I will be in Syndey from Oct 31 to Nov 5 i will leave on Nov 6.<BR>My travel agent has booked me into the Furama Hotle Darling harbor No meals<BR>He has suggested the following :<BR>nov 1 City Sight and Bondi surf Beach by australian tours <BR>Nov 2 Afternoon Coffee Cruise by Capt cook Cruises-- might need some activity for the morning ?<BR>Nov 3 4 wd Blue Mts High countryb Tour Australian wild excapes Nov 4 Weekday Bridge Climb<BR>Nov 5 Tues is free time .<BR>I have a cousin in Nelson Bay .Is there public transport from sydney to Nelson Bay or do i have to rent a car.<BR>How long a trip is it from sydney to nelson bay ?<BR>Are there any substitute activities you would recommend.<BR>Thanks

Hi Stephen,<BR>I have not stayed at the Furama Hotel in Darling Harbour as it is a Japanese Hotel, mainly geared to that market and also I think that Darling Harbour is not the best area to stay in anyway. The area around Circular Quay is much better or the Rocks which is very close and has much more to offer that Darling Harbour - unless you wish to be near the Casino. <BR>Neither would I take some of the tours either. I don't know if you can change anything but to give you some idea of what the comparison is : you can get a Bondi Explorer Bus pass for about $15 ( someone may have up-to-date pricing) which give you much more that a tour does and also the Sydney Explorer which will take you everywhere and you can get on and off where you want. The cruises are all available at Circular Quay and are many and varied. You may see something that you like better. <BR>To get to Nelson Bay - take the train to Newcastle - about 1 1/2 hour trip and perhaps get your relative to pick you up from there or you could try the bus companies to see if any actually go into Nelson Bay. I am sure they would from Newcastle though if not from Sydney. <BR>I doubt that you will have any trouble in filling in time in Sydney as there is much to see and do. Do a search of Sydney on this forum and you will get more that you expected, I am sure.<BR> <BR>

PS<BR>Leave the Bridge Climb arrangements until you are in Sydney as the weather may not be right on the day you have pre-booked for.

Hi Stephen, I stayed at Furama Darling Harbour (now renamed Holiday Inn) last month and all i can say is that it is 'okay'. When you look out of your room window you should see the top of Powerhouse museum and right across the street, Sydney Entertainment Centre. 50 meters away will be Market City and just behind, Chinatown. Like Liz says, try to stay at the Circular Quay area - easier to get around the other further areas of Sydney as a main transportation hub is situated there. Try asking your travel agent for a swop further up, even somewhere around Pitt Street Mall would be better. More/better food too.<BR>

Hi, Stephen!<BR>Everything your travel agent has suggested can be done without his/her intervention, while you are out here, and I would go along with Liz in saying that you would be better to wait and organise journeys such as the 4wd Blue Mountains trip on the night before, so you can choose the right weather for the right activity. If you pre-book, the travel companies will expect you to honour the ticket even though they may know full well that they will be giving you a miserable day. (I heard two tour bus drivers chuckling about this once, and was outraged.)<BR> The Furama may be okay on the inside, but it's on the edge of Chinatown and appeals largely to people whose business takes them there. It's very close to Darling Harbour, but I don't know if you'd want to spend much time there, either. A previous poster mentioned that the Furama is now a Holiday Inn... why not ask your travel agent if he can organise, at the same price, the George St Holiday Inn, which is just down from the Russell in the Rocks? As Liz pointed out, a nicer area in every way. <BR>A lot of the tours your travel agent would be happy to see you shell out big bucks for can be taken by public transport... the ferry cruises, for instance.... the harbour is full of government-run commuter ferries which will take you all over Sydney for the massive price of $13 for a full day ticket, get on and off as often as you want. If you get sick of the ferries, you can swap over to trains or government buses on that day ticket. The Blue Mountains is accessible by train also, and when you arrive in Katoomba there are several tour companies which organise one-day 4wd tours... there's another one in Wentworth Falls, too. If you leave Sydney by the 8 a.m. train, you will be in Katoomba around 10 a.m., and you won't have had to pay for someone to pick you up at the hotel and then drive around picking up six or eight other people, too. And the road journey is very slow going for the first half-hour, until you hit the Freeway... and then you're only ten miles out of Sydney! I think there is a Bondi Explorer bus that will let you sneak a peek at Bondi Beach fairly cheaply, also... but, frankly, Bondi has the reputation, but there are other beaches equally good or better: Manly, reached by the best of the ferry rides, is equally as attractive, has several other pretty minor beaches nearby which can be reached by walking, and doesn't require you to sit in a bus going through several mundane suburbs... instead you sit on a ferry and gaze at the Bridge and the Opera House.<BR>Hope you decide to do it alone... have a great time!

Listen to the other posters, they are correct. You do not need an agent to do these things for you. Wait until you get to Sydney & do your own thing. From the Circular Quay ferries go to many attractive locations - Manly, Watson's Bay, the zoo, etc, etc. You can do Bondi Beach via ferry to Rose Bay & then bus or use the Explorer bus all the way. Believe me Sydney is an easy place to navigate. The Rocks, Circular Quay, Opera House, Botanic Gardens - that area in itself is worth a lot of time. If you like to walk there are many foreshore walks. Macquarie Street has a lot of history to it that is very interesting. The Rocks George Street Market on weekends is interesting. Have a brew at the Mercantile with the market right outside the door. There is lots of atmosphere in this area. The Botanic Gardens are absolutely beautiful. Darling Harbour does have its attractions but the other areas of Sydney have a lot more to offer in my opinion. I stayed at the Wentworth Rydges Hotel which is just a short stroll to The Rocks, Macquarie Street, & Botanic Gardens. You will love Sydney - I did.

Hi stephen<BR>I agree with Alan and Bill totally. Stay in the Rocks/Circular Quay area and get around the city from there. You can also book hotels in the two weeks prior to arrival at Wotif.com. If I would recommend anything it would be to make a reservation to see a show at the Opera House. It's great!<BR><BR>You do not need a car in Sydney - all you need is a ferry pass.