Sydney - Passports, Public Holidays, Public Transport

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Passports and Visas (includes information on Visa Waivers)

passports All foreign nationals apart from the citizens of New Zealand require a visa (either a tourist or short stay business visa) in addition to their passport to enter Australia. Travellers from New Zealand require only their passport. All applicants for visas must have a passport that is still valid for at least 6 months.

A tourist visa can be issued for a stay of up to 12 months, though in most cases, a 3-month one will be more than adequate for most people's needs. There are two ways to apply for a tourist visa:

The first is through the traditional method of submitting a written application to the Australian Embassy (or Consulate) in your home country.

Alternatively, nationals from certain countries (see the current list of eligible passport holders) can apply for an electronic visa (also called an Electronic Travel Authority or ETA) using the Internet. Instead of the visa stamp/insert that you'd normally have in your passport, ETA details are recorded on the Australian Government's immigration systems, so that when a passenger checks-in at the beginning of their trip, they'll be shown as having authority to enter Australia.

If you're eligible to apply for an ETA, simply make your application online at the Australian Electronic Travel Authority Website. Alternatively, your travel agent or airline may have registered with the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship to access the service, so they can make the application for you.

Renewing or Amending Your Passport - if you need to apply for a new passport, renewal, or to amend details on your current one, contact the following passport offices in your own country:

In the United Kingdom application forms for new passports (Form A); children's passports (Form B); or amendments (Form C) can be obtained from main post offices, branches of Lloyds Bank and travel agents. Depending on which office is nearest, applications (postal only) should be made to the following Passport Agency offices:

Belfast, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newport and Peterborough, Tel: 0990 210410 (general enquiries for all offices)

The Agency's London office deals with personal callers only. Residents in the Greater London area should submit postal applications to the Glasgow office. Turnaround times for straightforward applications vary depending on the time of year, the busiest period falling between February and August.

In the US contact one of the regional Passport Agency offices located in:

Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford and Washington. Advice on submitting passport applications, the status of an application itself and emergency passports can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) on: 1-900-225-5674 or 1-888-362-8668 (credit card users with Visa, MasterCard, Amex). If you need a US passport quickly, it's also worth noting that firms such as www.passportexpress.com offer a guaranteed expediting service;

In Canada contact one of the regional Passport offices located in:

Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Hamilton, Hull, Jonquière, Kitchener, Laval, London, Montréal, North York, Ottowa, Regina, Richmond, Saskatoon, Scarborough, St. Catherines, Sainte-Foy, St. John's, Saint-Laurent, Surrey, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Windsor and Winnipeg. Alternatively, passport applications can be made at major post offices. For further details visit the Canadian Passport Office;

Postal Charges

The cost of sending postcards weighing up to 20g (by Air Mail) to any worldwide destination is $1.20 AUD, with letters (to European destinations such as the United Kingdom) of up to 50g in weight costing $1.85. For a full list of international postal rates, simply use the postage calculator on the Australia Post website.

If you've already affixed postage stamps to your letter, then they can be mailed using a street post box (yellow boxes are for Australia Post's express service, red ones for the normal service). Alternatively, you can visit one of the many Post Offices dotted around Sydney.

Below, we've listed a few of the larger Post Offices in Sydney for your convenience:-

1 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000;

Level 6, MLC Centre 19-29 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000, 264a-278 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000;

44 Market Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000

Public Holidays

1st January (New Year's Day)
26 January (Australia Day)
Late March/early April (Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Monday)
25 April (Anzac Day)
1st Monday on or after June 9th (Queen's Birthday)
2nd October (Labour Day)
25 December (Christmas Day)
26 December (Boxing Day)

Public Toilets (Rest Rooms)

toilets Most shopping centres/malls will have toilets that are usually clean and well-maintained, though not all offer facilities that have been adapted for travellers with disabilities.

In addition, many railway and public transport stations also have toilets, though cleanliness varies according to location. Being an enlightened nation, especially when it comes to locating public toilets, the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing has its very own National Public Toilet Map, making it easy to locate your seat of choice for a relaxed number two.

In popular places, such as downtown attractions, restrooms may be reserved for patrons only (a sign saying such is usually displayed). Of course, while you can choose to ignore them, buying a coffee, doughnut, soft drink or other small item will immediately qualify you as a patron.

Public Transport/Transit Information for Sydney

transfers Sydney has a modern public transport system consisting of an extensive network of bus, rail and light-rail routes. It also has a monorail system running around the central area and harbour.

Buses – Sydney's comprehensive network of bus routes provide a fast, frequent way to get around the city and its suburbs. The majority of the city's routes are operated by Sydney Buses, though some additional routes are operated by other bus companies. There are over 300 routes running during the day and a limited number of night services. Bus route numbers start from 100, with a regional designation associated with the route numbers. For example, routes 100-299 service the city's northern areas, 300 to 399 the east and 400 to 499 the west and south. Those from 500-599 cover routes in the west of the city.

