Arriving In Sydney

Australian Customs

Australian Customs is very strict. Make sure you complete the Incoming Card correctly and declare. Worst thing that can happen if you declare is they confiscate the item. If you do not, they will not only confiscate the item, you will also be made to pay a hefty fine. Avoid bringing in animal and plant products, especially with seeds. Your pork chicharon will be confiscated.

For more information, click on this link. Arriving and leaving (abf.gov.au)

Transfers

There are several ways of travelling from the airport to your hotel.

If you are staying at the Club Wyndham, they provide a shuttle service to and from the airport, for a fee, of course. But this needs to be pre-booked. If you want to avail of this service, arrange this with Pi before you arrive.

Uber and Taxis are a convenient option. There is a taxi rank just outside the arrival terminal and you can also book an UBER service from the airport. It is generally quick so you will not have to wait for a long time.

If you are feeling adventurous or simply a seasoned traveller, you may also want to consider taking the train to the city. The train station is just a short walk from the arrival terminal. Take the train to Town Hall and Club Wyndham is a short walk from there. That is if you do not mind walking on the streets of Sydney with your luggage in tow. There are quite a few travellers around so do not feel embarrassed.

Transportation

The transportation system is easy to navigate around the CBD, or even to the outskirts. Know which station you are starting from and which station you wish to go to and then… go to MAPS.GOOGLE.COM.AU. Select the public transport icon and it will tell you which station, which line and which platform to take. It becomes a matter of knowing where to get off, which is also easy as the trains do have a display inside the carriage to say which station is coming up next.

You will need to tap in and out through the turnstiles. You can use your credit card on any of the transport systems but if you do not wish the banks to keep recalculating based on the current exchange rates, you may opt to purchase an OPAL card. Preload it with a certain amount and reload as needed. You can do this at the train stations or any newsagent.

The light rail system (this runs along George Street and starts/ends at Circular Quay) do not have turnstiles. You will need to tap at the platforms. Make sure you tap on and off. If you do not tap on and an inspector comes, it will be a hefty fine. If you tap on and do not tap off, it will charge you for the maximum fare for the line.