On this week's What You Could Get In The City For $10 series, we'll go back to another city in the down under. And this time, we're gonna talk about the city with probably the highest living cost in the entire country: Sydney, New South Wales.
As we talked about Singapore last week, Sydney is no different in terms of being one of the most expensive cities in the world. Therefore, it's quite interesting to follow what you can actually do in the city for just $10. Are you gonna get far with that amount of money? Is there any life hack you should know before you plan out a visit to the capital city of the NSW?!!
Now, now… Thanks to David Angel from Delve into Australia, as in this opportunity, he's going to share what you could get in the city for what's equal to $10 USD. 🙂
Quite Chilly in Manly!
Sydney is an expensive city to visit, especially with the Australian dollar remaining at historically high levels over the last few years. But there are bargains to be had at certain times.
One of the best things to do in Sydney is to take a ride on a harbour ferry. In order to use public transport in Sydney, you need to obtain an Opal card which you can then use on all ferries, buses and trains.
The best ferry ride of all is the F1, which runs form ferry hub Circular Quay to the seaside suburb of Manly, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
The one time of the week you can get there and back for less than US $10 is a Sunday, when fares across the entire network are slashed to just A$2.50 (US $ 1.93!) for unlimited travel throughout the day. On other days of the week, the return on an Opal ticket works out at A$ 14.70, which at $11.37 takes us slightly over budget.
The Manly ferry is one of the best public transport journeys in the world. As it leaves Circular Quay, you pass Sydney Harbour Bridge on your left and Sydney Opera House on your right, before heading out towards the ocean, passing North and South Heads before finishing the half-hour journey in Manly Cove, which is part of North Harbour.
Manly is a beautiful suburb, with the still turquoise waters of the harbour on one side and the famous Pacific Ocean surf pounding the beach the other, just 400 metres away.
There are several harbour beaches, including Delwood and Fairlight, a few minutes’ walk from Manly ferry wharf. The ocean-facing Manly beach is one of the best surfing beaches in Sydney, and it’s always busy with surfers catching the many waves. Nearby, Shelly Beach is much quieter and more sheltered, and it’s the starting point for a great coastal walk to North Head.
All of this is, of course, free, and you still have the equivalent of just over $8 USD burning a hole in your pocket. A coffee in Manly normally sets you back A$4-5, and you often find coffee and cake deals for $8-10 AUD ($6.50-8 USD), a perfect way to use up the rest of your budget, sitting back and savouring this wonderful spot.
Contributor: David Angel from Delve into Australia
David Angel is a professional writer and photographer who has traveled the world – and Wales, his home country – for the last 30 years. Delve into Australia is a newly launched travel blog with the aim to be an online expert travel resource for people who are planning to travel within Australia. For the past 8 years, David has been making a yearly trip down under with his Australian-born wife, Faye.
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Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Find the Best Area to Stay in Sydney
Perfect way to spend a Sunday with a ferry ride and coffee and cake. Why do you think they discount it so much from $11.37 to $1.93 and on a weekend day? I find that both cool and interesting!!
it’s interesting to find out the reason why the discount is on sunday, but i think it’s because sydney is a big city. i suppose since urban people who live in the city, they rarely go out on sunday so maybe it’s considered low season to the point they give discount to the commuters? hmmm. that’s like a rough theory though. 😛
Looks like you got the best out of $10 bucks! Manly looks beautiful, perfect for a relaxed day by the sea. I also just read your $10 guide to Singapore (as I’m currently here, very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
yeayyy, so happy that it’s helpful… eat well yet slow in there, enjoy singapore! 😀
What a great way to spend a Sunday! And to think that it’s the day when the price is the lowest instead of the highest!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
A ferry ride and a sweet all for $10. I would agree, a fun way to spend a Sunday … at least part of the day. I’d spend the rest of the time hopping on and off buses to visit various parks around the city. Though by evening, it would absolutely be time to go over budget! Unless you have tips for cold beer and tasty comestibles for $10. 😉
hahaha, i suppose it’s sydney that we’re talking about.. by the night, you should go back home for the beer you bought the previous day to stay on budget. 😛
I love how fares are slashed in half on Sunday’s. When I visited Vancouver, they had a similar approach to their public transportation on the weekends. I wish Japan would do this too!
Sounds like a lovely little budget idea for a chilled day out, that’s my kind of Sunday! Manly looks like a really cool part of the city. I’m not much of a surfer but the coastal walk sounds fab.
That boat journey sounds awesome, and for $2.50 it’s a bloody bargain! It’s nice to know insider’s tips, like cheaper days, it’s those kinda things you really appreciate knowing when you’re travelling!
You can definitely get more out of that $8 than just a coffee and a cake. Plus, with all the free things there are to do in Sydney, there is way more you can do to fill your time than just eat cake and drink coffee on Manly Beach.
What a great suggestion! We always like to use public transportation when we travel to new places, especially in expensive cities like Sydney!
If I didn’t get sea sick that sounds like a great deal!! Being able to travel in different ways can always save you money & way under 10$
Great tip, everyone will love your post especially for someone planning to travel Australia.