New South Wales has endless unspoilt beaches, breathtaking natural treasures and one of the world’s most famous and vibrant cities.
By Ellie Schneider
The vibrant capital city of Sydney is your base for exploring New South Wales. Discover unspoiled beaches up and down the east coast or take a road trip to see Australia’s oldest wine region and beautiful wilderness. See it over a few days or a few weeks. There’s good reason New South Wales is Australia’s most visited state.
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See the Three Sisters rock formation from Echo Point Lookout at Katoomba; it’s also the gateway to many walking trails. Board the world’s steepest passenger railway and descend into an ancient rainforest with Scenic World Blue Mountains. Or get a panoramic view of the mountains from a glass-floored cable car suspended above a steep gorge.
Tours run daily from Sydney and Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. Scientists estimate limestone formations there date back at least 340 million years. Watch traditional dance performances at Waradah Aboriginal Centre in Katoomba. The Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout tour starts at Faulconbridge train station.
Ride on quad bikes from the bush to the beach, traversing magnificent sand dunes and learning about Aboriginal culture in the Worimi Conservation Lands, north of Sydney. With Sand Dune Adventures, riding a 400cc bike, you’ll be in awe of the area’s natural beauty.
Expert Aboriginal guides will lead you through the Southern Hemisphere’s largest moving coastal sand dunes, some rising more than 30 metres. You’ll learn about traditional Aboriginal foods, or bush tucker, and how to find fresh water.
Sand Dune Adventures is owned and operated by the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council. Novice quad bike riders are welcome. You’ll be given instructions on how to ride a quad bike before touring the Stockton Beach sand dunes on the North Coast of NSW, Australia.
Tours are Monday to Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. From Sydney, the drive Sand Dune Adventures in Williamtown, Port Stephens, is 2 h 30 min. You can travel by train from Sydney to Newcastle, where you can take a bus for Williamtown.
A masterpiece of architecture, the Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most famous buildings. You can take a photo on the steps of the Opera House, explore it majestic exterior and splendid interior on daily tours, and enjoy performances held under its iconic white sails.
On the edge of Sydney Harbour, one of the world’s great natural harbours, the Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was evaluated as “one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind”.
The Sydney Opera House hosts 1,600 performances every year including ballet, opera, theatre, dance, music and comedy as well as children’s shows and more. You can combine shows with delicious food at the Opera Kitchen and Bennelong Restaurant, or enjoy pre-show drinks at the Opera Bar.
For daily tours, join the Sydney Opera House Tour, the Backstage Tour or the Tour and Tasting Plate, which includes a guided tour and a three-tier gourmet tasting plate at the Opera Kitchen. Foreign language tours are in Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish and German.
The nearest train station is Circular Quay.
Kangaroo Island is a treasure island of renowned natural beauty. After your sea voyage across the Backstairs Passage from spectacular Cape Jervis, you’ll discover its awesome beauty, rugged unspoilt wilderness and abundance of marine wildlife and seabirds as well as wallaby, goanna, echidna, koala and kangaroo.
Walk in the wild with seals on the beach. You will never forget Kangaroo Island’s natural beauty.
The world famous wine region of the Barossa Valley is steeped in history and German heritage, swathed in rolling landscapes of vines, orchards, pasture and bushland and full of great characters.
Discover the rich bounty of the Adelaide Hills with its charming villages, so close to the city. Explore the enchanting town of historic Hahndorf with its unique Bavarian ambiance
McLaren Vale is the birthplace of the South Australian wine industry and home to some of the world’s oldest grape vines. – By Kris Madden
Nestled between the rolling Mount Lofty Ranges and Gulf St Vincent beaches, McLaren Vale offers a smorgasbord of fine wine, food, art and nature. It’s the birthplace of wine industry and home to some of the world’s oldest grape vines. McLaren Vale boasts more than 80 cellar doors and vineyards, and although best known for its shiraz, also excels in the production of ultra-premium grenache and cabernet varieties, frequently winning awards at international wine shows.
A popular morning Adelaide tour, over three hours you will be introduced to our delightful city, which is surrounded by parklands with a blend of historic buildings, wide streets, cafes and restaurants. Drive past Adelaide’s cultural precinct – North Terrace, the National Wine Centre, Adelaide Botanic Gardens and the beautiful Botanic Park, home to the Bicentennial Conservatory and the Adelaide Zoo.
