The land is full of steep hills and sharp inclines - and the roads can get very scary, especially when it rains.
The first car that we hired was terribly underpowered and driving uphull was a real struggle. Additionally, the handbrake wasn't very strong, so on an incline, with the handbrake on, the car would slowly slide backwards (good thing we never had to park on top of a hill)!
Fortunately, the rental car company was happy to swop cars for us, but it was a good thing that we hadn't travelled too far that day.
Within Sydney city, driving is an absolute nightmare. The traffic is horrific beyond words.
There are no U-turns and many roads will be marked with a 'No Right Turn' sign. It's very frustrating to drive round in circles.
Additionally, construction seems to go on virtually all the time, which means closed roads and lots of detours. The one-way system can sometimes change directions, even! So it is absolutely useless to have a street map for Sydney. Unless you are using it to walk.
In any case, the city itself is very well linked up with an excellent public transport system, so it really isn't necessary to rent a car to get around. A daytripper pass lasts all day and gives you unlimited access to the buses, tube system (CitiRail) and even the Sydney ferries - or there's the SydneyPass, a 3, 5 or 7 day unlimited access ticket that also includes a trip to the Sydney International airport. There's also a TravelTen carnet pass or a week travelpass for the bus service.
The Blue Mountains just outside Sydney is an easy place to get to by train and the ExplorerLink bus route covers most of the tourist attractions within the Leura and Katoomba area. However, in order to really appreciate the land outside Sydney, it is definitely a good idea to get a car.
The Blue Mountains tourist circuit takes one from Sydney through the Blue Mountains all the way to the Jenolan caves, and on the way back, through miles of beautiful green farmland. The road is wide and mostly uncluttered with lots of places to stop off if one wants to pause and enjoy the views.
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