a look.

This year’s Parade down Oxford Street, which was held in February, had the theme Mardi Gras’ History of the World and it took the crowd on a sexy and bawdy rollercoaster ride through the ages, looking at gay history and shining a pink spotlight on some of mankind’s great figures and events. Crowds were the biggest yet and many people, like us, could not find a vantage point from which to view the parade. It was covered live on Australian TV. A major downside, however, is the violence that still occurs after the parade. Sydney police say that it is their worst weekend of the year. We will not be returning.
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I must confess to having a weakness for Asian food. I could eat Thai, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese every day. That is one of the reasons I enjoy visiting Sydney because that city has some of the best Asian food courts in Australia. The…Read More

I must confess to having a weakness for Asian food. I could eat Thai, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese every day. That is one of the reasons I enjoy visiting Sydney because that city has some of the best Asian food courts in Australia. The best collections are in and around Chinatown.

Sussex Centre Food court is located in the heart of Chinatown. The food court hosts some extremely cheap but authentic Asian food. The food is quick and prices are below $10 for a main meal. Vendors battle for your business so there are some real bargains to be had! Cuisines on offer are Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Nepalese, Thai and Korean. If you’re looking to save money, how about A$8.00 for Beef with egg fried rice and soup or Beef in black bean sauce with boiled rice and soup.

Dixon House Food Court one street west is also great. It is a very similar sort of thing, hidden below street level. There are plenty of choices here but don't miss the fresh sugarcane juice pressed from the raw cane. For a hotpot on a budget or a simple stir fry, you'll get your fill for less than A$10.00. There's also another stall that does Asian desserts: tapioca pearls, creamy jelly, basil seeds and strange milk drinks. Then there is Eating World, though this does not have the same number of eateries.

Another alternative is the Market City food court where the choice is between Asagao (Japanese and Korean, Flavour of North India, Happy Chef seafood noodles, MC Golden Tower (Chinese and Cambodian), MC Lucksa (Malaysian and Singaporean), Mr Ramen, Shanghai Tang, So Tasty seafood, Star Kebabs, Super Chef BBQ (Cantonese), Thai Thai, and Top Choice (Hot pot and sizzling).

There are a few other places that have some of our favourites. Din Tai Fung (Tel: 92646010) is best for soup filled dumplings. These dumplings are world famous and the pork and shrimp ones are sensational too. The Bagel House (Tel: 9810 4205) is best for: blueberry bagel and cream cheese, if you want to break the Asian habit. Back to the Asian choices Ichi Ban Boshi (Tel: 92627677) is best for Tokyo ramen that rich broth, slippery noodles, and thin slices of roast pork. Take a number, and share a table for quicker service. Sayong Curry and Laksa (303 Pitt St.) is best for fried koay teow, the flat rice noodles stir fried with bits of chicken, fish cake, prawns and dark soy.
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I travel a lot and so it’s not surprising that my bookshelves are filled with guidebooks from all over the world. The guidebooks I choose have changed as I’ve got older and as technology – via sites like this one - has opened up a…Read More

I travel a lot and so it’s not surprising that my bookshelves are filled with guidebooks from all over the world. The guidebooks I choose have changed as I’ve got older and as technology – via sites like this one - has opened up a whole world of additional information available for free. The guidebooks I needed as a student backpacker were very different from those I need today. Twenty years ago I favoured Rough Guide or Lonely Planet with their back-packer insights and listings for cheap accommodation and cheap eats. Today I mostly want guidebooks that will inspire me rather than tell me everything I could ever want to know about a place. I don’t need detailed prices and opening times – if I am interested enough to want to visit a museum or aquarium, then I’ll go and look it up on the internet for absolute up to date info.

After many years, many guidebooks and many disappointments, my vote for the series of guidebooks that never fails to inspire has to go to Dorling Kindersley and their Eyewitness travel guides.

Last year my parents kindly paid for me and my husband and my sister and her partner to go to Australia to visit relatives. We knew that aside from the time we would spend on a dive boat near Cairns, the rest of our trip would be in Sydney so I bought us the DK Eyewitness Travel guide to Sydney. It proved to be a fabulous buy.

DK guides win for me because they are filled with pictures, maps and inspiring ideas. The Sydney guide I have was published in 2008 but because it contains very few prices, it dates less quickly than many of its competitors. It’s not a big or heavy guide and has only 264 pages, but the layout makes it easy to use and DK guides are designed with clever little features such as ‘flaps’ on both covers to help you mark the pages of interest.

Let’s start at the covers – why not? The front flap reminds us of the contents of the guidebook and is beside the inside cover with a map of the districts with a colour code to tell us the names of the districts and where we can find the info on that district inside the book. Inside the back cover the map is repeated again, this time with a Sydney Transport overlay of all the main bus, train and ferry lines. Knowing that the maps are just inside the cover makes it really easy to find them quickly. The back flap carries a guide to the main symbols that are used elsewhere in the book. The covers and flaps are both in a stiff ‘wipe-clean’ finish that keeps the book in good condition despite all the abuse the average traveller may subject it to.