Continue through historic North Adelaide, where you’ll see tree-lined streets, mansions and historic buildings. Stop and visit the iconic St Peters Cathedral or the newly developed Adelaide Oval then travel through the city’s east on the way to the Haigh’s Chocolates for a factory tour and tastings of this famous South Australian chocolate. Return to the city via the South Parklands, West Terrace and North Terrace.
An amazing coastline to travel and stunningly breathtaking, the Great Ocean Road is a photographer’s delight and it consistently features in the Top 10 of world’s greatest scenic coastal drives. A day tour that will impress!
Get ready for an exciting day of visual wonderment and one of the best coastal drives you will ever experience! Your day tour with Gray Line along iconic Great Ocean Road takes in spectacular coastal views of long sandy beaches, rolling surf, precipitous coastal cliffs and river inlets. Travel through popular resort towns Anglesea, Lorne, Wye River, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell. Our stops include Twelve Apostles boardwalk, Loch Ard Gorge and Island Arch. A refreshment stop is made at Port Campbell before heading inland back to Melbourne.
Welcome to Melbourne! Known for its gardens, restaurants, cafes, arcades and laneways, the arts and its relaxed elegant charm. It’s also home to the Australian Open Tennis, Aussie Rules football, Melbourne Cup and the MCG!
Our morning Melbourne tour is a great introduction to our beautiful city. Head NE of the city and tour through ‘Little Italy’ with its plethora of restaurants and boutique shops. See the exquisite architecture of Melbourne University and Royal Exhibition Building before spending time at Fitzroy Gardens. A favorite part of the tour? – a guided walk through some of Melbourne’s best arcades and lane ways with the chance to enjoy the atmosphere and have a coffee break.
Once the stomping ground for sailors, whalers and workmen, Salamanca Place in Hobart is now home to a vibrant cultural scene. Pop into warehouse art galleries, theatres, cafés and bars, and pick up boutique jewellery and one-off fashion pieces. Visit on a Saturday and mingle with locals and tourists at the bustling Salamanca Market, or pull up a seat in one of the stylish cafés – the perfect post from which to people-watch.
Wildlife parks across Tasmania offer opportunities to see the state’s emblematic Tasmanian devil. Take a night tour at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, 30 minutes drive north of Hobart, and you’ll get to feed the devils in a tug-of-war game; or join a Devil Tracker Tour at the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo on the Tasman Peninsula (about a one-hour drive south-east of Hobart) to help monitor wild populations.
On Tasmania’s east coast, Freycinet National Park is a place of wild beauty. Towering pink-hued mountains, known as the Hazards, shadow the landscape, and at their foot are the calm, blue waters of Wineglass Bay. Explore the picturesque Friendly Beaches, dine on an abundance of fresh seafood, and spend the night at one of Australia’s exclusive luxury lodges.
Freycinet National Park is roughly 2 1/2 hours drive north from Hobart or two hours drive south from Launceston. If you have time to spare, wind your way here along one of Australia’s most dramatic road trips, the Great Eastern Drive.
Explore the spectacular beaches, peninsulas and national park trails along Tasmania’s east coast on the luxurious Wineglass Bay Sail Walk. You’ll travel between Maria Island, Freycinet Peninsula, Schouten Island and the Tasman Peninsula aboard a 23 metre (75 foot) ketch, stepping ashore for nature walks and barefoot beach dinners. You can opt for a four or six day itinerary, both departing from Hobart. Also on the east coast is Freycinet National Park and the Freycinet Experience Walk . Starting in Hobart, this four day trip includes walks between two and eight hours long, with opportunities to snorkel, swim, fish and learn about native plants and geology. At the end of each day, retire to the Friendly Beaches Lodge on a private sanctuary.
Cradle Mountain St Clair National Park is arguably the jewel of Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage area, and undeniably one of Australia’s most beautiful national parks. From the jagged peaks of Cradle Mountain to the mirrored waters of Crater Lake, this is a wilderness experience that will stay with you a lifetime.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the middle of the island of Tasmania, and is easily accessible from the island’s two main towns, and . There are two main access points to the park: the northern entrance, at the town of Sheffield, about 1½ hours from Launceston. The southern entrance is at Derwent Bridge, in Lake St Clair National Park – a 2½ hour drive west of Hobart.
South Australia is home to some of the freshest and most inspired ingredients in the country. Taste enticing African flavours at Adelaide’s Africola, sip rich red wines in the Barossa Valley and shuck your own local oysters in Coffin Bay. Whether you’re dining in an architectural anomaly or snorkelling for scallops, South Australia’s food and wine opportunities are endless.
