Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6 Harbor Cruises & Organized Tours
For details on the Sydney Explorer bus, see “Getting Around,” earlier this chapter.
HARBOR CRUISES
The best thing about Sydney is the harbor, so you shouldn't leave without tak-
ing a harbor cruise. Sydney Ferries ( & 13 15 00 in Australia, or 02/9245 5600;
www.sta.nsw.gov.au) offers a 1-hour morning harbor cruise with commentary
departing Circular Quay, Wharf 4, daily at 10 and 11:15am. It costs A$15
(US$9.75) for adults, A$7.50 (US$4.90) for children under 16, and A$38
(US$24) for families (any number of children under 16). A 2 1 2 -hour afternoon
cruise explores more of the harbor and leaves from Wharf 4 at 1pm on weekdays
and 1:30pm on weekends and public holidays. This tour costs A$22 (US$14)
for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for children, and A$55 (US$36) for families. The
highly recommended 1 1 2 -hour Evening Harbour Lights tour, which takes in
the city lights as far east as Double Bay and west to Goat Island, leaves Monday
through Saturday at 8pm from Wharf 5. The evening tour costs A$19 (US$12)
for adults, A$9.50 (US$6.20) for children, and A$48 (US$31) for families.
Another option is a trip on the paddle-steamer the Sydney Showboat ( & 02/
9552 2722; www.bluelinecruises.com.au). A daily lunch cruise on this oddly
placed vessel starts at either 11.15am or 1:15pm and costs A$51 (US$33) for
adults and A$31 (US$20) for children 4 to 12; it includes a good buffet lunch,
a jazz band, and commentary. A daily 2 1 2 -hour dinner cruise and variety show
runs from 7:30pm and costs from A$99 (US$65) for adults and A$69 (US$45)
for children. Ask about other cruises, including afternoon excursions.
HARBOR CRUISE TICKETS & INFO
The one-stop shop for tickets and information on all harbor cruises is the Aus-
tralian Travel Specialists ( & 02/9247 5151; www.atstravel.com.au). Find out-
lets at jetty no. 6 at Circular Quay; at the Harbourside Festival Marketplace at
Darling Harbour; and on the Podium Level of the A.M.P. Centerpoint Tower.
It's a good idea to check the website before you come to Australia as cruise
options and prices are frequently changing. You can book on the Net, too.
If you're going to splurge on a cruise, though, the best are aboard the fully
rigged replica of Captain Bligh's Bounty ( & 02/9247 1789; www.the
bounty.com). Based at Campbell's Cove in The Rocks, it was built for the movie
The Bounty (1984), which starred Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Standard
2-hour and lunch cruises run from 12:30pm Monday through Friday and cost
A$65 (US$42). Dinner cruises lasting 2 1 2 hours depart daily at 7pm in high sea-
son (Sept 1-Apr 30) and Friday and Saturday only from May 1 to August 31,
and cost A$99 (US$64) for adults. On Saturday and Sunday (and public holi-
days) a 2 1 2 -hour Buffet Lunch Sail starts at 12:30pm and costs A$95 (US$62),
and a 1 1 2 -hour predinner sail on Saturdays from 4pm costs A$53 (US$34). An
extra 1 1 2 -hour brunch sail on Sundays and public holidays also costs A$53
(US$34). There's a 40% discount for children under 12 on all cruises.
Alternatively, you can cruise like a millionaire aboard the MV Oceanos
( & 02/9555 4599 ), a 21.5m (71-ft.) luxury motor cruiser. A 3-hour cruise,
which leaves Campbells Cove at 12:30pm Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, costs
A$75 (US$49) per person and includes a quality seafood lunch. It's essential to
book 2 days in advance. Sail Venture Cruises ( & 02/9262 3595 ) also has a
range of cruises aboard its catamarans.
 
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