In addition to the "all stopping" routes, Sydney Buses also operate limited stop or express routes, with numbers prefaced by an L or E accordingly (the letter actually replaces the first digit of the normal route number).

Tickets for single bus journeys can be bought on board the bus and will cost between $1.70 and $5.60 AUD (depending on the length of your trip). To determine the fare price, each route is divided into sections, with a section corresponding to approx 1.6 kilometres (about a mile). The fare is then calculated by counting the number of sections you’ll need to travel to complete your journey. Details of the other fare options, including passes, are covered in more detail later in this section.

When travelling on buses, always ensure that you have a valid ticket and, if using one of the company's TravelTen tickets, that you have a ticket covering the number of sections you'll need for the entire journey. Be warned, those caught travelling without a valid ticket will receive a hefty on-the-spot-fine of $100 or more.

CityRail Suburban railway services – suburban railway services are run by City Rail and comprise of eleven (11) lines in total. In addition, some services link to a number of intercity lines too. The most useful services cover stations in the central area of Sydney, particularly those in the 'City Circle' loop, namely the stretch between Redfern and Museum, where many lines run underground and effectively act as the city's metro (Sydney does not have a conventional metro system which is surprising for a modern city of its size). The Airport and East Hills line is also useful for the journey between Sydney airport and downtown. Details of where to buy tickets and the fare options available, including passes are covered in more detail later in this section.

Monorail – visitors to Sydney will find the Monorail a very convenient method of transport, as its route (a single loop of 3.6 kilometres with seven stations) goes through some of the key areas of central Sydney, including the Central Business District, Chinatown and Darling Harbour. The monorail was opened in 1988 to celebrate the bi-centennial of the founding of Sydney. For a single loop, both adult and children's tickets cost $4.50 (though children under five years of age travel free), while day passes, which include the Supervoucher Day Pass range in price from $9 through to $50 (for a 3-day, 4 adult pass).

Light Rail – the single Light Rail route, which opened in 1997 may be Sydney's newest mode of transport, but in fact it marked the return of the modern tram to a city which once had an extensive tram network. The route operates between Sydney Central Station and Lilyfield and has 14 stops in total. Visitors will probably find the stretch between Sydney Central Station and Star City the most useful. Tickets types include a single fare (within one zone) for $3, through to a weekly ticket for $20.

Other tickets and passes:

TravelTen Ticket – there are 5 different versions of this ticket with each type offering 10 journeys per ticket (providing you stay within the section limit for the type purchased);

DayTripper Ticket – allows unlimited travel on all regular buses, ferries and CityRail services in the suburban area (the boundary stations of the suburban area are Cowan, Emu Plains, Richmond, Carlingford, Macarthur, Cronulla, Otford and Bondi Junction);

BusTripper Ticket – allows unlimited travel on all regular buses for the day it is validated and until 4am the following morning i.e. if you validate your ticket on a Thursday, you can use the ticket until 4am Friday morning;

TravelPass (weekly) – there are a number of weekly passes that allow unlimited travel within designated zones using either a mix of bus/rail/ferry or bus/ferry services. Note: the red TravelPass (covering the city centre) will probably be the most useful for visitors;

Prices for all of the ticket options mentioned above can be found in a full 2007 pricelist (effective from 2nd January 2007). Tickets can be purchased from Transitshop outlets (operated by Sydney Buses at certain major transport interchanges) as well as CityRail ticket offices, Sydney Ferries ticket offices and newsagents/other outlets displaying a yellow Sydney Buses "ticket stop" sign.

CityRail

The price of single/return fares between two stations can be calculated by using the fare calculator on the CityRail website.

CityHopper Ticket – this one-day ticket (which can be purchased as a peak/off peak version) allows unlimited travel around 11 stations in the centre of Sydney. Prices for the CityHopper ticket are $7 AUD (Peak) and $5 AUD (Off Peak) for adults and $3.50 AUD (Peak) and $2.50 AUD (Off Peak) for Children.

DayTripper Ticket - details and prices are as shown for Sydney Buses, namely $15.40 for an adult ticket and $7.70 for a children's ticket.

TravelPass - designed for frequent train, bus and ferry transport users, the TravelPass provides unlimited weekly, quarterly or yearly travel throughout designated zones or sections.

CityRail also offers off-peak and family tickets, with information on the available options being obtained from the station you wish to travel from (though limited details are also given on the company's own Tickets and Fares pages).

Sydney - Passports, Postal Charges, Public Holidays, Public Transport

Passports and Visas (includes information on Visa Waivers)

Postal Charges

Public Holidays

Public Toilets (Rest Rooms)

Public Transport/Transit Information for Sydney

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