Get up early for a stroll along the famous beach or go for an invigorating morning swim before breakfast at one of the cafés on Campbell Parade. You’ll find public showers on the beach to wash off the salt after a swim in the ocean. Enjoy the views along the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. Play nine holes at Bondi Golf Club.
In October and November, join the crowds at Sculpture by the Sea, an outdoor exhibition of artworks along a 2 km coastal walk. Buy takeaway fish and chips on Campbell Parade and enjoy them at the beach. Sip cocktails at Icebergs as the Sun sets over the ocean.
Meet koalas and hand-feed kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park, in Sydney’s west, a mid-way stop for day tours on the way to the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. An easy drive from the city centre, the wildlife park has more than 1,700 native animals.
Visitors can get up close to a koala for free and hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies in Featherdale’s kangaroo walk-through enclosure. You’ll also meet Ngukurr, a saltwater crocodile. This species of crocodile is the world’s largest living reptile.
Open daily from 9am to 5pm, Featherdale has cassowary and quoll breeding precincts that allow visitors to see these endangered and beautiful animals up close. Some of the park’s other animals include wombats, echidnas, bilbies and owls. Guided tours are available.
There’s a souvenir shop and at the Drovers Hut function centre enjoy lunch or morning and afternoon tea. You can also visit the park by public transport. Go by train from Town Hall Station to Blacktown Station and then by bus to the park on Kildare Road, Doonside.
Every evening at dusk the Little Penguins come home from the sea at Phillip Island. Watch from an elevated boardwalk as they waddle cautiously from the beach to their burrows after a long day out at sea.
Phillip Island is a treasure trove of Australian wildlife; seals, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, bird life and penguins! At Koala Conservation Centre, look for koalas in their natural habitat and before sunset, we head to the Penguin Parade where you can wander through the “Penguin Experience” exhibit to learn more about them. Walk out to Summerland Beach and take your seat for the Penguin Parade.
Mornington Peninsula is a favourite holiday destination for many Melburnians. Join our day tour and discover all the peninsula has to offer from local produce, stunning beaches, upmarket resort towns, cafes and restaurants.
A day tour that will excite your senses! Take the scenic route along Port Phillip Bay to Mornington for a refreshment stop (own expense). Continue along the bay and inland to The Cups Estate for wine tasting. Tour through the small township of Flinders, enjoy a chocolate tasting, bakery cafe lunch, photo stop at the lookout for panoramic views towards Phillip Island and scenic drive through Flinders golf course. Cider and produce tasting awaits at Mock Red Hill and it’s then time to pick your own delicious strawberries at Sunny Ridge!
A relaxing and pleasant morning tour, visit Dandenong Ranges National Park and feel the serenity of being surrounded by rainforest. Ride through the forest on ‘Puffing Billy’ steam train, an original steam locomotive.
A morning surrounded by rainforest of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Greenery everywhere and sound of nature with bird calls makes for a scenic and delightful tour. Visit Sherbrooke Forest with its tall eucalypts and at Grants Picnic Ground, enjoy an authentic Australian experience … our Aussie style Bush Billy Tea with lamingtons, Vegemite and crackers. Here you will also get to meet many of the locals … Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots! There is time for a short bushwalk before riding on Australia’s most notable narrow gauge railway on Puffing Billy steam train.
Tour the vineyards and sample local wines at cellar doors, including Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood, Briar Ridge, De luliis and McGuigan. Tours depart Sydney or join a tour in the valley. Savour wines and local produce at quality restaurants. Learn more about wine at the Hunter Valley Wine School.
Pamper yourself at a day spa, such as Château Élan. Enjoy a round of golf at a championship-level course, such as the Greg Norman-designed The Vintage, or one of many picturesque local courses. While strolling in the Hunter Valley Gardens, visit the children’s favourite storybook garden.
A visit to Tasmania isn’t complete without touring the site of one of Australia’s most infamous prisons, the World Heritage-listed Port Arthur. Separated from Tasmania by a narrow neck of land, Port Arthur was once known as the “inescapable prison”, housing hardened criminals subject to harsh punishment. Today, the convicts and guards are gone, but the stories – set in an equally dramatic landscape of craggy cliff faces and the remains of more than 30 buildings – remain.
