This is duty free heaven. Opals, merino fleeces, gold, Aboriginal Art and other things visitors think are quintessential Australian purchases are displayed here in beautiful cases and supposedly sold cheap. Do all your duty free shopping here if you have your passport on you and that's your main priority, but you'll be missing out on the lovely old sandstone buildings and yet another almost flawless view of Sydney Harbour – if none of the big cruise ships are in the way. The loveliest buildings are made from big pale blocks laid down in the 19th Century with sloping verandas. It's all been done up of course and over taken with shops tailored to the visitor, and even the old dock warehouses have been smartened up and are being used as upmarket restaurants of all things. It's being so close to the shipping terminal that's made the area so visitor focused but you can still get drink in one of the local pubs – they almost all claim to be Sydney's oldest and have a wander round the old terrace houses that run under the bridge.

On Sundays there's a covered market selling nice gift-y things. It's probably a bit over priced but the atmosphere is worth paying a bit extra for, as are the old cobbled streets – they haven't health-and-safety-ed them out yet.

A shop selling all kinds of beads, one selling candles of all shapes and sizes, several galleries, one with lots of highly breakable objects in it, and one of the best vintage clothes shops in Sydney add a bit of charm to the roster of duty free shops dressed up like they're wool mills...on the harbour?

Walk up from Circular Quay for some decent free entertainment, this is one of the prime positions for buskers in Sydney, check out some modern art in the Museum of Contemporary Art and eat an ice cream on the lawn watching the ferries leave the quay.

Written by  Kat Mackintosh.

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The Rocks and Circular Quay

Both The Rocks and Circular Quay offer exciting, fashionable, and non-mainstream shopping opportunities. Hours of duty-free shopping can be had on George Street, Nurses Walk, the Argyle Center, and Playfair Street, which are the streets that make up The Rocks. Aboriginal and Australian art galleries are popular in the area, as well as fabulous opals, jewelry, and eclectic accessories. The Rocks Market is open on both Saturdays and Sundays. Here you can indulge yourself in gourmet foods, craft stalls, fashion, an outdoor bar, and various unique stalls.

Circular Quay is home to many stylish boutiques and excellent restaurants. Most of the unique items found here are sold at affordable prices and make for great gifts and memorabilia from your time spent on holiday. From high fashion, craft markets, jewellery stores and Australian mementos, you will be delighted with the range of shopping that can be done at Sydney's Circular Quay.

Shop for: Fashion clothing, mementos

Cafe stop: The Opera Bar

Get here: Easily reached via rail, bus, ferry or taxi, depending on your location

 

Review posted 27th October 2008 by Mary Kate Alfieri.

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