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Chinatown & Haymarket
Chinatown is just adjacent to Darling Harbour and Haymarket is home to Sydney’s Chinatown. The area is renowned for its pop culture pleasures, with Her Majesty’s Theatre on Quay Street and the ugly concrete bunker of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, the city’s mainstream concert venue, on the other side of Chinatown. Chinatown takes over the Haymarket area west of George Street between Liverpool Street and Hay Street, up to the edges of Darling Harbour. It’s centred on Dixon Street Mall, entered through Chinese gates, and buzzes day and night as people swarm into numerous restaurants, pubs, cafs, cinemas, food stalls, Asian grocery stores and funky fashion shops.
Bargain shopping is a key feature of Haymarket, which neighbors Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Located in a huge warehouse space Paddy’s Market is Sydney’s biggest traditional market offering just about everything a keen bargain hunter could want including clothes, shoes, souvenirs and fresh produce. Along with its numerous cuisine and entertainment options, Haymarket offers a wide range of accommodation and is easily linked to the city centre by bus, monorail, train and is a stop on the light rail service.
The area is fast becoming a late night entertainment venue with restaurants opening till late. The popular Friday night City Night Market (December to June) sees Sydneysiders flock to the area to indulge in a mix of cultural vibrancy, entertainment, street theatre, fine food, alfresco shopping and outdoor dining.
Getting There – Walk down George Street from Central Station or Town Hall – Catch light rail from Central – Catch 339 bus from Circular Quay
Circular Quay
Circular Quay is a located between The Rocks and Opera Quays. It is situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, the founding site for Sydney and Australia. The area is always filled with vibrant tourists, commuters and buskers.
On the southern side of Circular Quay is a walkway that leads to The Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanical Gardens. On the northern side, a short walk along lovely landscaped walkways takes you to the Harbour Bridge and The Rocks.
There is a major railway station at the quay, which is part of the underground City Circle, which skirts around the CBD. Alongside the ferry terminals are a number of small outdoor cafes and the area is a magnet for buskers of every description.
Things to Do & See at Circular Quay
Set off to just about anywhere in or near the city by bus, train or ferry
Dine over-looking Sydney Harbour, one of the best in the world
Catch a ferry to Manly, Mosman, Parramatta, Watson’s Bay, Balmain or Taronga Zoo
Walk from beautiful Circular Quay to under Harbour Bridge
Take a short walk to the The Opera House and Botanical Gardens for a peaceful picnic amongst the leaves
Cruise over to The Opera House and check out the Aussie icon set right on the Harbour
Browse the up-market shops, catch a movie in the lower floors of the controversial building on the eastern side of Circular Quay dubbed the “toaster” by locals
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is intended to be one of Sydney’s “buzz” places. To Reach Darling Harbour you can take a train to Town Hall station, after leaving the station, turn right into Druit Street, walk down two blocks and turn right into Sussex Street. Then, walk a further block to Market Street, turn left and walk across the pedestrian bridge. Alternatively, you can catch the monorail service from near the corners of Pitt and Market Streets.
Darling Harbour is one of Sydney’s most popular recreation spots with over 1.3 million people visiting the sunny foreshore precinct each year. The area has a colourful history playing an integral role in Sydney’s early market days when it was used for receiving fresh produce and timber from Parramatta and the north coast. Darling Harbour plays a lead role in Sydney’s day and night life. Tourists and locals alike are thrilled daily with the abundance of things to see, do and experience in Darling Harbour.
Shopping in Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour offers some fabulous shopping. From bargains to luxury items, this beautiful waterfront centre is teeming with things for you and your whole family.
You will find over 120 retail outlets at Harbourside, many of which are exclusive Harbourside retailers, selling everything from opals, flowers, leather goods, aboriginal art, handcrafted glass pieces and souvenires.
Take five minutes to walk to Paddy’s Markets – grab some bargains and some delicious fresh food in the heart of Chinatown
Take the light rail to Sydney Fish Market for a taste of Sydeny’s freshest and finest seafood
Eating & Drinking at Darling Harbour
There are over 55 restaurants and cafes in the Harbourside complex and across the water at Cockle Bay. You will find this place a great spot for dining if you are with you family or spouse specially.
This place is the best for Burgers, seafood, gourmet wood fired pizzas and traditional aussie pies. There are many other edible delights available at Darling Harbour. If you prefer a liquid refreshment then there’s freshly squeezed juices, local and imported beers and some excellent views from the bars situated on the waterfront at Harbourside and Cockle Bay.