Onto the contents. The guidebook kicks off with a helpful guide on how to use the guidebook. I know that sounds a little over the top but DK guidebooks are different from most and it’s worth reading through to make sure you understand the philosophy behind them. The first big section is called ‘Introducing Sydney’ – a rather eclectic and sometimes illogical set of short sections that pull out extracts from the main book and arranges them by themes. This introduction starts with four suggested day-trips in the city and is followed by a series of maps and a history of the city. The Introduction section then gives us ‘Sydney at a Glance’ which takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the top attractions, pointing us towards the pages where more detail can be found. Information is clustered in themes such as Museums and Galleries, Architecture, Cultures and Parks. Next is ‘Sydney through the Year’ with an overview of the big events season by season and month by month along with information on weather. The 'Introducing Sydney' section then continues with sections on sport and the shoreline. The final part of the introduction focuses on sports and the shoreline.

If I think about how I used the guidebook, the introduction section was something I really only looked at briefly but the next big section – Sydney Area by Area – was the most useful part of the book though we really only found how good this was once we were on the ground, in the city, standing with guidebook in hand looking at the buildings in the book as they surrounded us. This section is split into 6 key districts of the city plus a few pages on attractions that are ‘further afield’. It includes suggestions for guided walks. Each of the areas starts with a map and a list of the sights that will be described. Then there’s a ‘three dimensional’ map that helps to bring a different perspect. Each of the listed attractions has a photo and key details including the address, contact details, public transport tips, and details such as whether cameras are allowed, whether disabled access is possible and whether there’s a fee. Having all the details about a particular area makes it much easier to plan a visit than if you try to use a book that only groups attractions by type. I’ve too often missed something that was just round the corner for not better reasons than I just didn’t know it was there. I’ve also had times when I’ve been standing around wondering where the heck something is, only to discover that it’s right in front of me but I can’t see it because I have no idea what it looks like. As well as practical ‘how to visit, where to go’ type info, the major attractions like Sydney Harbour Bridge have lots of extra info including how the bridge was constructed and key events during its history. As you’d imagine, the Opera House gets a lot of coverage.
I spent a lot of time before we went to Sydney looking for attractions that we wanted to see and then going to their websites for info on costs. I marked these all up in the book before we went so that I didn’t have to go back online to check again. You might suppose that with relatives in the city we shouldn’t really have needed a guidebook. However, my cousins and aunt and uncle all agreed that in just over a week my husband and I had seen more museums and galleries than their entire family had managed in many decades.

The Beyond Sydney section offers 16 pages of advice on what to see outside the city including places like the Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands. We didn’t have long enough to head out of the city but the guide left us with plenty of suggestions for next time.

The final two sections are Travellers’ Needs and a Survival Guide. We didn’t use the Travellers’ needs section because it covered places to stay (we were with relatives so we didn’t need that) and advice on where to eat. We just muddled around and found things without too much planning. My parents – who borrowed the book after we left – used the Shops and Markets pages and my sister and her partner who stayed longer than us used the Entertainment ideas. The Survival Guide is full of tips about tourist offices, etiquette (to tip or not to tip and so on), info for disabled and gay travellers, immigration advice, and other bits and pieces like where to find public loos and how to stay safe and sound. Avoiding sun burn, snakes and spiders and how to find a lifeguard or recognise what a policeman looks like, all feature in this section along with info on where to change money, how to use a phone (duh!) and how to post a letter (double duh!) The final part of this section contains travel info which really is very valuable and includes things like how to get around and what different types of tickets are available for different transport methods. We used the trains every day and the ferries several times and it was much easier to do so after a bit of background reading. At the back of the book – just before the very useful index – there’s a set of street maps which are scarred with lots of biro marks where I’ve marked up the things we wanted to see.

I’ve been using DK guidebooks for about 5 years now and whenever one is available for a place I want to visit – which isn’t always the case, these are my first choice for both ease of use and inspirational ideas. I guess each traveller’s mind works in slightly different ways and for me, the layout, structure and image-centred layout of DK Eyewitness guides work fit with the way I think and organise information. They won’t be ideal for everyone but they’re the best I’ve found for my travel guidance
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220 Pyrmont Street02-85845288Metro Light Rail links the hub of Central Station in the Sydney CBD and Sydney’s Inner Western Suburbs via Haymarket, Pyrmont, Glebe and Rozelle. Metro Light Rail is a slow but relatively green network system, which is comfortable, convenient and efficient.When you ride…Read More

220 Pyrmont Street
02-85845288

Metro Light Rail links the hub of Central Station in the Sydney CBD and Sydney’s Inner Western Suburbs via Haymarket, Pyrmont, Glebe and Rozelle. Metro Light Rail is a slow but relatively green network system, which is comfortable, convenient and efficient.

