Sydney Fish Market and Behind the Scene Tour

Sydney . 2013 . May 24

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

In the wee hours of a rainy Friday morning, Tommy and I dragged our tired selves out of our comfortable bed at the Mercure Sydney as we got ready to start another eventful day of our Sydney vacation.  Nope, we were not going to watch the sunrise.  Instead, we were going to watch the business of seafood retailing unravel at the Sydney Fish Market, the world’s third largest seafood market!

The world’s largest fish market is terms of volume is Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo; the second largest is Mercamadrid in Spain).  Sydney Fish market is also the largest seafood market in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world in terms of variety of seafood sold. 

It was pitch black as we trudged through the wet and slippery grounds to the Sydney Fish Market.   From a distance, the buzz of activity at the fish market was apparent and we closed in for a better look as seafood retailers begin to offload their fresh produce.

Sydney Fish Market includes a working fishing port, a wholesale fish market, auction hall, a fresh seafood retail market and cooked seafood, a seafood cooking school, fruit and vegetable markets, florists, cafes, and indoor and outdoor sitting areas for visitors.   All seafood lovers will certainly find great delight in the wide array of fresh and delicious seafood at the Sydney Fish Market.

Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scene Tour

For those who are curious about the origin of the seafood that arrives at the Sydney Fish Market, and what goes on behind the scene from the time seafood arrives at the fishing port to its distribution to top restaurants and retailers, the Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scene Tour is just for you.  Not open to the general public, this tour for a limited group has to be booked in advance and is conducted by the staff of Sydney Fish Market.

All of us on the Behind the Scene Tour were told to gather outside Doyle’s Café before the early hours of 6.40am. 

Led by an authorized Sydney Fish Market guide, we were issued with a bright vest before making our way to the closed door live auction hall.

It was an eye-opener as our guide explained to us the Dutch system of auctioning while auctions of boxes after boxes of seafood were already in progress.  Each day, about 150-200 buyers (many of them regulars) gather at the auction house of the Sydney Fish Market at 5.30am to bid for more than 100 species of the freshest seafood through a computerized system.  Every day, about 2,800 crates of fresh seafood is auctioned off through this method.

Note that Photography and videography are strictly prohibited in the Sydney Fish Market. Here's some photos that we retrieved from the official Sydney Fish Market website.

Sydney Fish Market Live Auction (Credits: http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au)

The most memorable part of the tour was when our guide brought us right to the auction grounds to have a close look at the produce being auctioned off at that very moment.  She also explained to us how to assess the quality of seafood and the variety of seafood, crustaceans and shell fish.

Outside the auction grounds, at the retail area, there is a live demonstration of oyster shucking.  It’s a pity that these species of oysters don’t come with pearls in them.

It’s not every day that you get to see some professional tuna slicing, but that’s exactly what we got for our Behind the Scene Tour.  Sashimi, anyone?

The Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scene Tour had a duration of about 1.5 hrs, after which we were free to roam around the publicly accessible retail wet markets.  By this time, all the retailers had their produce out on display and were open for business.

How about some scorpion fish?

Or Tasmania Octopus?

King Crab Legs.  It brings back fond memories of our trip to Alaska and our fabulous meal at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.

The fruits and vegetables wholesaler at Sydney Fish Market.

Indoor and al fresco dining areas at Sydney Fish Market.  The most amazing part of visiting the Sydney Fish Market is getting your fresh seafood cooked to your liking and having it there.  Join us in our next post as we breakfast at the Sydney Fish Market.

How to Get to Sydney Fish Market

Sydney Fish Market (SFM) located at Bank Street Pyrmont, is open every morning (except Christmas Day) from 7.00am.

By Metro Light Rail

You can catch the Metro Light Rail from Central Station, Haymarket or Darling Harbour to the Fish Market stop which is located across the road from the Market. Services run every 10 - 15 mins from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm (12:10 am Friday & Saturday) from Central and 6:00am to 11:20 pm (12:30 am Friday & Saturday) from Lilyfield.

By Bus

501: Bus service departs from outside the Sydney Electricity Building, on the corner of George and Bathurst Streets, and Central Station every 20 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. Passengers disembark on the corner of Harris Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road. The Market is a five minute stroll down Pyrmont Bridge Road.

443: Bus service departs from outside the Queen Victoria Building every 20 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. Passengers disembark on the corner of Harris Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road. The Market is a five minute stroll down Pyrmont Bridge Road.

By Boat

Sydney Fish Market is easily accessible by boat. Simply go into Blackwattle Bay. Casual berthing is available on the pontoon wharf for a maximum of two hours.

About the Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scene Tour

Your trip to the Sydney Fish Market will not be complete without finding out what goes on behind closed doors.  The Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scene Tour cost AUD$25 per adult and $10 per child (ages 10-13).  Children below the age of 10 are not encouraged.  A AUD$5 voucher for use within the Sydney Fish Market retail areas are given to every participant at the end of the tour.
 
Behind the Scene Tours are held every Monday, Thursday and Friday (except Public Holidays and days between Christmas and New Year) and are limited to 12 pax per guide.  Tour places do get sold out, so plan early and go online to book a place here.

Sydney Fish Market
Pyrmont Bridge Rd,
Pyrmont NSW 2009,
Australia

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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Vivid Sydney - A Night of Dazzling Lights and Water Show!

