Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Sydney layover help/questions

I am going to have @7-8 hours free on a layover between LAX & CHC. I've never been to Austrailia, so I thought it would be fun to go into Sydney for lunch and to see a couple of sites. My questions are:

1) Are there lockers in the airport where I can keep my bags?
2) What one or two things would you recommend seeing/or just what area would you tell me to go to in order to walk around/eat etc to "experience" Sydney in a very short time?


I of course would love to go to Austrailiaa on vacation, but it probably will be a couple of years before I get to do that.

Thanks!

Sydney Airport does offer baggage storage on the arrivals level. http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/Terminal+Information/T1+International+Terminal/Baggage/default.htm

And since you only have a few hours, I'd head straight to Circular Quay to see the Opera House and climb the Harbour Bridge (http://www.bridgeclimb.com.au).

I am going to have @7-8 hours free on a layover between LAX & CHC. I've never been to Austrailia, so I thought it would be fun to go into Sydney for lunch and to see a couple of sites. My questions are:

1) Are there lockers in the airport where I can keep my bags?
2) What one or two things would you recommend seeing/or just what area would you tell me to go to in order to walk around/eat etc to "experience" Sydney in a very short time?


I of course would love to go to Austrailiaa on vacation, but it probably will be a couple of years before I get to do that.

Thanks!

Don't forget you need a VISA to go to Australia.

I have a similar question to yours. I'm going to Sydney for a couple of days and would like to leave my warmer clothes and lap top in Sydney while I go to the Great Barrier Reef. I'm returning to Sydney a few days later so the airport option would be a bit pricy. Does anyone know if the hotels will store these for a few days for you. I'm staying at the Hilton on my return.

Thanks,
MSV

In a few hours, you can do the Opera House, walk the bridge to Kirribilli for great views and just generally enjoy the CBD. You MUST take the ferry to Manly and back.

In a few hours, you can do the Opera House, walk the bridge to Kirribilli for great views and just generally enjoy the CBD. You MUST take the ferry to Manly and back.

I would walk the bridge and back. With a Manly ferry taking 45 minutes each way I'm not sure thats the best way to use your time, wont give you much time at either end. Maybe walk to Kirribilli, get a pie at the Colonial bakery (best pies in Sydney arguably, although they have won a few gold medals too) then if you must take a ferry walk to Kirribilli wharf and get a ferry back to the Quay.


Bridge climb will also take a fair amount of time. 3.5 hours I'm not sure I would book it on such a tight schedule because flights can be delayed.

With a Manly ferry taking 45 minutes each way I'm not sure thats the best way to use your time, wont give you much time at either end.

The Manly ferry is actually 30 mins each way. The Jetcat is only 15 so you could take ferry in one direction to take in the view then zip back to the city. Depending on the time of day, you might be able to be there and back in an hour. IMO the view you'll get of one of Sydney's best assets, the harbour, is worth the effort. You can find public transport schedules at 131500.com.au (http://www.131500.com.au).

Once back in the City you could take a walk to the east taking in the Opera House then continuing around the foreshore through the Botanic Gardens on on to Mrs Macquarie's chair. Keeping walking back down through the domain with Woolloomooloo Bay on your left past the Boy Charlton pool. Walk down the steps to Woolloomooloo and Cowper Wharf Rd to have a quick bite at Harry's Cafe (others sing it's praises, I haven't eaten there) then a 10 min cab ride back to the CBD.

Another alternative is the Bondi Explorer (http://www.sydneypass.info/bondiexplorer/) bus that departs every 30 minutes and takes you through the eastern suburbs and on to Bondi Beach. There are many interesting stops along the way but my recommendations are: Watsons Bay for the view at "the Gap", Bondi Beach to say you've been there - eat the fish and chips or try the coffee and cake at the Gelato Bar and take the cliff top walk from Bondi to Tamarama or Bronte.

You obviously can't do all of these things in the time you have but a couple of them together are doable especially if you break the explorer trip and just cab back to the airport when you're done.

Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to change my flight and spend the night in Sydney & have printed out your posts. It will be a great start to my holiday - thanks!

This is a great thread. I was wondering if I could get further advice on the subject. My AKL-SYD NZ flight arrives at 8:00am (supposedly) and I have a 2:40pm UA flight SYD-SFO. I'd like to get in to see one of the things mentioned in the thread (Opera House, Bridge, etc.)

Is it possible to leave my bag somewhere in the transit passenger area (Koru Lounge?) or does entering the transit passenger area commit me to not going landside?

Will it simply be faster for me to head for immigration/customs with my bag and then leave it at left luggage landside? I have an ETA so hopefully there won't be any issues.

How do I get to Circular Quay and how long should I budget to get back to the airport and clear security/immigrations/customs?

Much faster to go straight through immigration & customs, and in any event there is no airside left luggage facility AFAIK (certainly not at the lounges). The lounges are only accessed through transfer security, and then you'd have the difficulties associated with going landside the wrong way back through security (plus still have immigration & customs to deal with).

NZ (and QF) flights trans-tasman are usually on time. At that hour of day there are large queues at immigration. (Tip for non Australians/NZers, get something at duty free to save 20 minutes or so of queuing - there is a duty free on arrival shortcut.)

Easiest way to circular quay is take the train and do not get off at central. I would leave circular quay no later than 12 noon, factoring in the change of trains at central and a wait for the onward train, long walk from train station to *A pier immigration (with stop at left luggage along the way), and likely queues.

