Sydney traveling question

We will be cruising to Sydney next year and we are trying to figure out what to do. We would like to go to the Blue Mountains and maybe spend the night somewhere there. So my questions are:

1. Should we rent a car and travel at our own leisure and stop and see what we want (party of 4) or should we take a bus or train?

2. If we stay in the Blue Mountains area where is the best place to stay?

3. We are also gonna be spending a couple nights in Sydney before flying to New Zealand so what is the best area for us to stay where we can see and do stuff in Sydney and also get to the airport fairly easy.

4. I see reviews where people mentioned stingers (ouch) We will be there the second week of October. Is the water and air temps warm enough to swim and if so will we have to deal with stingers?

Thanks for any info:o

1. If you want to do an overnight trip, I would recommend renting a car (if only so you don't have to deal with the luggage on the train.) But, a good visit to the BM can be done in a day trip from Sydney too. If you decide to do a day trip, I'd recommend the train. (I've done both kinds of trips to the BM--day and overnight.)

2. I think you'll find more choice in accommodations in Katoomba. (That's where we stayed.)

3. The best area to stay for sightseeing in Sydney would be Circular Quay/The Rocks.

4. Stingers aren't just "ouch"; they can be deadly. But, fortunately, the stingers to which you are referring are found in Far North Queensland (Cairns/Port Douglas). You won't have to deal with stingers in October in Sydney.

We will be cruising to Sydney next year and we are trying to figure out what to do. We would like to go to the Blue Mountains and maybe spend the night somewhere there. So my questions are:

 

1. Should we rent a car and travel at our own leisure and stop and see what we want (party of 4) or should we take a bus or train?

2. If we stay in the Blue Mountains area where is the best place to stay?

3. We are also gonna be spending a couple nights in Sydney before flying to New Zealand so what is the best area for us to stay where we can see and do stuff in Sydney and also get to the airport fairly easy.

4. I see reviews where people mentioned stingers (ouch) We will be there the second week of October. Is the water and air temps warm enough to swim and if so will we have to deal with stingers?

 

Thanks for any info:o

1. Rent a car if your comfortable driving on the left hand side.

2. I believe the HydroMajestic is looking good again

3. In the CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks are all good then train to the airport, or if more than two a taxi.

4. Early Oct is usually start of swim season (still can be a touch cool a lot depends on where your from) temp probably 65-75f, stingers aren't a big problem in Sydney

1. Whilst the train is cheap, easy and frequent, a car is great. Not a whole lot to see on the way to the mountains ( unless you go the long way via Mount Tomah ).

A car us really good to explore all the little villages and great sights to the left and right of the main roads.

Don't worry about driving on the "other side " of the road. Just follow the other drivers.

2. Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa.

Lovely and romantic.

Fairmont Blue Mountains Resort (M Gallery Collection by Accor). A bigger place with nice pools and a golf course)

Both are in great locations.

3. Agree with The Rocks / Circular Quay area.

4. October is too cold for ME to swim.

"Stingers " are not a big problem in Syd. As others said the deadly ones are much further up North. There are of course sometimes a few "regular" jellyfish around that sting a bit. But of course there are sharks, jet skis, Chinese and British tourists and drop bears that are a bit dangerous.

☺

1. Whilst the train is cheap, easy and frequent, a car is great. Not a whole lot to see on the way to the mountains ( unless you go the long way via Mount Tomah ).

A car us really good to explore all the little villages and great sights to the left and right of the main roads.

Don't worry about driving on the "other side " of the road. Just follow the other drivers.

2. Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa.

Lovely and romantic.

Fairmont Blue Mountains Resort (M Gallery Collection by Accor). A bigger place with nice pools and a golf course)

Both are in great locations.

3. Agree with The Rocks / Circular Quay area.

4. October is too cold for ME to swim.

"Stingers " are not a big problem in Syd. As others said the deadly ones are much further up North. There are of course sometimes a few "regular" jellyfish around that sting a bit. But of course there are sharks, jet skis, Chinese and British tourists and drop bears that are a bit dangerous.

 

☺

It's the drop bears what get ya.... 😳😅😜

It's the drop bears what get ya.... 😳😅😜

And watch out for those White Pointers ar Bondi, especially in October;)

1. Whilst the train is cheap, easy and frequent, a car is great. Not a whole lot to see on the way to the mountains ( unless you go the long way via Mount Tomah ).

A car us really good to explore all the little villages and great sights to the left and right of the main roads.

Don't worry about driving on the "other side " of the road. Just follow the other drivers.

2. Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa.

Lovely and romantic.

Fairmont Blue Mountains Resort (M Gallery Collection by Accor). A bigger place with nice pools and a golf course)

Both are in great locations.

3. Agree with The Rocks / Circular Quay area.

4. October is too cold for ME to swim.

"Stingers " are not a big problem in Syd. As others said the deadly ones are much further up North. There are of course sometimes a few "regular" jellyfish around that sting a bit. But of course there are sharks, jet skis, Chinese and British tourists and drop bears that are a bit dangerous.

 

☺

Agree with Lilianfels Lodge at Echo Point, a stones throw from the 3 sisters. Also try Echoes Boutique hotel next door. Both are upmarket but with fantastic settings.

