Sydney Prices

« I found the first yarn store in Sydney, and it's more in line with my interests! Their main focus is on selling knitted products made from alpaca, with a limited selection of alpaca yarn.

Just look at these shelves and there's another one just like it! The quality is top-notch, and the owner keeps the prices reasonable—definitely good compared to many other places! 🧶😊 »

« Regarding prices - we are very pleased! Everything is much cheaper than in Europe 😊
And in the photo is the view from the Sydney Tower, where we were shown a 4D movie about Sydney and then sent to the observation deck! 🌆 »

« Probably one of the most picturesque pools in the world ❤️ Australians, as always, have it right: $6.50 for entry and $9.50 for a locker key. »

« Walking across the top arch of the Harbour Bridge costs almost 200 Australian dollars now. That's around $130! We all exchanged glances and decided to head to the lookout for 13 bucks instead - the view from there is pretty great too. I mean, it just doesn't feel right to spend that much on climbing beams for two hours. »

« An unusual public transport payment system here (including buses, trains, and ferries) uses a reusable NFC card called OPAL. Since January 2016, regular tickets in Sydney have been almost completely phased out. A trip costs around $2.50-$5.00, but after spending $10.00 in a single day, all further trips that day are free. After eight trips in a week, all trips until the end of that week (until Sunday) are free! And on Sundays, unlimited travel on public transport costs just $1.60.  »

« The "Greats" exhibition at the Art Gallery in Sydney features Vermeer, Da Vinci, Gauguin, Titian - it's small but absolutely beautiful. $22, definitely go for the audio guide. 📸✨ »

« The Carols in the Domain event takes place annually in Domain Park. The main singing starts at 8:30 PM and wraps up around 11 PM with the sounds of a festive fireworks display. The coolest part is the goodies bag. You pay $10-15 and get a bag filled with all sorts of items; we found canned goods, candles, household products, magazines, and snacks. All the proceeds go to charity! I really appreciate the family spirit of this festival. 🎄✨ »

« Seriously, we’re the girls on this big green island who can spend HOURS complaining about how bad our manicure/pedicure turned out (for $70, mind you), and we secretly share spots where Vietnamese/Korean masters do at least an OK job. When it comes to design (and I’m not talking about the millennial designs that many still rock around here), the basic "moon" manicure is done even worse. When I asked about non-traumatic facial cleansing, I was told about mechanical and manual options (can you believe it, this was back in 2015!). »

« Now I sail to the center by boat. It costs $5.75, takes 20 minutes, and the view is priceless. »

« Sydney is undoubtedly a beautiful city... but when you take your child to daycare and see a notice that the price has increased by $12, now totaling $95 a day, you completely forget about how great it is to live by the ocean, in a warm climate, and savor mango for breakfast... 😅 »

« In Australia, you'll often come across Aboriginal names for cities, streets, and beaches that can really trip you up! Behind us is the name of perhaps the most famous beach in Sydney, which in the Aboriginal language means "wave crashing against the rocks." This is definitely the most well-known beach in Australia! The parking fees at the beach are directly proportional to its popularity, and the number of handsome surfers conquering the local waves is off the charts! 🌊🏄‍♂️ »

« Today we attended a free concert at the conservatory and took a tour of the building ($25 regular, $18 for students and seniors). It was a delightful experience. The concert program changes daily; today there were five short pieces for percussion (including a part of Bach's sonata and a tango by Astor Piazzolla), and tomorrow it will feature saxophones, lasting about 40-60 minutes. The tour was very interesting and brief, as a lovely guide shared that there used to be stables here, and there are many underground rooms with fascinating stories. We continuously heard someone playing or singing, and it brought back memories of my music school days. 🎶😊 »

« In the Sydney Conservatorium (next to the Royal Botanic Gardens), you can get a ticket for a concert (1.5 hours) and a tour (1 hour) for $30. Concerts take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 2 PM, with the main concert starting at 12:30 PM. On Saturdays, tours are at 10 AM and 1 PM, with concerts at 11 AM and 2 PM. »

« In Australia, everyone riding a scooter or bicycle must wear a helmet. They're quite focused on safety in all its forms, and I don't think that's a bad thing overall. In our state, the fine for riding without a helmet is around $65, although I found some info suggesting it could be as high as $200. »

« Ilyusha racked up three fines in a week totaling $1,500. To give you an idea, such violations would cost around $10 in some places here. Seriously, to pay that much in fines, you'd have to be driving without a license, drunk, and with a joint in your mouth!

Just for reference, and a bit of a reminder that everything's pricey in Australia 🙈😩:
- Speeding in a school zone by 10 km/h: $189
- Speeding by 8 km/h in a 50 km/h zone: $109
- Driving with expired insurance and registration (the guy just forgot he needed to register and insure the car each year): $1,246

Total 💰🔫 »

« Parking prices in the city center. For the curious. »

« The view of the Harbour Bridge is stunning. At all the major viewpoints where you can see this iconic bridge, crowds gather in the morning to wait for midnight and watch the main fireworks display of the Green Continent. With hundreds of thousands wanting to join in the festivities, tickets for many viewing points start going on sale three months in advance, with prices beginning at around $130 per person. There are parks with free entry, but they fill up quickly starting in the morning, and by 3 PM to 5 PM, they’ve often reached capacity. Therefore, groups of people flock to the center of Sydney early in the day, armed with blankets, backpacks, and coolers, hoping to secure a good spot for a picnic while they await the year’s biggest celebration. However, it’s worth noting that security at park entrances prohibits bringing in alcohol and glass containers.

We were lucky—arriving in the city during the afternoon, we found an excellent spot in Observatory Park. It was a beautiful lawn on a hill, perfect for viewing the Harbour Bridge, where most of the show takes place. There were several food kiosks available and clean restrooms on the premises. »