Sydney Shopping

Sydney has a massive variety of shopping from department stores to small boutiques.Take a stroll along Pitt Street you'll find Glasshouse, Imperial Arcade , Piccadilly, Sydney Central Plaza, the Strand Arcade and Westfield Centre point .

David Jones and Myers are the two largest department stores. Most high-end shops in Australia have a program where foreign visitors can get the sales tax refunded upon leaving, but beware--some shops only let you submit your bundled sales slips once (such as David Jones) so don't go to the Customer Service Dept. for the paperwork until you're truly shopped out.

The Strand Arcade is a Victorian shopping Arcade well worth visiting, for the best range of  top  Australian designers, such as Zimmerman, known for their stylish swim-wear  and  Victoria Buckley Jewelery, a contemporary designer who is known for her unique engraved gold pieces.

For more specialties shopping you can't surpass the stunning Queen Victoria Building  (right across the street from the Hilton Hotel) with lovely  small boutiques shops selling merchandise of all fine accessories located directly opposite The Galleries Victoria.  

In Castlereagh Street, you will find MLC Center and an array of international brands (including Channel, Gucci, Georg Jensen) to tempt you. It's  an elegant street just to walk down with tempting world-class shops such as Tiffany's, but also little coffee shops tucked into alcoves along the way. While more world famous stores can be found at the elegant Chifley Plaza(for example, Max Mara), bring your bankcard with you, these shops are pricey , but Chifley Plaza is also home to a terrific food court which is reasonable.

No 1 Martin Place in Martin Place is a beautifully restored landmark building offering special wining, dining and shopping. 

More stylish shopping areas include Double Bay , Paddington, with antiques found at Woollahra,particularly in the area around Sotheby's. The inner courtyard also has a great little lunch café. This area, which used to be home to dozens of antique shops, now houses only about half its former total, rental costs putting a number of the smaller shops out of business.

 If you're looking for less costly antiques, you're better off visiting Sydney Antique Centreat 531 South Dowling Street in Surry Hills.This huge building houses about 50 smaller antique 'shops' in a small antique shopping centre and offers everything from antique buttons to mammoth teeth carvings and Chinese vases. Market City in Haymarket, offers some fantastic bargains, along with the diverse shops found in Balmain, Darlinghurst Oxford Street, Glebe and Newtown.  Mosman is a fabulous trendy area to shop specializing in small boutique European and top label brands.

There is also a wonderful shopping centre at Harbourside in Darling Harbour. If you are looking for something rather unique and special then head to Circular Quay and The Rockswhere you will find many wonderful boutiques and Australiania items.

Wholesale shopping can be found at Birkenhead Pointa large complex offering discount prices on clothes such as Country Road, Marcs and Events.Other areas where you can pick up bargains is Redfern, Surry Hills and Alexandra all these areas are where the serious bargain shoppers go on weekends.

 There are also a number of markets at the weekend. The largest is probably Paddy's Market(Ph: 1300 361 589) in Market City (Ph: (02) 9212 1388). This is the Haymarket / Chinatown area. The plentiful stalls are open from Thursday to Sunday and are well worth a look. Catch a bus (436 438 L38 440 470) from bus stand C on Alfred Street, Circular Quay travelling along George Street and ask driver for Paddy's Market.

A tourist market is held on Sunday at " The Rocks ", offering a wide range of unique and fantastic gifts. For a more trendy market visit Paddington Village Bazaarheld on Saturday in the Church Grounds, Cnr Oxford & Newcombe Streets.  Catch the bus (380 or 333) from bus stand E at Alfred St, Circular Quay or bus 378 from Central Station (Railway Square or Eddy Avenue).  Tarpeian is an arts and crafts market held on Sunday next to the Sydney Opera House.

Weekend Markets

BONDI PUBLIC SCHOOL - 9am-4pm Sunday (bus 380 or 333)
Campbell Parade
GLEBE PUBLIC SCHOOL-10am-4pm Saturday (bus 431 - 434)
Glebe Point road
ST. ANDREWS CHURCH ( A great way to explore Balmain on a Saturday afternoon (bus 433, 434, 442)
Darling Street, Balmain 

Other shopping areas in Sydney is Chatswood Westfield Shopping Centre and Chatswood Chase. A huge shopping center with department stores and endless arcades and shops.Catch the train from Wyndard Station to Chatswood Station and walk down Victoria Street.   Bondi Junction Shopping Centrealso offers the same quality type of shopping with its department stores and boutique shops. Catch the bus (380 or 333)  to Bondi Junction from Circular Quay or the train.

  Parramatta shoppingcomplex is enormous and has about everything, catch the rivercat or bus L20 from bus stand C on Alfred Street, Circular Quay and see some sights along the way.  Eastgardens Shopping Centre, Pagewood   also houses a large complex, situated in the south-eastern suburbs. It is served by many public bus routes (301 302 310 316 317 353 391 392 400).

Macquarie Centreis another major option for shopping . You can take a 288, 290 or 292 bus from the QVB building - York Street bus stand B.  Hornsby Shopping Centre is located in the northern suburbs and is a short walk from the railway station.

Warringah Mall is another large shopping complex along the northern beaches. It is situated before Dee Why and can be reached by bus (156 169) from near or at Manly Ferry Wharf.  You can catch the bus ( L88 or L90) from Lee Street, Railway Square or Carrington Street,  Wynyard (opposite Menzies Hotel). The bus frequency is every 30 minutes on weekdays and 30+ minutes on weekends.  

FOR AUSTRALIANA GOODIES the best area to shop is The Rocks or Darling Harbour. There is an Aboriginal and Tribal Art Centre located at George Street The Rocks and another in Darling Harbour called the Gavala Aboriginal Art Centre located in the harbourside shopping arcade.

Australian Wine Centre: 1 Alfred Street Circular Quay 9.30am-6.30pm mon-sat. - Take a sample of Aussie wine home. 

Strand Hatters: 8 The Strand Arcade Pitt Street City, 9am-6pm mon-wed,thurs till 9.00pm sat/sun 11-4pm. Buy your original Akubra hat, great selections on offer.

RM Williams: 389 George Street City , sat/sun 11-5pm thurs till 9pm, mon-wed 9am-6pm. Buy your original Aussie boots and moleskin coats, trousers  and other interesting articles.  

Opal Fields: Queen Victoria Building City, 9am-6pm mon/sun Buy your beautiful Australian opal and jewellery at this special store. Other Opal stores can be found at The Rocks. 

Collette Dinnigan: 33 William Street Paddington.10am-6pm mon-wed,sat 10am-7pm.Discover one of Australia's finest dress designers and take home an absolutely stunning silky number. Bring your credit card too!!   

Mambo: 17 Oxford Street Paddington.10am-6pm Mon-Sat 12-6pm Sunday.You cannot go home without an original Mambo t/shirt, an Australian classic and icon. 

Paspaley Pearls: 142 King Street City (near corner of  Elizabeth St) . 10am-5pm Mon-Fri Sat 9am-4pm. Just bring your credit card along..these pearls are the best in the world.