It's not what we'd call a nice area, it's in the business district, at the low-rent end where it slopes down towards Central (the railway hub). Not much right there, a few pubs and such in Golbourn Street around the corner, lots of cheap eateries a few streets over in lower George Street and in Chinatown a bit further over yet. But being "not nice" doesn't mean "bad" - just nondescript and - hence - budget. You'll see a few drunks and such as you go down toward the railways, but keep walking...

The cheapest place to rent a car is up in Kings CXross, just off the red-light stretch - when you come to the top of

Dammit, I wasn't done yet, this site sucks - can't even get back at my thread, suddenly it kicks into "done" - so here goes again, duplication be damned:

It's not what we'd call a nice area, it's in the business district, at the low-rent end where it slopes down towards Central (the railway hub). Not much right there, a few pubs and such in Golbourn Street around the corner, lots of cheap eateries a few streets over in lower George Street and in Chinatown a bit further over yet. But being "not nice" doesn't mean "bad" - just nondescript and - hence - budget. You'll see a few drunks and such as you go down toward the railways, but keep walking...

The cheapest place to rent a car is up in Kings Cross, just off the red-light stretch - when you come to the top of William Street and turn right, away from "The Cross" into Bayswater Road - the place is called Bayswater, it's closed on Sundays. Good rates, no fuss no muss. Don't know about partial-day rentals, kinda doubt it, but ask them...

If you want to rent closer to leaving town, look up Hornsby, it's the last major suburb before you hit the freeway north through the mountains. Lots of trains to Hornsby. There must be some car rental outlets there (look under "hire" rather than rent, it's more common in Aussie-speak, at least for now until Yankee language has taken over).

From Hunter Valley you're most likely coming back down through Hornsby and then along the northern suburbs to Penrith and such, it's gnarly driving once you get past Hornsby, won't be fast. Don't worry about "mountain driving", it's not like that.

While in the Blue Mountains (Katoomba is the main town), ask for info about the Jenolan caves, they're fascinating, there are several of them, you can tour them, some take longer than others. The drive is not real quick from Katoomba, so allow whatever time the locals tell you and add a bit, i can't remember how long it took me the last time, but it wasn't quick.

If you need info in the Hunter Valley, head for Cessnock where they have a great information station just outside the town on the Sydney side - anyone will direct you. Brochures for all the wineries, maps, the works.

No, wine is not cheaper - they give you a drop or two to try, but they'd like to sell, that's what they do, it's not a bar or party atmosphere at all, strictly business, and besides, you'll be driving... So unless you're really a wine buff with a fat wallet, I don't know how much fun the Hunter Valley will be for you. Some wineries have restaurants attached, but again, it's not for the budget-minded, it'll cost you.

Sometimes, on weekends, wineries have parties with bands and family picnics etc., so if you hook up with somebody who will do the driving, that could be fun (but not cheap).

Hope this helps.

WK

moody2, you can take an interurban electric train from Central Station to Newcastle, about 2 hours. Newcastle station is in the city's main shopping street, and a car rental agency shouldn't be too far away. If you want to drive the whole way, though, you won't find it hard to get out of Sydney as long as you can get yourself onto the Harbour Bridge, or through the harbour tunnel - after that you just follow your nose (and the signs) north.

Re Hunter-Katoomba: haven't been that way for quite some time, but I'll guess at 3-3.5 hours, a mostly very pleasant and varied drive. Best way will be to take the Putty Road at Singleton south to Wisemans Ferry, where a car ferry will get you across the Hawkesbury River. From WF, which is a beautiful spot in its own right, to Windsor, in the Hawkesbury Valley, a pretty semi-rural area and the site of the third European settlement in Australia. From Windsor you can continue south to Penrith - you'll see the Blue Mts escarpment off to your right - where you'll pick up the Great Western Highway, which will take you straight to Katoomba.

The roads are mainly 2-lane, often windy but in good condition and nowhere are they at all scary (a few hairpins/switchbacks on the hill leavng WF and that's pretty much it). The Blue Mountains are pretty tame as mountains go and the roads likewise. Obviously you'll want to get yourself a good road map before setting out, and don't be bashful about asking people for directions if you get confused.

It's perfectly OK to sample wines and not buy. For most wineries the cellar door is mainly a promotional tool - in fact one one occasion winery staff volunteered the info that I'd get a better price in the bottle shop.

As far as etiquette is concerned: firstly don't emulate the guy in the movie "Sideways". Or do what a friend of mine did by remarking loudly at a Canberra wine tasting that (a) the Rhine Riesling tasted more like Urine Riesling and (b) the Lake George Cabernet tasted more like Lake Burley Griffin (the city's rather muddy lake). Other inadvisable behaviours, such as making inappropriate sexual overtures to winery staff and other patrons, will be fairly obvious. But you have to do a lot of tasting to get to that point, and then you'd have to sleep it off in the car.

If you want to look like a wine buff you can spit the stuff out. I never do, as it's against my religion and would have my Scottish ancestors whirling in their graves.