When you ride the Light Rail you go through the heart of very cosmopolitan Sydney. Sydney has a number of harbour areas and you won’t find a more beautiful sight than sailboats with full sail gently cruising blue waters or impressive yachts from around the world seeking berth. There aren’t too many places where you can ride public transportation and get to see some of the best sights the area offers. On the Light Rail you will go by Darling Harbour, Johnston’s Bay and Rozelle Bay to name a few. In addition, when you pull out of Central Station, you get a close up view of the city sights as you roll past Chinatown, Paddy’s Markets, Pyrmont Bay and on to the Fish Market.

If you are a visitor to Sydney you won’t be able to resist getting on and off at various stations so you can enjoy the attractions. With the purchase of the Light Rail Day Pass you can get off and back on the tram as many times as you want.

Naturally many people ride the Sydney Light Rail because it gives them the opportunity to easily access the harbours and parks close to the city centre. You can ride the Light Rail into Central Station and then easily catch the Monorail which circles the city centre or transfer at an earlier station. Or you can catch the Light Rail at any of its stations and visit the particular attractions along its routes. You can visit the bustling Darling Harbour area or the non-stop action packed Fish Market. In Glebe you can walk through the shops and stop at any of the great pubs or restaurants and watch the people go by as you enjoy local fare.

Then there is Jubilee Park which is one of the Light Rail station stops. Nature lovers will find plenty of photo opportunities, because Jubilee Park has nature trails and is a great place to bird watch. The flowering gardens and green lawns are beautiful and create a relaxing atmosphere.

Fares at present are set at adult within one zone single A$3.40, return A$4 80. Adult across two zones single $4.40, return A$5.90. Children 5 years and under are free. A day pass is A$9.00. The light rail doesn’t run to a timetable but there are day services every 10-15 mins and an overnight service every 30 mins.
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As Sydney is built around a narrow harbour, it is no surprise to find that there are many ferry services. Most are operated by a government agency called Sydney Ferries. Sydney Ferries operates approximately 175,000 services, transporting more than 14 million people across Sydney Harbour…Read More

As Sydney is built around a narrow harbour, it is no surprise to find that there are many ferry services. Most are operated by a government agency called Sydney Ferries. Sydney Ferries operates approximately 175,000 services, transporting more than 14 million people across Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River each year.

Circular Quay, the hub of the Sydney Ferries network, is located in Sydney Cove between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The extensive network connects 39 destinations and spans approximately 37 kilometres from Parramatta in Sydney’s west, Manly in the north and Watsons Bay in the east. Sydney Ferries' fleet consists of 28 vessels (all of which are wheelchair accessible), which travel around 1.3 million kilometres per year.

Sydney Ferries enables visitors to experience an array of spectacular destinations and explore Sydney’s hidden treasures, which are scattered along Sydney Harbour’s foreshores. This includes destinations like Balmain, Double Bay, Manly, Parramatta, Taronga Zoo, Darling Harbour and Cockatoo Island

Sydney Ferries can trace its roots as far back as the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove. In 1789 the first ferry service was established between Sydney Cove and the farming settlement of Parramatta. The first ferry, officially named the Rose Hill Packet (otherwise known as ‘The Lump’), was crafted by convicts and powered by sails and oars. Parramatta was the furthest navigable point inland and trips typically took up to a week to complete. As time progressed, a series of rowboat ferrymen set up small operations to transport people from either side of Sydney Harbour.

In 1861, Sydney welcomed the establishment of the North Shore Ferry Company, which operated the very first commercial ferry service across Sydney Harbour. Less than 1,000 people at the time were residing on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour. After a string of mergers, most of the ferry services were integrated into a new organisation called Sydney Ferries Limited in 1899.

Sydney Ferries Limited became the world’s largest ferry operator shortly after the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened on 19 March 1932. The opening of the bridge, however, saw ferry travel drop from 30 million passengers a year to 13 million passengers a year. With the private proprietors facing financial ruin, the NSW Government intervened and agreed to take over Sydney Ferries Limited in 1951 to keep the services afloat.

Ferry tickets can be purchased from Sydney Ferries ticket outlets at Circular Quay and Manly, ticket vending machines at Circular Quay or from a cashier on board most Sydney Ferry services. A return ticket costs the same as two single tickets. The Day Tripper ticket gives you unlimited travel on all regular Sydney Ferries, Sydney Buses and CityRail services within the Sydney inner suburban area. Your ticket is valid until 4.00am the next day. This currently costs A$18.20 for an adult and A$9.00 for a child.
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When you arrive at Sydney airport and need to get to the city or your hotel, your public transport options are reduced to one. There are taxis and some private bus operators but the airport link train is the only way to travel by public…Read More

When you arrive at Sydney airport and need to get to the city or your hotel, your public transport options are reduced to one. There are taxis and some private bus operators but the airport link train is the only way to travel by public transport. That’s fine except this train service is not a dedicated Airport Train and, therefore, there is no dedicated area/space for luggage. This train is a normal suburban train, and many seats will already be occupied by other suburban commuters.