Also try the Mountain Heritage at Katoomba. Has outstanding views. Of 1920 vintage but a modern hotel all the same. Another in Katoomba township is the grand Lord Carrington Hotel of 1880 vintage with its high ceiling rooms and bay windows.

Agree with car. Katoomba is 2 hours drive from Sydney but i would make a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park on the way near Blacktown. Off the highway, so get a GPS.

drop bears, white pointers, I am really going to miss alot not being able to speak the language.

Recommend that you stay overnight in the Blue Mountains. The Three Sisters are best viewed early in the morning and in the evening, when the colours change.

If you want to be close to the Three Sisters, I suggest you stay at Katoomba.

My favourite B&B is Lurline House, which is walking distance to the Three Sisters and the Town Centre.

http://www.lurlinehouse.com.au/

Next month, I will be staying at the Palais Royale Boutique Hotel, in Katoomba Town Centre, so I can let you know what it was like. I always visit its gardens.

And watch out for those White Pointers ar Bondi, especially in October;)

First cruise I ever went on everyone (who'd mainly cruised on party ships in the 70s) was telling me to look out for white pointers,:cool: the closest I came was an old set of grey nurses:eek::(.

Wow thank you all for all the great information but someone needs to explain what are white pointers, drop bears and do you really have sharks where you swim?

I am formally from New England so the water temps will probably be perfect for us as our ocean temps in the summer don't get much higher then 72.

Wow thank you all for all the great information but someone needs to explain what are white pointers, drop bears and do you really have sharks where you swim?

I am formally from New England so the water temps will probably be perfect for us as our ocean temps in the summer don't get much higher then 72.

Ok let's try.

Drop bears, Google may help

A white pointer is a shark, it also refers to parts of a female's anatomy that hasn't seen the sun in some time, that if she is young may point.

And yep we have sharks when we swim in the ocean. But we also have pretty good life savers on our beaches, if you obey directions and swim at patrolled beaches you'll be fine.

drop bears, white pointers, I am really going to miss alot not being able to speak the language.

It's just English

Wow thank you all for all the great information but someone needs to explain what are white pointers, drop bears and do you really have sharks where you swim?

I am formally from New England so the water temps will probably be perfect for us as our ocean temps in the summer don't get much higher then 72.

That 72 would be air temp not sea temp.

That 72 would be air temp not sea temp.

Water temp Oct more like mid 60s.

Water temp Oct more like mid 60s.

Thats why there are so many white pointers at Bondi in Oct. bbrrrr.:rolleyes:

first cruise i ever went on everyone (who'd mainly cruised on party ships in the 70s) was telling me to look out for white pointers,:cool: The closest i came was an old set of grey nurses:eek::(.

rotflmao

Ok I get the drift, haha. I'm sure you hate having all us tourist come into your beautiful country traipsing all over the place. My husband and I moved from brrrr New england 2 years ago to the sunny shores of Southern Delaware and come June, July and August we can't go anywhere because the traffic is awful. Oh and when I said 72 degrees I did mean water temps. By August, unless in Maine where the water never gets over 65 degrees, the water temps will reach into the low to mid 70's. Here in Delaware our beautiful water temps can get into the high 70's.

I really just like to lay on the beach and listen to the surf or get my feet wet so I'm hoping the weather in October in your beautiful country will allow for some of that.

Ok I get the drift, haha. I'm sure you hate having all us tourist come into your beautiful country traipsing all over the place. My husband and I moved from brrrr New england 2 years ago to the sunny shores of Southern Delaware and come June, July and August we can't go anywhere because the traffic is awful. Oh and when I said 72 degrees I did mean water temps. By August, unless in Maine where the water never gets over 65 degrees, the water temps will reach into the low to mid 70's. Here in Delaware our beautiful water temps can get into the high 70's.

I really just like to lay on the beach and listen to the surf or get my feet wet so I'm hoping the weather in October in your beautiful country will allow for some of that.

Nope we don't mind visitors as long as they don't try to tell us how much better and bigger there country is, cause we already know Australia is.

Most of us laughter when we're told how deadly rattlesnakes or black widow spiders are, or how big Texas is.

And yep those are pretty much the temps you can expect.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2013/04/drop-bears-target-tourists,-study-says/

http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2013/04/drop-bears-target-tourists,-study-says/

Yep must watch out for drop bears, but us natives are safe, it's the accent that upsets them.

I 'll let my wife walk ahead.

http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/925/1057/original.jpg?w=480&h

I 'll let my wife walk ahead.

http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/925/1057/original.jpg?w=480&h

Ahh, see, what you have there us the Common Drop Grizzly , native to the Northern US and Canada.

In Australia we have the Common Antipodean Drop Bear

(Lat.: ursus gravitate)

Ahh, see, what you have there us the Common Drop Grizzly , native to the Northern US and Canada.

In Australia we have the Common Antipodean Drop Bear

(Lat.: ursus gravitate)

Don't forget though that the original drop bear was white. Came from Bundy didn't he?

Indeed. Main diet used to be sugar cane.