Bradleys Head Amphitheatre
Wedding Shuttle Bus Hire Sydney
Bradleys Head has to be at the top for outdoor wedding venues in Sydney with its prime location overlooking Sydney Harbour and with panoramic views of the city, Opera House, Harbour Bridge and harbour headlands makes this the perfect backdrop for your special day.
Offering a shuttle bus service is a perfect solution for your wedding guests. See our Weddings page for more details.
Parking
The council assigns a Ranger at the parking location and reserves 2 parking spots for your service. These spaces are usually for the wedding cars and shuttle buses.
Accessibility
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty. Access to the amphitheatre is by steps. Disabled toilets are available.
The Journey
Adding the time for congestion at Bradleys Head and the loading / unloading of passengers is about a 12-15 minute turnaround time.
Wedding Photography
See our FAQ section at the bottom of this page for mor information.
FAQ's
12 seaters
- Seat Belts ✅
- Air-Conditioning ✅
- Child Booster Seats ✅
- Fully Insured ✅
- Accredited Vehicles ✅
- Wheelchair Access ❌
Restrictions
The Amphitheatre is limited to 120 people maximum
Solution
A shuttle bus is a 12 passenger vehicle capable of doing multiple trips from Taronga Zoo and or Taronga Zoo Wharf to Bradleys Head.
Depending on your final passenger numbers….2 shuttle buses maybe required.
Wet Weather
As Bradleys Head offers no shelter at the amphitheatre then wet weather will surely not be a pleasant experience. It is best to have a backup location in place and if you can keep it local in the Mosman area then the shuttle can still go ahead with pickups at the Zoo or Taronga Zoo Wharf and shuttling to the alternate location.
See below for more information.
Venue Availability
Venue not available from some later dates in December to January and public holidays.
Please check with NPWS.
What if it’s raining on the day?
You should always have a backup plan in case of wet weather.
As Bradleys Head offers no shelter at the amphitheatre then wet weather will surely not be a pleasant experience. It is best to have a backup location in place and if you can keep it local in the Mosman area then the shuttle can still go ahead with pickups at the Zoo or Taronga Zoo Wharf and shuttling to the alternate location. This will obviously take a little longer in travel times but will not affect your costing as it’s pretty much the same service and distances.
In the event of rain; the Mosman Art Gallery offers a beautiful venue that seems to be popular for a wet weather alternate. This still needs to be pre-booked with Mosman Art Gallery and a call with their friendly staff can offer some advice and costings.
A wet weather alternate is important to have in place so please let us know what your plan is in this situation and we can advise of changes to the shuttle times and costings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I have about 100 guests. How many shuttle buses do you recommend and how long will it take?
A. Depending on your time preference we recommend 1hr each way per minibus.
Considering it’s a 12-15 minute turnaround time we can do 4-5 trips within the hour. We would recommend at least 2 minibuses for shuttling the wedding guests.
Q. Where should we ask our guests to get the shuttle buses?
A. There are 2 main options. Taronga Zoo & Taronga Zoo Wharf. Our shuttle buses can go via all 2 locations each run or every 2nd run. Adding Taronga Zoo Wharf to the run will add an extra few minutes in times as it’s a small deviation. Athol hall is on the way.
Q. I want my guests to have the least inconvenience with parking and waiting times on the day. What do you recommend?
A. The most efficient service is to have everyone arrive at Taronga Zoo and park at the zoo undercover parking station which is a short walk to the pickup zone. See Car Parking tab above
Q. Do you think our guests could walk from closer parking spots?
A. It is not recommended to walk as there are no footpaths and the road is narrow for passing cars on both sides. The road is steep in some places and if it’s raining or the road is wet it would be unsafe in high heels for the ladies.
Q. Are there toilets at Bradleys Head?
A. Yes. 1 x male – 4 x female
Q. Is there drinking water at Bradleys Head?
A. Yes. 1 x tap – 1 x bubbler
Q. What other delays can we expect on the day?
A. The major factors in delays at Bradleys Head is the parking area. Competing with fisherman, picnickers, general public, tourists then you can see that it’s a busy place for vehicles.
All throughout the day there are cars coming down looking for parking, waiting for parking, double parking and creating delays for turnaround times for shuttle buses. There are also other weddings that come down just for photos and the wedding cars double park prior to the carpark and create more delays for everyone. These issues are out of our control and 99% of the time services are pretty smooth.
Q. What else can you recommend to make the day go smoother for the shuttle service?
A. The best thing you can do is to assign someone as coordinator at the pickup location (especially Taronga Zoo) as they can help facilitate the services on the day. This person can meet the guests as they arrive at the pickup location and give instructions to the drivers to go or wait a little longer. They can also keep track of when the shuttle buses have left and can estimate the return time.
Q. How often do you provide shuttle bus services for Bradleys Head weddings?
A. During the warmer months (September – March) we can do this service at least twice a month (Venue available Monday to Saturday. Venue not available from some dates in December through to January and public holidays. Please see NPWS website).
