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At the southern end of Sydney Cove, sandwiched between Sydney's first settlement, The Rocks, and its modern emblem, the Opera House, Circular Quay is the launching pad for harbour and river ferries and sightseeing cruises. Less attractively, it's also the terminal for buses from the eastern and southern suburbs, and a major suburban train station to boot, with the ugly 1970s Cahill Expressway also spoiling the views. Always bustling with commuters during the week, "The Quay", as the locals call it, is crammed with people simply out to enjoy themselves at the weekend. Restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets stay open until late and buskers entertain the crowds, while vendors of newspapers and trinkets add to the general hubbub. It's a popular stroll from the Quay to the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens just beyond, licking an ice cream or stopping for some oysters and a beer at a waterfront bar; all the necessities for a picnic in the Botanic Gardens, including bubbly and fresh prawns, can be purchased at the Quay. Leading up to the Opera House is the once-controversial Opera Quays development which runs the length of East Circular Quay. Locals and tourists flock to promenade along the pleasant colonnaded lower level with its outdoor cafes, bars and bistros, upmarket shops and Dendy Cinema, all looking out to sublime harbour views. The ugly apartment building above, dubbed "The Toaster" by locals and described by Robert Hughes, the famous expat Australian art critic and historian, as "that dull brash, intrusive apartment block which now obscures the Opera House from three directions", caused massive protests, but went up anyway, opening in 1999. Besides ferries, Circular Quay still acts as a passenger terminal for ocean liners, though it's been a long time since the crowds waved their hankies regularly from the Sydney Cove Passenger Terminal , looking for all the world like the deck of a ship itself. To reach it, head past the Museum of Contemporary Art to Circular Quay West; take the escalator and the flight of stairs up for excellent views of the harbour. The rest of the terminal is now given over to swanky restaurants. Behind the quay on Alfred Street , you can check out contemporary craft and a scale model of modern Sydney at the recently renovated Customs House , or peruse the exhibits at the nearby Justice and Police Museum .
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