There are rail stations located at both the International and Domestic Terminals. The Domestic rail station is located directly between T2 and T3 Terminals and is accessible from within the terminals from the arrivals level. The International rail station is located at the northern end of the terminal and is accessible from the arrivals level. At either of these stations go to Platform 1 where services run to Central, Museum, St James, Circular Quay, Wynyard and Town Hall stations in the central city.

Airport Link offers a A$5.00 (one way, per person) transfer ticket for passengers transferring between T1 International and T2/T3 Domestic Terminals. The journey takes only 2 minutes and there are frequent services between 5am and midnight, 7 days a week.

There is no doubt that Airport Link is a fast and convenient way to reach the centre of Sydney even if you might have to stand the whole way. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes and the journey into the city takes only 13 minutes. Trains link the international and domestic rail stations to the City Circle which means most city destinations are within a short walk of stations. Tickets can also be purchased to all Sydney stations from the International and Domestic rail stations. Simply catch the train from the International or Domestic stations to Central station and change for all other suburban services.

The cost of a ticket depends on where you are going. A single ticket from the domestic airport terminal to the city costs A$15.00 adult and A$10.00 for a child. A full adult same day return ticket to the city circle stations is $25.00. From the International Airport Station, to any of the City Stations, or Kings Cross, a one way ticket is A$15.80. That probably sounds high when you understand that two adults can travel by taxi to the central city for about A$30.00. It is also extremely high when you consider the normal cost on the suburban train network.

To travel roughly the same distance by train on the Sydney rail network it will cost you $3.60, a difference of $11.40 or $12.20. The reason is there are four stations along the Airport and East Hills Line - Green Square, Mascot, Domestic Airport, International Airport - that are not owned by the government, instead they are owned by the private company called Airport Link Pty Ltd.

So the railway line itself is owned by Sydney's RailCorp, while the stations/gates are owned by a private company, therefore, as a commuter you have to pay a $12.20 gate fee to pass through the gates of the International station. There is little you can do about this because the government has terminated the bus services which would compete with the train.
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Rail Corporation New South WalesPO Box K349, HaymarketTel: 02-8202 2000CityRail is the passenger rail service covering suburban Sydney and surrounding areas. It extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions and is run by the government. Authorities claim the…Read More

Rail Corporation New South Wales
PO Box K349, Haymarket
Tel: 02-8202 2000
CityRail is the passenger rail service covering suburban Sydney and surrounding areas. It extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions and is run by the government. Authorities claim the CityRail network is one of the world's most complex. An average of one million trips is made to and from 307 stations each weekday. The system has a fleet of over 1500 carriages which travel through 1600 km of mainline track, across 888 bridges, and through 46 km of tunnels.

For over 150 years, the CityRail network has played a critical role in the provision of transport services for Sydney and you will find that you will end up using the system sometime. The network is made up of several colour-coded lines. Trains from different lines can share the same platform, so you need to check display screens and listen to announcements.

In Sydney, if you're near a train station, you're on your way to the City. Every rail line leads directly or indirectly to the City Circle, the rail loop around the central business district of Sydney. Purchase a ticket to the 'City' and you can travel to any one of these eight stations: Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, Martin Place or Kings Cross. You can also return from any of these stations with a return ticket to the 'City'. Large stations have automatic gates for entry to, and exit from, the station. If your ticket has a magnetic stripe you must use the automatic gates. Most City stations are underground so look out for the signage at street level.

CityRail tickets are available from station ticket offices and ticket vending machines where available. Fares are calculated based on the distance you travel and represent extremely good value. If both the ticket office and ticket vending machines are closed, you can buy a ticket at your destination. Ticket vending machines accept 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, $1 and $2 coins, and $5, $10 and $20 notes. Large ticket machines accept $50 bank notes with a maximum of $19.90 given in change. No more than 10 coins and six notes can be used per transaction.

You need to be aware that from April 2010, the Government will introduce a simpler fare structure called MyZone that will make travelling in and around greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra easier. There will be fewer fare bands on all modes of public transport. On trains, fare bands will be replaced from twenty to five, on buses fare bands will be reduced from five to three and on ferries fare bands will be reduced from five to two. There will also be three new MyMulti tickets that give you unlimited travel on All Sydney Ferries and public and private bus services, as well as travel within particular CityRail zones.
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