On the beautiful Tasmania Peninsula, Port Arthur Historic Site is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of Hobart. A popular tourist attraction, it is easily reached by car in 90 minutes or take one of the regular coach services from the city. Entry Coast AUD $37 per adult and AUD $17 per child; family and concession passes are available
“Perth’s port town, Fremantle – or Freo, as the locals call it – has charm in spades. In its curving, colonial-era streets you’ll find artsy, quirky locals who love busking, street art and alfresco dining.”
Once a separate town, Fremantle has long been engulfed by the city of Perth’s spreading tentacles, but plenty of its historical roots remain. Get to know it via a tour through its prison, a beer at its famous brewery and a photo with a rock ‘n’ roll legend who grew up in its engaging streets.
The seduces visitors with a rich fusion of wine, food, art, scenery and nature and produces some of Australia’s best Verdelho (a valley speciality) Chenin Blanc and Shiraz varieties. Visit a cellar door and you’ll likely be greeted by the owners themselves, eager to share stories about the region’s 180 years of viticulture. You’ll also experience world-class art galleries where you can often meet the artists. Discover the joys of holding and feeding wildlife, or play the didgeridoo and learn about Aboriginal culture.
Showcasing one of the largest collections of native fauna in Western Australia, Caversham Wildlife Park invites you to experience magical close encounters with Australia’s cutest inhabitants. Here’s your chance to hand feed the kangaroos and have your photo taken with the cuddly koalas and wombats. Situated at the heart of Whiteman Park in the Swan Valley, it’s a 30 minute drive north east of Perth to reach the wildlife park. As well as coming face to furry face with many of Western Australia’s curious native creatures, you can also take a peek at the workings of Molly’s Farm. Inside this interactive zone, you’ll enjoy a variety of farmyard fun, from sheep shearing, sheepdog and droving demonstrations, to swinging the billy tea, milking the cow and bottle feeding the lambs. Once you’ve snapped plenty of great family memories, head into the surrounding Whiteman Park for a picnic or barbecue, or make a beeline for the restaurant, just a four minute walk away.
Victor Harbor is a seaside settlement known for its beaches, whale spotting and wildlife encounters – By Marc Llewellyn
Situated on one of the world’s most startling coastlines, the former whaling town of Victor Harbor is a relaxed waterside retreat with a historic main street and a coastline dominated by a huge rock outcrop called the Bluff. An offshore island, connected to Victor Harbor by a causeway, is strewn with giant granite boulders. Hundreds of whales swim past the area’s rolling hills, quiet beaches and towering cliff faces, before coming close to town to breed and suckle their young.
For a taste of adventure and an injection of adrenalin, head to the Lancelin sand dunes north of Perth. Here, you can go sand boarding down massive 45 degree angle dunes, which are the biggest in Western Australia. Hit the sand in a dirt bike or four wheel drive. From the peaks you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic outlook over Lancelin, surrounding farmland, sand hills and coastline. Some of the best views are at dawn and dusk. The sand dune system is about two kilometres long and is nestled directly inland from Lancelin Township. Lancelin is about an hour and a half drive north of Perth.
You don’t have to look hard to find the focal point at , 222 kilometres (138 miles) south of Perth. Everything here revolves around the 1.8 kilometre (1.1 mile) long . It’s the world’s longest wooden pier. Stroll along the jetty or take the cute, red, 50-seat train to the end, where there’s an underwater observatory, accessed via a spiral stairway. As you wander along the jetty, keep an eye out for dolphins frolicking in Geographe Bay. From September to early December migrating whales also use the bay to rest and nurse their young.
Reminiscent of an enormous breaking wave, this 110 metre long (361 feet), multi-hued granite cliff rises 15 metres (49 feet) above the ground, in an outback plain roughly three hours’ drive inland from Perth. Believed to be millions of years old, the prehistoric Wave Rock is found in Australia’s Central Wheat Belt region, also home to country towns and miles of golden wheat fields.
Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is one of the best outdoor museums you can experience. With a colourful history relating to the discovery of gold in the region back in the 1850’s, you too can capture the excitement!
Travel the stage coach route of the 1850’s along Western Highway to Ballarat, steeped in history with the discovery of gold. Tour through this gracious town with its exquisite gardens, noble statues and magnificent architecture. Pass by the Eureka Stockade, site of the 1854 miner’s rebellion. Spend the rest of your day at Sovereign Hill where Ballarat’s first 10 years after the discovery of gold in 1851 is re-created. Try your luck at gold panning in Red Gully Creek or head underground on the Red Hill mine tour. Don’t forget to visit the Gold Museum too!
