I've searched and most things seem old, I'm coming off the LAX-SYD UA flight landing at 6:50am, my flight to BKK leaves at 4:30pm so I've got a bit of a layover in SYD. I see that taking the train to Circle Quay and walking around the rocks area? Also I was reading something about a ferry around the harbor, and that might be up my alley as far as pace after a 15 hour flight. Is there any local cuisine I should try while I'm there? I am open to pretty much anything other than staying in the airport for 9 hours. I'll be flying F the entire way not sure if that makes a difference to get me through security faster or not.
Yes - catch a train to circular quay. You can then catch a ferry to manly and go for a walk on the beach. Alternatively, you could catch a ferry to Watson's bay and visit one of the harbour beaches. There's fantastic cliff-top walks in Watson's bay as well.
Local cuisine ? I guess Australian local quisine is euro/asian fusion. There's some great asian restaurants in Sydney. Seafood is good and steaks are fantastic. If you want any specific, let us know and we could give you some recommendations.
Yes - catch a train to circular quay. You can then catch a ferry to manly and go for a walk on the beach. Alternatively, you could catch a ferry to Watson's bay and visit one of the harbour beaches. There's fantastic cliff-top walks in Watson's bay as well.
Local cuisine ? I guess Australian local quisine is euro/asian fusion. There's some great asian restaurants in Sydney. Seafood is good and steaks are fantastic. If you want any specific, let us know and we could give you some recommendations.
Something that I could most likely only get in Australia or is a local specialty. Also would there be anywhere I could hold my carry on luggage at? I don't feel like walking around all that with that in tow, or going to a beach dragging my bags just doesn't seem like fun.
Fantastic views over the harbour and I'm not sure you'd get moreton bay bugs or yabbies anywhere else in the world. If you don't like seafood, you can get Kangaroo in lots of restaurants if you want to try let me think of some places where it will be good.
There's no-where near Circular Quay where you can officially leave bags. Cafe Sydney though is a good restaurant and I expect would hold your bag for you if you wanted to leave it while you went to Manly. The Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay has a cloakroom also where you could leave your bag (though I guess they'd be assuming only for the period you are in the museum !).
I'm in a similar situation (11hr between TG and NZ flights; visa thread below) and I have a related question that may help the OP too:
Is there anyway I can visit the NZ lounge for a shower, then get back to customs to reach landside. I guess this would mean getting to the departures level (going through some sort of security?) and then getting back down to arrivals (or is there a customs exit from departures?).
Also would there be anywhere I could hold my carry on luggage at? I don't feel like walking around all that with that in tow, or going to a beach dragging my bags just doesn't seem like fun.
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 17,158
Quote:
Originally Posted by pauldb
....Is there anyway I can visit the NZ lounge for a shower, then get back to customs to reach landside. I guess this would mean getting to the departures level (going through some sort of security?) and then getting back down to arrivals (or is there a customs exit from departures?).....
You can do it, but it is highly irregular and attracts a lot of attention from customs; flying TG means you are coming from BKK and they may decide that you fit a drug runner profile and hold you for a few hours for questioning. Going through transit security to departures is a well known drug smuggling technique, fwiw. You might prefer to use a landside shower at SYD airport instead (which actually has them, both free ones publicly accessible and others).
You can do it, but it is highly irregular and attracts a lot of attention from customs; flying TG means you are coming from BKK and they may decide that you fit a drug runner profile and hold you for a few hours for questioning. Going through transit security to departures is a well known drug smuggling technique, fwiw. You might prefer to use a landside shower at SYD airport instead (which actually has them, both free ones publicly accessible and others).
Oops, I got mixed up - I'm actually arriving on CA from PEK. But I doubt that's any better.
If I were to go for it, is it complicated. I guess I go up through transfer security as any transferring passenger, but how do I get back down to arrivals. Do you mean transit security will give me a hard time, or arrivals customs - how will they know what I've done?
I also would probably go to the NZ lounge to shower before I head out of the airport, but I guess drug runners do that and I just looked at all the arrivals around the same time as my flight and WOW how long would it take to clear customs at that point?
Last edited by macdonaldj2; Oct 19, 11 at 6:48 pm..
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 17,158
Quote:
Originally Posted by pauldb
Oops, I got mixed up - I'm actually arriving on CA from PEK. But I doubt that's any better.
If I were to go for it, is it complicated. I guess I go up through transfer security as any transferring passenger, but how do I get back down to arrivals. Do you mean transit security will give me a hard time, or arrivals customs - how will they know what I've done?
You request that you want to exit departures; you can do this with the lounge staff (the easiest) or by contacting security. They will phone immigration and customs who will send an AFP (federal police) officer to escort you down to arrivals and to be processed. You will be well known to customs when you arrive. Transit security has nothing to do with this, other than stopping you from going from departures back to arrivals. At least this was the procedure the one and only time that I have done this, a few years ago.
You request that you want to exit departures; you can do this with the lounge staff (the easiest)
Have others tried this? I have unpredictable travel plans coming up and may not know until I'm in the lounge (QF International First) whether or not I'm actually traveling. If I'm not traveling, I'd need to clear customs and return to Australia. Would just like to get a sense in advance of how bad this would be. Burdensome for the lounge agent? I don't think I meet anyone's profile for drug trafficking or anything else bad but wouldn't be bothered by some extra security scrutiny if needed. Any other problems I should bear in mind?
You request that you want to exit departures; you can do this with the lounge staff (the easiest) or by contacting security. They will phone immigration and customs who will send an AFP (federal police) officer to escort you down to arrivals and to be processed. You will be well known to customs when you arrive. Transit security has nothing to do with this, other than stopping you from going from departures back to arrivals. At least this was the procedure the one and only time that I have done this, a few years ago.
Will they try to charge you the non-transit passenger charges then if you clear immigration as a transit passenger? I have a 15 hour SYD transit coming up next week and I'd like to hang around at the lounge for a few hours before going into the city. But I can't afford the ~100$ of charges I would get charged as a non-transit passenger.
Will they try to charge you the non-transit passenger charges then if you clear immigration as a transit passenger? I have a 15 hour SYD transit coming up next week and I'd like to hang around at the lounge for a few hours before going into the city. But I can't afford the ~100$ of charges I would get charged as a non-transit passenger.
and I just looked at all the arrivals around the same time as my flight and WOW how long would it take to clear customs at that point?