Q. What if our reception is not at Taronga Function Centre and we have 100 passengers needing to get to the reception elsewhere? How does this work?
A. One solution is to have the shuttle buses dropping everyone back at the pickup location and have a large coach or two waiting to take everyone to the reception.
Note*
For all commercial and public events or wedding photography, please email the Events and Venues Unit or phone (02) 9585 6570.
Accessibility
Disability access level – hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty.
Access to the amphitheatre is by steps.
Disabled toilets are available.
Available for hire Monday to Saturday. Venue not available from some later dates in December to January and public holidays. Please check with NPWS
Bradleys Head Amphitheatre factsheet
Recommendations & Tips
- Amplifier & Microphone: Depending on how may guests will be at the wedding you may want to consider using an amplifier and microphone. This should be pretty standard with any good wedding celebrant.
- Announcement: At the end of the service when the shuttle bus has arrived to start the return journey it is best to have the celebrant or someone make an announcement that the bus service has started and to please start making your way up to the bus.
- NPWS Ranger: Supervision is required for all functions. This cost has been included in the venue hire costs. Make sure they are booked in for your service.
- PARKING: Two (2) reserved parking spaces in the amphitheatre carpark can be arranged on application. You need this for the shuttle bus/es.
As Bradleys Head Amphitheatre is pre-booked only means that no other wedding should be there. Too many times have we provided shuttle bus services and during the runs another wedding comes down for photos. Not only is this not allowed but they usually come in 2 or more cars and have to double park and wait because your wedding is there. This blocks access and creates delays in the shuttle service. A NPWL Ranger will move then on. If no NPWL Ranger is there they will stay.
A ranger is included as part of your venue hire. It is very important that you enforce this supervision as sometimes they do not show up which means other weddings will come down and make it difficult for all drivers.
With the option for 2 reserved spaces is a big thing. First it creates a turning area should other turning areas be blocked and second it allows your wedding car and the bus/es to park during the ceremony.
Important
- Do not use a stretch limo
- Do not exceed 120 guests
- Do not use a vehicle that exceeds 5.3m in length
Delays on the Day
What delays can we expect on the day?
1. Unauthorised weddings
Other wedding parties coming down for photos creating delays in the parking and turning area
2. Not filling the bus each run
We need to try to fill the bus each run to maximise times and runs.
Having to wait to fill the bus before departing creates delays.
A simple announcement at the end of the service is all that is required to get people moving.
3. Oversize vehicles
Stretch limos, 4WD, buses bigger than a 12 seater or vehicles over 5.3m create blockages and delay the bus service
National Parks & Wildlife Service
Venue Approved Features
- Structures and decorations: Weighted free-standing decorative items such as bridal arches, red carpet and columns.
- Furniture: 15 chairs with rail style legs and 3 tables no larger than 3m2.
- Flora and fauna: Petals, flowers and flower arrangements containing no seed material. A florist can arrange this for you on request.
- Rubbish and cleaning: All rubbish must be removed from the site, including plant and food material.
- Sound and lighting: One single speaker portable PA system or music player with an amplifier no greater than 50 watts. Volume must be kept at a level that does not interfere with neighbours or the public.
- Catering: You may bring your own food as well as portable gas barbecues fitted with drip trays for cooking. Commercial catering is limited to plates or platters of cold food such as sandwiches, antipasto, canapes, salads and cakes. You may bring the following amounts of alcohol for consumption by guests:
One bottle of wine or champagne for every 4 guests
One case (24) cans or bottles of beer or premixed drinks (375ml maximum) for every 20 guests - Photography: One photographer, one photographer’s assistant, one videographer and one videographer’s assistant.
- Parking, vehicles and access: Pay and display parking fees apply at Bradleys Head and parking is on a ‘first in, first served’ basis in designated areas. Two (2) reserved parking spaces in the amphitheatre carpark can be arranged on application. Vehicles larger than a 12 seater bus (5.3m) are not allowed to enter the amphitheatre carpark.
- Supervision: Supervision is required for all functions. This cost has been included in the venue hire costs.
Car Parking
As the parking at Bradleys Head Amphitheatre is very limited (as mentioned on this webpage) it leaves a few options as to where guests can or should park their cars.
The options are either Bradleys Head Rd or Taronga Zoo Car Park.
Taronga Zoo Car Park is recommended. *Please note* The access height of the carpark is maximum 2.1m. Entry from Bradleys Head Rd.
- Closest to the bus pickup area
- $19 flat rate (after 1.5hrs) for a 24hr period
- Open 24hrs
- Security
- Undercover
- Electronic and afterhours pay station
Bradleys Head Rd around the zoo precinct is 12P and costs are similar to the zoo car park but getting a parking spot close to the bus pickup area is unlikely and will mean walking up the hill to the bus in wedding attire and high heels for the ladies.
We always recommend Taronga Zoo Car Park for our Bradleys Head Wedding Shuttle Bus Services.
At the time of updating this page (March 2020) the costs and information are correct. You can always call Taronga Zoo for updated information.