ATTRACTIONS AT DARLING HARBOUR
Cockle Bay
Cockle Bay is Darling Harbour’s newest addition, home to some of Sydney’s most highly awarded restaurants. The modern nautical design imbues a peaceful and open ambience conducive to outdoor and alfresco dining. Cockle Bay is also hoast to the Winter Concert Series. The series features a number of prestigous concert performances presented on a floating stage just off the shore in Cockle Bay.
Chinese Garden of Friendship
The gardens is a green and peaceful sanctuary in the midst of a major bustling city and an ideal escape from the concrete surrounds of Darling Harbour. Chinese Garden of Friendship was designed in China to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary. The garden was a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong. It is one of the largest of its type outside Asia, with pavilions, lakes, waterfalls and a Chinese teahouse. The gardens were designed by landscape architects and embody principles dating back to the 5th century. If you want an hour or two of solitude, this is the place to be. Running water, towering willow trees, cool lagoons with lotus plants and large colorful fish all make this an idyllic spot to read a book or recharge your batteries. It really is something special.
The Chinese Gardens are open from 9.30am-5pm daily. They close at 6.30pm during the summer (daylight savings) months.
Imax Theatre
This theater has a giant movie screen, nearly more than eight stories high, with films shot in the ultra high-definition 75mm format. Watching films is almost like being there. Sound and the Clarity plays a big part. High Quality Speakers are placed in different parts of the theatre and behind the screen to create a sense of realism. An IMAX theatre presents the ultimate cinema experience and is something that should not to be missed.
Sydney Aquarium
Sydney Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world. It has more than 5500 different Australian fish displayed in their natural habitats. You can “walk on the ocean floor” through 145 metres (480 ft) of acrylic underwater tunnels.
Australian National Maritime Museum
This Museum is a museum devoted to Australia’s maritime history.
Sydney Convention And Exhibition Centre
It is Sydney’s major venue for exhibitions and conferences.
Kings Cross
Kings Cross is one of the most densely populated are in Australia. This place rocks with adult entertainment, nightclubs, live music, and more than two hundred of the city’s finest restaurants, bars and cafes. Kings Cross is one of the few places that continue to sparkle and throb throughout the night.
Here, along the narrow strip that is Darlinghurst Rd and which becomes Macleay St at Fitzroy Gardens, souvenir shops, McDonalds, pubs, ice cream stands and strip joints stand cheek by jowl in a part of Sydney that never sleeps. Kings Cross is also home to one of Sydneys oldest areas, Wooloomooloo. Here, opposite the Artspace Gallery, you will find Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, open for 18 hours a day, started in 1945. It is a must visit on the way home after a night out.
Caution
Dont prefer to go alone. The visitor who hopes to experience life at Kings Cross is best advised not to go alone. Since there are also all sorts of low life that one may encounter in the shadows.
How to Reach – Take Eastern Suburbs railway line from just about anywhere in the CBD – Get in a bus from Central and you’ll be there in no time
Potts Point
Potts Point is one of the classier suburbs of inner Sydney, with a host of shops and restaurants for those special nights out. Potts Point is accessible to all things – the city, Harbour, Harbour Bridge, Botanical Gardens and many bars, nightclubs and cafes.
It’s a great central location to start and finish your night. While your there, check out the surrounding suburbs of Woolloomooloo Bay, Elizabeth Bay and Rushcutters Bay.
Potts Point is at the tranquil lower end of Kings Cross, offers some fine examples of colonial and art deco architecture such as Elizabeth Bay House and Tusculum House.
Things to do & see – Get a load of what Sydney has to offer by walking from Potts Point through the city – Pack a picnic and enjoy the Harbour views from the end of St Neos Avenue – Dine on superb cuisine on Macleay Street like Paramount or Moran’s – Have a mid-shopping coffee from one of the trendy cafes on Challis Street
Getting There – Catch a train from Central to King’s Cross, and then walk to Potts Point – Buses link from Potts Point to the Cross at various points.
Redfern
Redfern is a great place to stay whilst in Sydney with many a great pub to spend the afternoon before moving into the city centre for the evening.
Things to do & see
*You can buy cheap clothes at the factory retail outlets in Regent Street
*Schooner of Tooheys New at the Redfern RSL Club
*Legge Gallery
Surry Hills
Surry Hills has a park and is located at the former police car park site. This place is bounded by Brisbane, Goulburn, Hunt and Campbell Streets. It is adjacent to significant Energy Australia infrastructure projects.
