Terry is a host without peer. He is quick to communicate. Because his house and the room are entered with a code, you can arrive anytime he says is OK, whether he is there or not. From sidewalk to entry to room there are NO stairs!
Terry has thought of everything to make a guest comfortable. Waffle-top mattress. 10-foot-long desk at just the right height to use a computer. Two chairs at the desk. Two angled receptacles for iPad use. Full kitchenette, with small refrigerator, microwave, hot plate, toaster, coffee-maker. A recycle bin as well as garbage bin. Complimentary water and bus/train card. Small table with two comfortable chairs. Remote-controlled fan + a/c. Bathroom with modern appointments, and TWO shower heads. Extra toilet-paper rolls stacked in the corner. Electric iron and hair dryer.
Terry arranged for me to watch the famed Mardi Gras parade from a friend's third-floor balcony right on the parade route. He made sure I had a meal at one of the great Thai restaurants (by taking me there).
Terry's historic, well-preserved house is located on a busy street in the Surry Hills neighborhood. Double-glazed windows keep the noise out if that's a concern. It's a 7-minute walk to the nearest bus stop (a light rail line is being built, which he said would make the walk 10 minutes to the nearest station). The bus takes you to Central Station, which is part of the circular network of rails that takes you anywhere you want to go downtown.
One of the stops is at Circular Quay, where the Opera House is and near the Harbor Bridge. So from Terry's house to there takes only 30 or 35 minutes--both buses and trains run every few minutes; virtually no waiting.
Other trains will take you around the entire Sydney area, and as far as the Blue Mountains. If you walk to Central, it's about 15-20 minutes. If you walk to downtown, the closest corner of Hyde Park is 45 minutes away. A major grocery store is a 10-minute walk away. That neighborhood is full of commercial establishments, including plenty of restaurants and bars.
I am an experienced world traveler, and if I returned to Sydney, this is where I would want to stay.