NZ (and QF) flights trans-tasman are usually on time. At that hour of day there are large queues at immigration. (Tip for non Australians/NZers, get something at duty free to save 20 minutes or so of queuing - there is a duty free on arrival shortcut.)

Easiest way to circular quay is take the train and do not get off at central. I would leave circular quay no later than 12 noon, factoring in the change of trains at central and a wait for the onward train, long walk from train station to *A pier immigration (with stop at left luggage along the way), and likely queues.

Thanks for the tips. Do I need to buy the duty free on the plane to take advantage of the shorter line or is there simply a store with a shorter line?

Kiwi Flyer means buy something at the Duty Free shop at Sydney airport. There's a huge Duty Free shop just before Immigration - you kind of have to walk through it to get to Immigration. Once you bought something, they should direct you to a special line at Immigration that is only for Duty Free customers. From memory, it's the right most line at the Immigration Hall.

Buying duty free on the plane will not get you access to this line.

Another little tip is to declare that you have food (a candy bar or something, or just buy some choclate at Duty Free, even though technically you don't need to declare duty free food), and if you're good looking, Customs may just let you through without looking or x-raying your bag at all. It can save you another 5-10 mins depending on the queue. Of course, if you aren't good looking, you risk having your bags searched, costing you more time.

Also, even if your flight from AKL is on time, I won't recommend you walk the bridge, I don't think you'll have enough time. Don't go back to Departures then back to the Arrivals level, even if you talk your way out (they don't like people doing that), it'll take a while. Just take your hand luggage to landside with you once you disembark.

Lastly, don't tell Air NZ at AKL that you intend to go landside in SYD, they may want to charge you more fees.

Great, thanks for all the tips! I'm not a big duty-free type person so I think I will go pick up a chocolate something or another (Toblerone is at least edible) and see what happens. And in order to appear "upstanding" I will keep my travel bag in its shoulder bag configuration rather than the less "upstanding" backpack configuration.

Remember that if you buy duty free alcohol prior to immigration that you are governed by the liquid restrictions when getting back on the plane.

Not that it bothers CSR now that they are staying in Sydney overnight but http://www.worldairportguide.com/airport/425/airport_guide/Australia-and-South-Pacific/Sydney-Airport.html states:
Luggage: Tempo Services (tel: (02) 9667 0926) offers a left-luggage service on Arrivals level 1 of T1 International Terminal; there is also a baggage storage facility on the Arrivals level of T2 Domestic Terminal. Trolleys are available troughout the airport. There is a lost property office on level 3 of the T1 International Terminal (tel: (0)2 9667 9583).

This might assist others.

The Rocks area has some great eating places, heaps of histroy and some great bars.

I agree with bensyd's list of options, just beware the JetCat to Manly is a little unreliable so may not be operating (or on schedule) on the day you arrive, so check the timetable but have other options such as the bus tour.

Getting out on the water is a great way to make the most of your stopover - even if it is a few trips around the harbour (to Kirribilli, Taronga Zoo / Mosman, Middle Harbour etc).

Another walking option:
Walk from Circular Quay to the opera House, climb the steps (tours are too early in the morning for you, I think) then head through the adjoining Botanical Gardens to The Domain, then walk through the Sydney Hospital grounds, see NSW Parliament House and walk past the Mint and Hyde Park Barracks, then through Hyde Park, to Museum train station, where you can train back directly to the airport.

Here's the aftermath. I bought a small box of chocolates at the duty free shop. The clerk looked at me as if I had two heads when I inquired about a special immigrations line so I headed off with the rest of the unwashed non-Aussie/Kiwi masses in the left-hand side of the hall. I did have time to look over to the far right and as far as I could tell it was just a regular "Australian & New Zealand passport holders" line. So it was only a $10 experiment which was subsequently donated to the upper deck cabin crew on my SYD-SFO flight which they seemed to appreciate.

I went to the Opera House and rather than slog over to the bridge this time around only to have to turn right back around I opted for the Opera House tour lasting an hour which was actually quite worthwhile as I got to glimpse the inside of their larger performance hall. I want to sit in the seats behind the orchestra one of these days.. I didn't have too much time for food so I opted for the Quayside Foodcourt which was across the street from the train stop, fairly generic food but it fit my time constraints before hopping the train back.

I definitely want to do the bridge climb and managed to get some small shots of people doing so from across the harbor.

I did have time to look over to the far right and as far as I could tell it was just a regular "Australian & New Zealand passport holders" line.

Err, unless that duty free line is gone (I'll check the next time I go through), but that line is on the other 'right' hand side of the immigration hall... :)

Glad you enjoyed your time in Sydney anyway.

Don't forget you need a VISA to go to Australia.

I have a similar question to yours. I'm going to Sydney for a couple of days and would like to leave my warmer clothes and lap top in Sydney while I go to the Great Barrier Reef. I'm returning to Sydney a few days later so the airport option would be a bit pricy. Does anyone know if the hotels will store these for a few days for you. I'm staying at the Hilton on my return.

Thanks,
MSV

I often had bags stored at Hiltons and never had a problem. But I have never tried the Sydney Hilton. Just give them a call.

Err, unless that duty free line is gone (I'll check the next time I go through), but that line is on the other 'right' hand side of the immigration hall... :)

Glad you enjoyed your time in Sydney anyway.

The line is certainly there. But it might only be on either the oneworld or *A side of the terminal. Have to check next time I am there.