Sydney . 2013 . May 24

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Held from 24 May – 10 June 2013 from 6pm till midnight, the Annual Vivid Sydney is an 18-day Festival of Lights, Music and Ideas.  The biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and managed by the New South Wales (NSW) Tourism and Destination NSW, the Festival transforms iconic buildings and landmarks in Sydney city into an outdoor night time art canvas every night.  With spectacular light installations and projections, and specially choreographed music, Vivid Sydney also features outdoor performances by international musicians and performers.

Vivid Sydney at Circular Quay & Sydney Opera House

We were lucky to catch the launch of Vivid Sydney 2013 at Circular Quay on the last day of our vacation in Sydney.  As part of the celebrations, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up by visitors from an interactive touchscreen at Luna Park.

 Even the cruise ship docked at Circular Quay is dressed up with dancing lights while guests party on board.

Despite poor weather conditions, throngs of visitors arrived before the launch of Vivid Sydney at 6pm.

Lighting the Sails of the Sydney Opera House.  This world famous light show is not to be missed!   Lit up by a fantastic laser show that runs on a loop, the Sydney Opera House is transformed into a multitude of different colors and designs. 

Vivid Sydney at Darling Harbour

For the first time since the Festival started five years ago, Vivid Sydney was extended to Darling Harbour.  Besides drawing even larger crowds to the popular entertainment area, the entire precinct was transformed into an oasis of dazzling lights and water fountains that dance to choreographed music.  Known as Vivid Aquatique, the water fountain dance amazes its audiences on the hour, and is a spectacle not to be missed.  The Australian National Maritime Museum, Pyrmont Bridge and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Headquarters featured spectacular light displays on their buildings.

Be sure to catch Vivid Sydney 2014 and beyond if you happen to be at Sydney City!

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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Sand Boarding at Stockton Bight Sand Dunes with 4 Wheel Drive, Sydney

Sydney . 2013 . May 22

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

“Maybe I should just give you a push down the slope”.

I glanced nervously back at Tommy as images of me tumbling over the 4-storey high sand dunes flashed around in my head.  For the umpteen time, I have perched myself precariously over the rim of the slope and trying very hard to muster the courage to slide down on the board provided.  People have come and gone (children included), many of them on their 4th or 5th round of fun sliding down the steep slope.  Strangers have asked me to take photographs for them on their journey down.  But here I am, still at the same place with my sandboard, and chickening out at the last minute.

What promised to be a day of fun was quickly beginning to literally spiral downhill now.  For one thing, I suffered badly from seasickness on the first part of this tour while chasing dolphins around Port Stephens.  For another, the second part of the tour would also have come to naught if I could not even enjoy a simple sand boarding activity (albeit from a very high sand dune).

It was with much excitement and anticipation as we drove to the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes after the dolphin-watching cruise at Port Stephens.  The Stockton Bight Sand Dune covers an area of 4,200 hectares at a rugged 32 kilometre long beach front with hills of sand climbing up to 40 metres.   On top of the sand dunes is where you get the best scenery of the coast line and the wetlands beyond.   Located only about 10 mins away from Port Stephens, the Stockton Bight sand dunes are considered the largest in Australia.

Upon arrival, we were transferred to a 4 wheel drive (4WD) to bring us deeper into the sandy terrain.

Immediately, the landscape began to change during the roller-coaster ride on the 4WD.  Mountains after mountains of sand surround us from all sides, making it seem like a scene out of Earth.

At the sandboarding dunes, we exchanged our shoes for a sand boarding board each and stood around for a short instructional briefing before beginning the painstaking task of climbing up the 4-storey high sand dune on our bare feet.  The sandboards doubled up as an equipment to help us with our strenuous ascent.

At the top of the sand dune.  This may look like much fun, but it is frightening not to be able to see over the edge of the slope.

Tommy on his downwards descent on the sand dune, while I watch timidly from the top.

Tommy is a natural at sand boarding.  Determined to make the best of this trip, I let Tommy chaperone me closely (though I didn’t allow him to push me over the edge).  I’ve soon learnt that you just need a lot of courage, some basic techniques and a sense of good sport to make this fun.  As I pushed myself over the edge of the sand dune, gravity soon caught on and pulled me to the bottom of the hill on an exhilarating journey down (surprisingly, I didn’t tumble down as expected).  Ego bolstered by the success of the first round, and somewhat feeling reassured about the safety of this activity, I found myself going back eagerly for more.

But the crowds begin to thin and we found ourselves waiting for the last 4WD to bring us back to the coach. 

Though covered from head to toe with sand, everyone had much fun for the day as we chatted with everyone animatedly during the ride back.

And at least, I can safely declare that I’ve learnt a new skill today– sandboarding!  I am game for more sandboarding, anytime, anywhere.  In fact, I look forward to it.

Techniques for SandBoarding

• Dig your fingers into the sand as deeply as you can, and use it as a form of braking mechanism as you slide down. 

• Lean backwards and keep your body and your centre of gravity low to avoid tumbling down the hill like Jack and Jill.  

• Keep your feet firmly on the front of the board and push forward with your body weight to begin the downward descent. 

• Loosen your hand’s grip on the sand to accelerate as you gain momentum.

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

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