10-hour layover in SYD in May, suggestions?
 

First post in this forum, first trip to NZ! I'm on AA flight to SYD, arrives at 7am. My flight to Christchurch (CHC) departs at 5pm. I probably could have booked an earlier connection on non-OneWorld airline. But, oh well - now I have a 10 hours in SYD. The good news is my bag can check through and I won't have to handle it.

I definitely want to spend a few hours in the Qantas Lounge, but not 10 hours!

Ideas on what to do with my time? If you had 10 hours in SYD, what would you do? I'm aware that I'll need an ETA.

Thanks in advance.

I do not believe you need a transit Visa, just an ETA https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAS3/etas $20

If it were me, I would jump on the train to Circular Quay and visit one of my favorite spots the Lord Nelson near the historic Rocks district.
http://www.lordnelsonbrewery.com/

Or depending on the weather take a trip to Manly on the ferry.


Note: however, as AA EXP you (I think? If this is still the case) have access to the QF First lounge which I am led to believe is simply spectacular.

Right, cyclo. That's what I meant - an ETA.

Nice, I'm impressed the first recommendation is a brewery! Perfect.

Yes, I have access to the QF First Lounge - will definitely plan on that. So would be good to get back to terminal by 2pm or so, really. Thanks.

There are other threads on xx hours layover in SYD
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ggestions.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ns-sydney.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...yover-syd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...it-sydney.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...yover-syd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...hours-syd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...er-sydney.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...endations.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...1-5-hours.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...rs-syd-x2.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...t-showers.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...yover-syd.html

For 10hrs (=7 hrs in effect landside) get a public transport ticket. Train to Circular Quay, ferry over to Manly, walk to the beach (5-10 minutes), have a coffee - meal. On the return have a wander around the quay area

Also have a read of this http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...ggestions.html [sticky thread in this forum]

If you don't mind stretching your legs...Train to Museum station. Walk through Hyde Park, then out past the Art Gallery of NSW to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, you'll get a great postcard view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. From there walk through the Botanic Gardens to the Opera House, around Circular Quay, check out the Rocks and then (depending on time) walk across the Harbour Bridge or head to the Lord Nelson.

Welcome to the Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) forum, oysterhead43.

I would second the suggestion of obtaining a public transport ticket, the Opal Card would be perfect for you, the amount I would load on it will depend on the day of the week that you are travelling (it has a $15/day cap Mon-Sat, $2.50 on a Sunday, then $21 per week for the airport charge - so $40 for a Mon-Sat, $25 for a Sunday), you'll still have some value left on the card but you'll actually save money compared to purchasing tickets as you go.

That Opal Card will get you travel on train, bus, ferry and light rail, and will allow to travel on a whim without paying more than you have to - up to the day caps mentioned above.

The Inner West Light Rail, departing from Central Station will take you out to Darling Harbour, through The Star (a casino) and onwards to the Sydney Fish Markets, where you will be able to have a fresh seafood lunch (caught within the last 48 hours), so another possible option.

If the weather is inclement, I wouldn't recommend a ferry ride (unless - like me - you don't mind being on the water when it is rough, in which case the Manly ferry is highly recommended.

Otherwise, everything that bensyd and Mwenenzi have said.

Enjoy your stay, and also don't hesitate to ask questions about your stay in New Zealand.

Dave

Whilst I LOVE the SYD QF FLounge, I - personally - would not want to spend nine hours in it.

Dave

I really appreciate everyone's responses and patience with a question asked a million times over.

I'll likely ask a few more questions as my itinerary unfolds. Looks like I'll have some jumper flights in NZ and may need some advice.

I will second the recommendation for the Lord Nelson Brewery. It was one of my first stops on my trip to Sydney this past summer. Great atmosphere, tasty beer and good food.

If you are interested in architecture, I really enjoyed the tour of the Opera House. I went back and forth on whether I wanted to pony up the cash for it, but am thoroughly glad that I did. Gave me a new perspective on the building and we had the good fortune of having a really charismatic and fun guide.

After walking around the Opera House working up a thirst, you can swing by the Opera Bar and quench it while soaking up views of the Opera House on one side and the Harbour Bridge on the other.

Do you enjoy good seafood? Grab the train from the airport to Town Hall or Museum and walk leisurely towards Darling Harbour then on to the Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont. The market opens at 7am and features tens of food stalls offering a variety of raw and cooked seafood dishes. Visit the bottle shop within the premises and enjoy a lovely morning on the outside benches, dining on fresh local catch and regional wines. Trust me, your day will go by quickly and memorably.

What about 4 hour transit?
 

So we are flying Aukland-SYD-Papeete. We will have a 4 hour layover in SYD. I'm wondering if this is enough time to leave the airport. I was thinking of grabbing the train to Circular Quay, grab a coffee, snap a couple of photos, and head back to the airport. This could be a bit tight. My brother-in-law has never been to SYD and thought it would be cool to see the Opera House and Bridge.

I used to live in SYD so know my way around a bit.

How are you flying SYD-PPT direct? haven't seen any airlines that do that route

Direct is not the same as non stop.
And many people do not list transits

duplicate

I agree it is a bit tight. It's definitely do-able if the trains are running the normal schedule as you can go straight to Circular Quay and return, but you'd probably have less than 30 minutes there.

The last time I was there they were doing maintenance and it stopped in Central, and there was no obvious sign of this until after I got to the platform so make sure to check before buying your ticket.

If you are doing an international-to-international transfer, I'm not sure exactly how this works. You won't have to deal with bags so that is more time in SYD for you to travel around, but when you clear customs without any bags it may be interesting...

Still it begs the question why would one have a layover in SYD when travelling from AKL-PPT... when the most obvious way from AKL-PPT is a non-stop and there is no non-stop from SYD.