Surry Hills has a wide range of buildings, businesses and people in Surry Hills, making it a most interesting place to visit.
While in the area, its well worth it to check out the shops, bars, restaurants and architecture of this suburb which many people say is much like Paddington was 10 years ago.
A handful of the stalls are disappointing, resembling garage sales and selling out-dated fashions from the eighties and various bric-a-brac junk, but hey, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure and it’s worth snooping around leafy Shannon Reserve to see for yourself. Intersperse your shopping with a visit to the nearby local art galleries and adjoining coffee shops, which are both excellent, and if nothing else, you’ll leave feeling well on the (off-beat) pulse of Sydney’s creative community.
Sydney CBD
Your visit is just incomplete if you have not visited the Sydney CBD. This place has everything for travelers. The city is a lively, thriving, multicultural centre with a love for entertainment and extraordinary experiences – jump straight in and discover the thrills of life in the big smoke.
The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are the famous attractions of Sydney. The CBD is full of thriving business, 5 star hotels & great value world-class entertainment and clubbing and all the latest fashion in the trendiest shops amongst the biggest bargains you will find.
Things to Do & See
Explore main attractions such as Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, The Rocks and The Botanical Gardens
Cruise up the Sydney Tower to take in breathtaking 360 degree views of Sydney and the Harbour
Check out the Archibald Fountain and ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park
Catch a concert, musical or play at the various theatres and venues
Indulge in the delicious food, coffee and wine for which Australia is so well known
Shopping in Sydney CBD
The Sydney CBD offers some of the best shopping in the country. Whatever you desire, the city shops and markets will deliver. For all your shopping needs in the one place, check out the Pitt Street Mall. Walk George Street from CBD to Chinatown and explore countless shops. Custom’s House is part of the site of colonial Sydney – now a restored shopping centre with breathtaking views. Castlereagh Street is the home to the designer shops. Do visit the Queen Victoria Building – a beautiful building with beautiful shops.
Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour is the most beautiful natural harbour in the world. There are infinite opportunities to walk, eat and relax throughout the harbour; along the waterfront and amidst the many parks and reserves along the way. The best way of seeing the harbour is to be on it and that’s easy to do. Sydney Ferries, which are also government run, provide an inexpensive way of seeing the most beautiful harbour in the world.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge constructed in 1924 which took 1500 men eight years to build at a cost of 4.25 million. Six million hand driven rivets and 53,000 tonnes of steel were used in its construction. It now carries eight traffic lanes and two rail lines, one in each direction, but at the time of its construction the two eastern lanes were tram tracks. They were converted to road traffic when Sydney closed down its tram system in the 1950s. Before it opened, its entire length was packed with railway carriages, trams and buses to test its ability to support a total traffic jam. It was designed to withstand winds of 200 kilometres and hour, which are cyclonic (hurricane) in force and have never been recorded in Sydney.
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is also a well known attraction of the Harbour. It was built to cope with ever increasing harbour traffic problems and opened in August 1992 . It is 2.3 kilometres long and cost A$554 million to construct. It is strong enough to withstand the impact of eathquakes and sinking ships. It carries around 75,000 vehicles a day.
Sydney Harbour Attractions
Zoopass
This all-in-one pass includes the return ferry trip from Circular Quay to Taronga, Zoo entry, sky safari ride and bus connection to main entry gate.
Aquariumpass
Sydney Aquarium is located next to the Darling Harbour wharf.
This pass combines entry and return ferry.
Manly
Manly is one of the most popular beaches in Australia and a short walk from Manly Wharf.
Darling Harbour/Pyrmont Bay
If you’re looking for somewhere to go for the day, Darling Harbour has plenty to offer, and we can get you there with services running regularly from Circular Quay.
Sydney Aquarium, Maritime Museum, IMAX Theatre, Star City Casino, Cockle Bay, the King Street Wharf precinct and the Chinese Gardens are all within walking distance.
Balmain
This quiet, charming harbour-side village is just the place to go with Saturday markets, traditional pubs, contemporary art galleries and cool cafes.
Sydney Harbour North
We can take you to places many locals haven’t even been to including Mosman, North Sydney, Luna Park, and Neutral Bay. Neutral Bay is where you will find ‘Admiralty House’, the official home of the Governor General. It offers walks alongside the Harbour and some of the most exclusive views in Australia. Mosman is one of the most exclusive suburbs in Sydney with sweeping views of the Sydney CBD skyline.
