Mapping out the transport options in Sydney

By CATHRIN SCHAER

What's the best way to get around Sydney - jump on a bus, train or catch a cab?

If you're in the city for only the weekend, take taxis. It will save you time and frustration, if not money.

If you're there for longer it may be worth getting cosy with the public transport system as, in the inner city, trains can get you places faster than cabs, and buses are cheaper.

Sydney's public transport is cheap and efficient; travelling from or around the central areas, everything is well signposted and it's pretty hard to get lost.

If you're really getting out and about, it might be worth investing in a small mapbook. The best one is Gregory's. It costs around $A18 for the smaller, purse-sized version, which is widely available at newsagents.

Be aware: if you're heading to Sydney for the Olympics you would be well advised to stick with public transport, which organisers are encouraging patrons to use. Public parking will not be provided at any of the venues. There will also be all kinds of road and lane closures and re-directions that will make nonsense of any map you buy. Sydney traffic is bad enough at normal times. During the three Olympic weeks (and probably several weeks before and after), the traffic jams are probably going to get pretty nasty.

Information

For all public transport inquiries call the Transport Infoline (ph 131 1500), or check out the informative website.

A wide range of brochures is available at the Sydney Visitor centres, located at the international airport arrivals level; 106 George St; the Rocks or Palm Grove, Darling Harbour (ph 9255 1788). One of the best free brochures is a small square book called Sydney - The Official Guide, which includes detailed inner city maps and all kinds of other useful information.

Trains

Trains are the easiest way for first-time visitors to get around. While not as scenic as the ferries or buses, the trains - running both underground and above - are easy to navigate, fast and relatively cheap to use.

In general, trains leave in either direction every two or three minutes. All lines go through Central Station and many of the bus routes leave from around this area, too.

The train system has a wide reach and thanks to the Olympics, Sydney now finally has a train going from the airport to Central Station in town. Latest additions to the inner-city transport scene are the Sydney Monorail and the Sydney Light Rail system. These can be very handy for sightseeing and shopping as they do a loop of the central city, stopping at places like Darling Harbour, the Powerhouse Museum, Haymarket and Star City Casino.

Buses

Buses are slightly more complicated because you'll need to find out the number of the route you want and where to catch it. But at the main metropolitan bus depots (at Central and Town Hall stations, Circular Quay and Wynyard Station) it's easy enough to find the bus you want.

If you do get lost, outside the McDonald's at Circular Quay, at Wynyard Station and behind the Queen Victoria shopping arcade are booths manned by informative blokes who can tell you all about the buses and hand out timetables and tickets.

Basically, the bus system works well. Most of the main services run every 10 to 20 minutes if not more often.

But the one thing to note about buses is that the routes seem to be designed mainly for shipping commuters into the central city and back out again. If you want to go from one suburb to another, it's usually a matter of catching a bus from the suburb you're in back into the city and then to the suburb you want to be in. There are also two special bus services worth noting - the Bondi and Bay explorer and the Sydney Explorer. These travel in a loop in their respective areas and make sightseeing easy, allowing you to hop on and off as you please for a day. Tickets cost about $A30 for adults, $A15 for children.

Ferries

It's worth taking at least one ferry during your stay in Sydney as it's an inexpensive combination of harbour sightseeing and public transport.

All ferries leave from Circular Quay and go to Manly, Darling Harbour, the North Shore, Double Bay and Balmain. The RiverCats service Homebush Bay (the Olympics site) and Parramatta.

Taxis

Taxis work very much like they do in New Zealand. You can hail one off the street , find one of the plentiful taxi ranks, or call one of the many local companies.

A trip costs about the same as in New Zealand, unless your cab gets caught in one of Sydney's infamous traffic snarls. That meter keeps ticking.

As traffic jams are likely to get worse during the Olympics, once again, it's best to stick with public transport if you're coming for the Games.

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