Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Travelling by Ferry and Water Taxi
Travelling by ferry is both a pleasure and an efficient
way to travel between Sydney's harbour suburbs. At the
time of writing, the state-run Sydney Ferries Corporation
provides the majority of services, although its future is
uncertain as private companies bid to take over the
operation. Sightseeing cruises are operated by many
private companies
(see p219)
. Water taxis can be a
convenient, but pricey, alternative to the ferry.
A Sydney Ferries First Fleet ferry
TYPES OF VESSEL
Sydney Ferries currently
operate six types of vessel:
the SuperCats serving Watsons
Bay, the RiverCats which
travel up river to Parramatta,
the HarbourCats, the First
Fleet class for short inner
suburb routes, the Lady class
and the large and elegant
Freshwaters which pass the
North and South Heads on
their way to Manly. The
alternative and faster Manly
Fast Ferry also runs from
Circular Quay to Manly. It is a
privately operated vehicle so
TravelPasses and other
composite tickets
(see p230)
are not vaild. Tickets can be
purchased on board or from
ticket booths at the wharves.
Sydney ferries coming and going at Circular Quay Ferry Terminal
USING SYDNEY'S FERRIES
your ferry will leave, and also
give departure times and all
stops made en route.
Tickets can be bought from
ticket booths located on the
wharves at Circular
Quay. You can also
buy your ticket from
the vending machines.
At Circular Quay and
Manly Wharf there
are automatic ticket
barrier machines.
Put your ticket into
the slot with the
arrow-side up and the
arrow pointing into
the slot, to board
your ferry.
Manly's large ferry
terminal is serviced
by regular ferries and
the quicker Manly
Fast Ferry. Tickets
and information can
be obtained from the
ticket windows
located in the centre
of the terminal. No
food or drink is
permitted on
SuperCat ferries.
Most, but not all,
wharves have
wheelchair access.
Passengers should
check before
travelling.
There is a constant procession
of Sydney Ferries traversing
the harbour between 6am and
midnight daily. They service
most of Sydney Harbour and
several stops along the
Parramatta River. Frequent
services run to and from
Manly, Darling Harbour,
Balmain, Parramatta, Taronga
Zoo, Neutral Bay, Pyrmont
Bay, Balmain/Woolwich,
Mosman and Rose Bay, with
numerous stops en route.
Sydney Buses
(see p231)
provide convenient connec-
tions at most wharves.
Staff at the Sydney Ferries
Information Office
(see p230)
,
open 7am-6pm daily, will
answer passenger queries and
provide ferry timetables. You
can also phone the Transport
Infoline on 131500
(see p230)
for advice about connections,
destinations and fares between
6am and 10pm daily.
A Sydney Ferries SuperCat
The Freshwater
Collaroy
en route to Manly
MAKING A JOURNEY
BY FERRY
All ferry journeys start at the
Circular Quay Ferry Terminal.
Electronic destination boards at
the entrance to each wharf
indicate the wharf from which
A Sydney Ferries RiverCat
