Circular Quay, Sydney

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Another thing to do at CUSTOMS HOUSE is when you walk into the foyer there is a glass floor and underneath it is a fantastic model of the Sydney CBD..(Commercial Business District) ..Most Sydneysiders don't even know of this place...also get a coffee and read the daily paper from your city...great place to sit and relax. NB:try and take photos without flash to avoid reflections off the glass floor..(if possible use a polarising filter to stop reflection)...There is also a library here and in this lovely old building as is the interesting history of the Australian Customs and Immigration Department.....

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Catch a ferry across to Milsons Point..from Circular Quay....good city panoramic photos from here looking across to the Opera House and the city...walk around under the bridge and local area of Milsons point for photo opportunities of the Opera House especially at night.....(see my photo) .Also the "Red Explorer Bus stops at Milsons Point.Ferries depart regularly ..
The Milsons Point ferry wharf is also Luna Park..

Snuggled in between the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, the Circular Quay (pronounced "Key") is the nerve center for Sydney city transportation. Ferries, buses, "jet-cats" and CityRail trains all stop in at the Quay. It's also an easy place to snag a taxi, should you feel the need.

In addition to the transportation angle, the Quay is a good place to just walk around. There are lots of little takeway cafes and such. There are quite a few buskers (street performers). Some are quite talented, others pretty much suck. My daughter was totally freaked by one of those "statue mimes". I knew the guy was alive, but I sucked Sara in and told her to drop a coin in the hat in front of the statue. The guy comes to life and my sweet daughter just about jumped out of her teen years.

And, since I'm so into photography, the Quay is also an excellent place to compose and shoot city scenes of Sydney.

The Circular Quay is a good starting point for all sorts of foot exploration throughout Sydney. It's a short walk to about anywhere in downtown Sydney that would interest a tourist.

Circular Quay is like a transporation hub of sorts. Here is where you can board a ferry to many of the tourist attractions located throughout the city. Circular Quay was also the location for the exhibit of the UNICEF Buddy Bears. Thre is always something going on at Circular Quay.

From here, you can get just about anywhere you need to go in Sydney pretty easily. The ferries leave from here, the train stops here, there are lots of busses in this area and of course you can easily walk to The Rocks, The Opera House, The Bridge or a variety of restaurants (ka-ching $$) or souvenir shops. You will also find a helpful Visitor Info Office here too.

Grab a coffee, a tea or a beer, be warned however that these places are a bit pricey due to their location. Even a few blocks away, you will find more reasonable prices for a bite to eat or a drink. Souvenirs are everywhere and even McDonalds (they call it "Maccas' here) is only a block or two away.

It would be hard to miss Circular Quay on your visit to Sydney, as it is such a central point. Great vantage point for photos as well. Bring your walking shoes!

Walk through "The Rocks" and go back in time to an era during the 1800's, sandstone cottages and cobbled streets......starting near the harbourbridge, follow the harbourwalk along side the water all the way around, pass the museum, pass the Ferry terminal, the train station, pass the cafes, bars and restaurants until you get to your destination - the Opera House.

From this point you will see excellent harbour bridge/Opera House and city views. It is of course especially pretty at night - you must see both views. This is an excellent spot to see the fireworks ( if you are lucky enough to get there early before NYE and claim your spot)

From here you can catch ferrys to various places on the harbour and theres also a train station here aswell that links up with the main suburban lines,circular quay is also a great spot to just hangout ,its a popular place to view a variety of street performers with some real classic aussie characters doing there thing.

The first thing you should go to when you're in Sydney is Circular Quay. This is such a lively place. Many ferries depart here, such as the ferry to Manly, to the Olympic Park and many other locations on the northern shore of the harbour. Main sights and attractions here are of course the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. You will also find the Museum of Contemporary Art here and a very old sail boat. Closeby are the Rocks, which is a very nice part of the city to stroll through. There is also a big tourist information office here with zillions of brochures of god knows what you want to do in Sydney and surroundings.

This is like so many other spots in the city great to just sit and relax on one of the benches and look at all the people and boats passing by.