Bank Cheques - Are they safe?

[naddis01]

Ok guys, I am selling my car at the moment and I have someone interested in it that lives in Melbourne (about 450km away from me). As part of the deal I said I would deliver it to them. I would like to make the return trip in one day on a weekend so payment becomes an issue. Obviously they don't want to hand over thousands of dollars to a stranger before seeing the car, so what are my options?

I have always thought that bank cheques are a safe form of payment however I have read on here a couple of times that this may not be correct. I thought the bank had to guarantee that the funds are available. Is this the case? Otherwise what are my options other than cash keeping in mind that the transaction may be done when the banks are closed?