Eastern Suburbs
Watsons Bay is home to the world-famous Doyles Seafood Restaurant and some of the best fish & chips in Sydney at the Watsons Bay Hotel. Our service will drop you at their front door. It’s a short walk from there to the spectacular views from Sydney Harbour’s South Head. This service also stops at Double Bay, with some of the most exclusive shopping in Sydney.
Parramatta River
Our popular Parramatta River Services are something out of the ordinary.
Parramatta is full of culture, historic Sydney architecture and plenty of great places to eat.
A single trip takes around 50 minutes.
Harbour Sights Cruise Passes
Experience the natural beauty of Sydney Harbour and Sydney’s stunning skyline on the Sydney Ferries Harbour Sights Cruise. Our Cruise Ferries depart Circular Quay in the morning, afternoon and evening – and provide an interesting commentary about the Harbour and its many attractions.
The Rocks
The Rocks is one of the most-visited parts of Sydney. It is not hard to see why. Nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and on the western shores of Sydney Cove, The Rocks is the foundation place of Sydney and Australia, and of enormous historical signifiance. It is often described as “Sydney’s outdoors museum”.
The Rocks is the oldest area of Sydney and has recently undergone an amazing metamorphosis, the old district being transformed into a vibrant pocket of cafes and restaurants and interesting tourist shops and stalls. This has been achieved without destroying the area’s Old World charm and historic buildings. Sydney’s town planners have put in place a sensitive conservation program that has preserved the heritage and character of The Rocks and brought about an interesting fusion of modern amenities in an old and valued setting.
Most activities centre around walking, looking and eating. The Rocks is Sydney’s oldest preserved colonial district so the main emphasis is on the historical importance of the area. The Sydney Visitor Centre, at 106 George Street, is a logical and excellent starting point. This centre has a wealth of information on points of interest around The Rocks and provides free information and literature, as well as having souvenirs and momentos that can be purchased.
Eating Out
While wandering around the Rocks take the time out to enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner at the Italian Villiage restaurant.
Organised Walks
The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority publishes a wonderful booklet called The Rocks Self-Guided Walking Tour, which pinpoint 31 places of historical interest as part of a local heritage walk. You can buy the booklet at The Sydney Visitor Centre for $1.00. Along the way, walkers encounter a maze of narrow streets, laneways and interconnected sandstone cottages and terraces filled with shops, stalls, cafes and restaurants. The real enjoyment lies in simply walking around the streets and soaking up the atmosphere.
Entertainment
On weekends and at festival times, there is usually free entertainment, with outdoor concerts and street theatre. Many of The Rocks’ pubs offer live music – jazz, folk and pop. The Rocks Market operates every weekend, from 10am to 5pm each day, and until 6pm in summer months. Some 100 stalls are set up under a series of sail-like canopies, filling the lower end of George Street . The stalls are filled with a wide range of Australian gift ideas, homewares and collectibles.
Of special interest to children is the Puppet Cottage, in Kendall Lane, while grown-ups may be more interested in taking a look at the colony’s first windmill, up on Observatory Hill, or dropping in to Sydney’s oldest remaining pub, the Lord Nelson, built in 1844.
Galleries and Museums
Within The Rocks district the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Merchants House, Susannahs Place, and Cadman’s Cottage (at 110 George Street), which was built in 1816 as barracks for the crew of the governor’s boats and is Sydney’s oldest surviving dwelling.
How To Get There
Take a train to Circular Quay and walk along George Street towards the Bridge.
Sydney Fish Markets
The Sydney Fish Market is the major fish market of Australia, with the largest and most diverse range of seafood to offer. The Market has over 100 different species, both proverbial and exotic to please customers from all different cultures and culinary preferences. The produce comes from both national and international waters. This fish market, with regard to diversity and quality, is the largest of its kind in the world behind the markets of Japan. The Market deals with over 15 million tonnes of seafood each year on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour.
The Sydney Fish Market is essential to visit with is lively atmosphere and magnificent views of the Harbour. The Market place is a true reflection of Sydney’s vibrancy, with many things to see and do including the entertaining seafood cooking school.
The Market is central to the city of Sydney making it a base for tourists, friends and families alike.
Getting There
The Sydney Fish Markets are located at Bank Street Pyrmont, in Blackwattle Bay on the foreshore of the harbour. The Markets are acessible by:
Car
Bus
Monorail
Light Rail
Boat
Hours
The Fish Markets are open every morning from 7.00am except on Christmas Day.
Sydney Fish Market Office open from 8:30am – 5:30pm on weekdays.
Wholesale Auctions start and 5:30am on weekdays.
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