Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 98

Quay ferry terminal. Tickets are transferable, so if two or more people travel
together, you can use the same ticket.
A 7-day Rail Pass costs A$16 (US$11) for adults and A$8.20 (US$5.30) for
children, traveling within the city center. For a full day's unlimited travel by bus,
you can't go wrong with the One-Day Bus Tripper. It costs A$9 (US$5.85) for
adults and A$4.50 (US$2.90) for children 4 to 15, and can be bought from
newsdealers and at bus depots. An unlimited One-Day Bus/Ferry Tripper costs
A$13 (US$8.45) for adults and A$6.50 (US$4.20) for children.
BY PUBLIC BUS Buses are frequent and reliable and cover a wide area of
metropolitan Sydney—though you might find the system a little difficult to
navigate if you're visiting some of the outer suburbs. The minimum fare (which
covers most short hops in the city) is A$1.50 (US$1) for adults and A70¢
(US45¢) for children for a 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 -mile) “section.” The farther you go, the
cheaper each section is. For example, the 44km (27-mile) trip to Palm Beach,
way past Manly, costs A$4.60 (US$3) for adults and $2.30 (US$1.50) for kids.
Sections are marked on bus-stand signs (though most Sydneysiders are as con-
fused about the system as you will be—when in doubt, ask the bus driver).
Most buses bound for the northern suburbs, including night buses to Manly
and the bus to Taronga Zoo, leave from Wynyard Park on Carrington Street,
behind the Wynyard CityRail station on George Street. Buses to the southern
beaches, such as Bondi and Bronte, and the western and eastern suburbs leave
from Circular Quay. Buses to Balmain leave from behind the QV.
Call the Transport Info Line ( & 13 15 00 ) for information, or ask the staff
at the bus information kiosk on the corner of Alfred and Loftus streets, behind
Circular Quay CityRail station ( & 02/9219 1680 ). The kiosk is open Mon-
day through Saturday from 8am to 8pm and Sunday from 8am to 6pm. Buses
run from 4am to around midnight during the week, less frequently on week-
ends and holidays. Some night buses to outer suburbs run after midnight and
throughout the night. You can purchase single tickets onboard; exact change is
not required.
BY SYDNEY EXPLORER BUS These bright red buses operate every day,
traveling a 28km (18-mile) circuit and stopping at 26 places of interest. These
include Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the State Library,
Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Kings Cross, Eliz-
abeth Bay House, Wynyard CityRail station, the QVB, A.M.P. Centerpoint
Tower, the Australian Museum, Central Station, Chinatown, and Darling Har-
bour and The Rocks. Buses depart from Circular Quay at 18-minute intervals
from 8:40am with the last “round-trip” service departing Circular Quay at
5:20pm. This service returns to Circular Quay at 7pm. Board anywhere along
the route where you see the distinctive red Sydney Explorer stop sign, and leave
at any attraction along the way. If you want to stay on the bus from start to fin-
ish, the full circuit takes 1 1 ⁄ 2 hours to complete. Your Sydney Explorer ticket
entitles you to free travel on regular “blue and white” Sydney Buses within the
same zone covered by your Sydney Explorer Ticket until midnight. When plan-
ning your itinerary for the day, remember that some attractions, such as muse-
ums, close at 5pm. Tickets cost A$30 (US$20) for adults, A$15 (US$9.75) for
children 4 to 16, and A$75 (US$49) for a family. Buy tickets onboard the bus.
You can also buy a 2-day Twin Ticket for both the Sydney Explorer Bus and the
Bondi Explorer Bus (see below). The tickets cost A$50 (US$33) for adults,
A$25 (US$16) for children, and A$125 (US$81) for a family.