See Sydney on The Parramatta River Cat

From Parramatta to Circular Quay, there is a really large river called the Parramatta River. Along that river operates the Parramatta River Cat, a ferry that runs between Parramatta and Circular Quay.

The most common way to get from Parramatta to Circular Quay is by train. The train is faster, and much more regular than the River Cat, but in the end of the day it is a train. Nothing quite compares to sailing slowly down the river, taking in the sights along the way.

I had some time on my hands, so I was not in any rush to get to Circular Quay. I thought an excellent way to see new parts of the city is from the Parramatta River Cat. I wandered down to the ferry terminal to check out the timetable. The River Cat leaves about every hour on the hour, as opposed to the train which runs between 3 and 5 per hour. But I had some time on my hands and thought I’d wait until the next departure which wasn’t long away. Soon enough I was onboard the cat.

The Parramatta River Cat is fairly inexpensive. I cost me just over $7 for the trip, which is fairly standard and not too expensive at all. The cat was smaller than I thought it would be, making the trip feel quite personal, private even.  There were only two guys working on the River Cat.

They pull up at the ferry, throw the drawbridge across and on you go. And then you do not even pay until the River Cat takes off then they come around and collect your money for your tickets at that point.

I got on around 5 o’clock. It’s winter at the moment in Australia, therefore it gets dark quite early. It was dark when I got on it. The entire trip takes just over an hour. Compare this to the train which takes around 35 to 40 minutes depending on the train. As you can imagine, you see way more interesting places and sights on the cat.

There are about half a dozen stops along the way which are all pretty interesting. If you have time I highly recommend getting off at some of the places, before continuing the journey on later in the day. The stops are all really little wharfs. They are little riverside suburbs where it pulls over, ropes up, puts the drawbridge out and 1 or 2 people would get on and off. The whole journey is very chilled and I thought, relaxing.

Definitely the highlight for me was the arrival at Circular Quay. You enter Circular Quay from the front of Sydney Harbour, from the mouth of the Parramatta River and swing underneath the Harbour Bridge. The River Cat veers straight for the Opera House and takes a right into Circular Quay, near the CBD. It is really spectacular sight and well worth the boat ride.

Sydney Harbour is one of those icons,. There is the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, but really the views do not get any better than going underneath it on the River Cat and then just having it there straight in front of you when you are in that River Cat.

So, that is the Parramatta River Cat, obviously if you are in Parramatta and in a hurry, the River Cat is probably not the method of transport for you. It is a little slower and it is not so regular, but if you are not in a rush, it is definitely a far more scenic and pretty way to make that trip.

For full information, timetables and to purchase tickets, visit NSW Transport.

Post by Garry Searle