My husband and I will be traveling to Sydney next Wednesday and need advice on the exchange rate a few tours we are considering from the experts! First, would you recommend changing money in the states or in AU? Also, what is the current exchange rate? As we are traveling with a group, one of the excursions available to us is a tour of the Blue Mountains, including the Three Sisters Rock Formation. This tour is 8 hours and costs over $250 US for both of us. We have heard mixed reviews - is it worth it? Also, we would like to spend a day in the wine country. Several different tours are available but we are wondering (since time is limited), what are the best wineries to tour/taste? Should we take advantage of a tour? If so, which one? And, finally, would it be best to rent a car and see the country on our own? I know, lots of questions, but you folks have all the answers. Thanks, in advance, for your time and expertise.

Use this site to get the exchange rate of the day: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

It's currently at US$1 = A$1.36

There's absolutely no need to change money in the US. According to almost all "experts", ATM's represent the best exchange rate, even if you do have to pay a few bucks in bank fees.
ATM's are available at Sydney airport, and of course in the city.

I'm sure others will chime in with info on the Blue Mountains and wine country.

I think 3 sisters is spectacular for views, but I would be tempted to rent a car - save about $100 or more. Bus trips do not give much flexibility. Renting would enable you to have a look around other places - eg Leura which is just before Katoomba.

Hunter Valley for wine is not so spectacular but some parts very pretty - go via Peets Ridge Rd (little traffic) up to Cessnock and detour via Mount View Rd (some parts dirt) as you get near Cessnock - a nice drive avoiding the Pacific Highway - come back on the Highway for faster trip back. THere are around 150 wineries - Mount View Rd has very pretty ones. Brokenwood was recommended to us on McDonalds Rd (lots next to each other). We bought wine at Small Wineries Boutique just opposite Brokenwood rather than any of the single sellers. Of bigger names, Tyrells have some highly regarded wines. Hunter Valley hotels are not that cheap. We stayed at Tallawanta Lodge for A$200 incl a very good breakfast - nice but not great value and meals up there in hotels and good restaurants are same prices as Sydney.

Hunter Valley: it depends how comfortable you feel about navigating your way in and out of a big city not noted for the convenience of its road system, driving on the "wrong" side of the road, and of course having to limit your wine tasting - if like me you regard spitting it out as an insult to the Wine Gods. It would be a long day, unless you planned to stay overnight. On balance I'd lean towards a tour.

If you search on this forum you'll find lots of threads on DIY visits to the Blue Mountains. US$125 pp seems an awful lot to spend for what sounds like little in the way of value-add. You don't even have to rent a car - Katoomba is only 2 hours from Sydney's Central Station by air-conditioned interurban commuter train. Once there I believe that you can pick up a tourist bus that will take you the 2-3 km or so to Echo Point, the main viewing point for the Three Sisters. From there you can take a pleasant cliff walk around to the Scenic Railway, which will take you to the bottom of the valley (a somewhat vertiginous trip but fun). Katoomba sits right on the edge of the Jamieson Valley and you're never far from the main street.

Regarding money exchange, just check with your bank that you'll have no problem using your ATM card.

largall- I'd recommend doing a "search" of this forum and you'll see some great options for the Blue Mountains tours. We did take a tour while in Oz in November, but wish that we'd have handled the whole thing ourselves (via train). But even if you do go the tour route, $250US is VERY expensive. Ours was $68 per person.

The Blue Mountains is definitely worth seeing, but don't, whatever you do, pay that price unless they are throwing in all sorts of extras you haven't told us about! The rail ticket from Central (Sydney Terminal)is the way to go... if you like to walk, you can stroll from Katoomba Station to Echo Point in less than half an hour, and it's a pleasant walk (through the shopping centre, so you can buy food as you walk). Go early so that you get to do something that most of the tour buses don't allow you to do.... walk down PAST the Three Sisters (you actually walk onto the first of the three) and go right to the valley floor. You will stroll around among treeferns and waterfalls while the tour-bus people who paid $125 are being herded into souvenir shops or restaurants where the company gets a kick-back.

You don't have to cimb back up again.... there's a cable-car called the "Scenic Railway" which will whisk you to the top in a few minutes, and deposit you at a bus stop for transport back to the station. You'll have a far better day than if you took the coach... AND you'll be able to choose your day, so that you don't go when it's raining or foggy!

Thank you, everyone, for the fantastic insight and advice. If Hunter Valley is quite 'the place' for wineriers, is there a different location within 2-3 hours of Sydney? We are used to spending days in the Napa and Sonoma regions indulging.

There has been a lot of publicity for the new Sea Cliff Bridge starting at Stanwell Park about 90 minutes south of Sydney if light traffic. Very much a car journey to appreciate the place. Just before Stanwell Park there are spectacular viewing points from the cliff tops. the coastal road from Stanwell Park to Thirroul is very pretty - maybe 30 -45 minutes drive, so make a trip with lunch and the beach in mind. For me much more scenic than more travelled north of Sydney equivalent (Gosford, Terrigal) From Bulli just past Thirroul, to Wollongong it is OK but nothing special. We went along there on a Sunday and it seemed a pretty popular trip with the biker brigade, so mid-week would be the best time.

Travelnick,
Thank you so much for info - this sounds like a great afternoon. Can you recommend any particular wineries?

I just came back from Australia. When I arrived, I exchanged $80 in U.S. money. They charged me $8 in fees. When I left the country, I wanted to exchange $50 Australian dollars to U.S. dollars. They wanted $6.00 in fees. I said no and spent the money in the Duty Free store. I brought home some Australian wine.

I am sure your hotel will have a big list of tours available for you. They need to book them by 7:00 p.m.

I did a Blue Mountains tour with oztrails.com.au. It was really fun. They picked me up at a hotel very close to the house where I was staying and brought me back there at night. I don't remember the price but it was about $65-75 a person. We all the major sights to see. The Three Sisters was really cool to finally see after viewing so many posters and pictures. HOWEVER...I didn't even get there till my 3rd visit to Sydney so it's IMO not a "must see" if you have limited time. You could rent a car and do it on your own, but if you are from out of the country, never driven on the other side of the road, or not wanting the hassle of it all a tour is a good way to go. I met people on the tour with whom I had dinner and drinks with upon our return to Sydney, so it's also a good way to meet people (if you want).

If you take money out of an ATM you get charged a service fee from Oz AND sometimes a fee from your bank. What I didn't want was to get charged $6 each time I took out money. You could take out large sums at once but it's a pain. What I did was go to a place that had EFTPOS, so I used my debit/ATM card to buy something and they gave me cash back and there is no charge. Also a pain, but I was there for 2 months and I didn't want hordes of cash lying around.

There is just so much to see and do in Sydney. If I had a ticket handed to me right now (I'm at work) I would go, even in my winter clothes and nothing else! This time of the year should be good but hot (I've only been there in the Aussie winter but it's very mild)and is a good time to hit the beaches or just walk around. I especially love the Bondi to Coogee walk (or end it in Bronte) and the Manly Spit Walk is supposed to be terrific. You'll have a great time. I"M JEALOUS!!!

Sydney weather is variable - e.g. the next four days are forecast to have minima of 18-20C, maxima of 25-29, which isn't terribly hot. Having lived in Canberra's drier climate for a long time, I find Sydney's humidity a little oppressive these days, but it depends what you're used to (for the record, figures for the next four days are 56-61%).

No wineries on trip to Stanwell Park and through to RThirroul. Just enjoy the scenery. Hunter Valley dominates for the wineries.