Sydney Travel Forum

hi there,
I'll be visiting Sydney this mid-October, i have some question which i can't figure it out myself,can anyone please help me?
my questions:
1. is Malaysia driving license is acceptable in Australia?
2. what is the rate of current petrol price in NSW?
3. any suggestions on car rental company which offer the most reasonable price?
4. since I'll be driving from Sydney to Brisbane, any suggestion for stopover places?
5. along the way from Sydney to Brisbane, is there any rest & relax area offer shower facilities?
6. is it illegal & unsafe to stop & stay overnight at rest & relax area inside our car?
7. finally, how about the weather condition of mid-October in NSW?

your useful information is truly appreciated...
A MILLION 10z IN ADVANCE...

1: You can drive here under your Malaysian licence as long as it is current and you are a visitor.
2: Current price for petrol is ~$1.35 per litre on Tuesdays, to about $1.45 $1.50 from thursdays to weekend. Who knows where it will be in October.
3:A Google search will give you options and comparisons for car rentals. It all depends on what type of car you want and which companies have one way drop off to Brisbane. If youre driving up to Brisbane, definately don't get a banger that is held together by duct tape.Look for unlimited kilometres and pay the insurance. If you get even a minor dent you can get charged ~$3,000 in excess.
4:You don't specify if you need to get to Brisbane quick or are taking scenic holiday type drive. So if you need to get there quick, I don't suggest you do it non-stop. Stop at Coffs Harbour which is about the half way point. Takes about 6 1/2 hrs to get to Coffs from Sydney and about another 6 maximum to get to Brisbane. Stop every 2 hrs for a break at the towns along the way.If youre doing a scenic holiday drive, take an extra day or two to get there, and stop at lots of other places. Ask again in the forum for hints.
5: There are rest and relax areas along the route, roadside. I don't remember seeing shower facilities.There are truck stops along the way that do have shower facilities. Whether they'll let you use them is another question.
6: Truckies often stop and have a snooze along the way at rest and relax areas.But they have a proper bed in the sleeper compartment of their truck. It is illegal to stop elsewhere on the side of any road or in a park somewhere to sleep. Rangers patrol these areas and will wake you up and send you on your way. You're much better off just staying at a cheap motel for a good nights sleep. I mean , how good are you going to drive after being squashed up in a car seat with an imprint of a steering wheel on your forehead? Drive safe, for yourself and everyone else on the road. Get a decent nights sleep.
7: Its magic weather. Its spring. The smell in the air is fresh and clean.The sun is shining. Its warm to hot. It is the best weather time of the year.

Great information adlf.

I might just add that taking a break by showering and sleeping in a bed can be fairly cheaply achieved in Coffs Harbour (half way to Brisbane) by going to one of the three hostels.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=hostels+in+coffs+harbour&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

In the morning you then only have a four and a half hour drive to Brisbane, so you could have a look around in Coffs before you go and have a leisurely time completing your journey.

Carole.

Wow...can it be done that quickly...4 .5 hrs to Brisbane.? I did go via Coolangatta and Surfers, but thats no excuse. Maybe i just got my pedals mixed up. I must remember, ........ the one on the RIGHT is the accelerator .

Sorry adlf, local info gives a detour that slices 1/2 to 3/4 hour off the main road trip. Next time........

Carole.

As for petrol prices, it is now $1.60 a litre and they are predicting it will be about $2 a litre by the end of the year. By october (if this is true) the price will probably be $1.80 a litre or so. You may want to consider travelling by train instead, there are hop on hop off passes you can buy that allow you to look properly at eveything along the way if that's what you want.

Anywhere along the coast is nice to stopover.

It's not unsafe to sleep in your car (as long as you're not in the middle of the city near a pub or something) but I don't know if it's illegal.

Weather should be nice! Warming up a bit. Warm enough for a paddle in the ocean. It usuallly rains in September so that should be mostly over by october.