Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Sydney NYE and the Manly Ferry

So me and the missus will be in Sydney for New Years, we have been invited to a party next to Darling harbour, but we are likely to be staying at a place in Manly - do the ferries restart service some time after midnight (dont mind the walk to Circular) back to Manly. Would appreciate if anyone knows - the NSW website says they stop before the fireworks, but doesnt say when they restart.

Thanks

Jon

So me and the missus will be in Sydney for New Years, we have been invited to a party next to Darling harbour, but we are likely to be staying at a place in Manly - do the ferries restart service some time after midnight (dont mind the walk to Circular) back to Manly. Would appreciate if anyone knows - the NSW website says they stop before the fireworks, but doesnt say when they restart.

Thanks

Jon

The ferries will not restart until the next morning on normal public holiday schedule. If I were you I would seriously consider getting a hotel room in the city, or making sure you have a hire car to pick you up and take you home. otherwise you are in for a very long night trying to get back to manly on the bus, depending of course on what time you end up finishing up :)

If I were you I would seriously consider getting a hotel room in the city

And start saving for that one NOW. ;)

And start saving for that one NOW. ;)The prices are amazing, 3 nights minimum at AUD 600 per night (when it is normally AUD 300 per night) at one hotel that I checked. I guess NYE at Sydney harbour has become one of the big world events.

Darling Harbour would be a good place for New Years however it will be very tough getting back to Manly. A water Taxi which would be very, very expensive or a hire car is the only way to get back. Taxi's will be a night mare and buses to Manly well that’s just not an option.

That has got to be the worst news i could get - from so many people - and I was told that as they were public transport they would restart - Can anyone recoment a car service that i can prebook - there is no way ill be able to pass a sobriety test - and our budget wouldnt stretch to a central hotel at the double rates so typical of Sydney NYE.

That has got to be the worst news i could get - from so many people - and I was told that as they were public transport they would restart - Can anyone recoment a car service that i can prebook - there is no way ill be able to pass a sobriety test - and our budget wouldnt stretch to a central hotel at the double rates so typical of Sydney NYE.

Depending on what time you plan on finishing up you might be able to get yourself a taxi, if you leave after say 3am you should be able to find a taxi, people who are still out at that time are usually going all night.

Otherwise I would suggest getting looking in the Yelllowpages (http://www.yellowpages.com.au)

The prices are amazing, 3 nights minimum at AUD 600 per night (when it is normally AUD 300 per night) at one hotel that I checked. I guess NYE at Sydney harbour has become one of the big world events.

This has been the case for years. I spent the last two NYE in Sydney, and it was nearly impmossible to find anything in the CBD under AUD 550. Both years I managed to use points at the Four Points Darling Harbour - a fantastic deal.

This year, I've decided to hit Rio for NYE, and it's even worse. Prices over USD 1000 with 4-5 night minimums. It's insanity.

There are about a million folks downtown that night AFAIK. Tons of blocked off streets etc.

Taxis are totally impossible to anywhere as will be a limo I'd guess.

A cab to Manly from Darling Harbour any time of year will run about $40-$50 with tolls.

A limo on NYE would ask $200 I'd guess - if you can get one. Traffic will be a total zoo.

HOWEVER I am really most surprised that special Ferries are not rostered. Just a hunch.

I have not been in SYD for NYE for 25 years but have heard from friends they run late night transport for the big crowds.

Google has this from 2003

http://www.pubclub.com/australia/sydney/newyear.htm

I think you'll be fine actually.

You shouldn't have any problems getting from the City back to Manly. As alluded to in the report linked by ozstamps the ferries run pretty much all night (though are pretty crowded in the period immediately after the midnight fireworks). There's also the 151 bus that runs all night from the city to Manly as well (and then further up the Northern Beaches too). I've had the pleasure of catching this bus numerous times at 3am or so, and it's not too bad - about 30 minutes to get to Manly from Wynyard in the city.

Either way you're not going to have to resort to getting a taxi, which as others have mentioned aren't particuarly cheap and are in short supply on New Year's Eve.

Google has this from 2003

http://www.pubclub.com/australia/sydney/newyear.htm

I think you'll be fine actually.

For the sake of the OP's wallet I hope the ferries start running again. But I have a funny feeling they won't, or they may have a very limited service maybe 1 or 2 ferries of which I would hate to see the crowds trying to get on. It's abit annonying that two months out from NYE and there is no word yet on public transport. jongar keep an eye out on This (http://www.131500.com.au) its the public transport website and they should have NYE info soon, although like Cityrail it will no doubt be running late

Sydney Buses has a www.131500.com.au website that allows you to plan trips on trains, buses and ferries. However, there is nothing on the site about NYE, and their office just informed me that they won't have anything on the net until the first or second week in December because schedules change so much. Although I don't use public transport too much I do use that website to look for bus timetables etc.