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Autumn colours in NSW

Autumn, Mount WilsonCredit: Destination NSW

Fiery autumn leaves on trees lining a quiet street in Mount Wilson.

#feelnew #feelnsw

Autumn colours in NSW

Autumn, Mount Wilson Credit: Destination NSW

Fiery autumn leaves on trees lining a quiet street in Mount Wilson.

#feelnew #feelnsw

Hashtags #feelnew #feelnsw

Explore New South Wales in autumn — from March to May — and discover a landscape of burnished valleys, golden vines and parklands scattered with red maple leaves. Here’s where to see some glorious autumn colours. 

Soak up the colours of the Blue Mountains 

In autumn, the cool-climate gardens and deciduous trees of the Blue Mountains, a 90-minute drive northwest of Sydney, are ablaze with colour. Soak up the rich colours of the Japanese maples, North American oaks and dawn redwoods at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, and explore the tree-lined backstreets of the town of Blackheath.  

Stroll through Mount Wilson, where the streets are lined with elm trees and pink cherries, and the village’s heritage-listed Breenhold Gardens. In the pretty village of Leura, the Everglades Gardens have towering trees, rolling grass carpeted with autumn leaves and breathtaking glimpses of the Jamison Valley. 

An hour’s drive west beyond the Blue Mountains in Oberon, visit the Hawkins’ Family Garden during the Mayfield Garden Autumn Festival for its English box hedge maze, a row around Mayfield Lake and the stunning colours of its deciduous trees.  

Take the time to see Tumut 

See the autumn colours of poplar, elm and maple at Tumut and the surrounding country at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, a four-hour drive south-west of Sydney. Visit Rotary Lookout for views of the entire valley, drive down tree-lined Elm Drive, and stroll along the Tumut River and into Rotary Pioneer Park, resplendent with European deciduous trees. Tumut’s annual Festival of the Falling Leaf has been celebrating seasonal hues since 1954. 

Feast your eyes on Orange 

The town of Orange is a visual feast during the autumn season, thanks to its many deciduous trees, including its iconic rows of golden poplars. Less than four hours’ drive northwest of Sydney, Orange in autumn is gold, red and deep green. Highlights include the northern end of Hill Street, lined with red maples and golden elms, and the Orange Botanic Gardens

Tumut River Walk, Tumut Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying the autumn colours along the Tumut River walk.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Tumut River Walk, Tumut Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying the autumn colours along the Tumut River walk.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Scenic Dive, Glencoe Credit: Destination NSW

Poplar-lined country road in the village of Glencoe, south of Glen Innes.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Scenic Dive, Glencoe Credit: Destination NSW

Poplar-lined country road in the village of Glencoe, south of Glen Innes.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Celebrate the season in New England 

Go on an autumn adventure into New England, about a five-hour drive north of Sydney, where the copper colours of chestnut and maple trees are on show in the region’s charming, historic towns. 

Glen Innes is glorious during autumn, with golden poplar-lined streets, pear trees, pistachio trees and the dramatic claret ash. It’s also home to the autumn Australian Celtic Festival. The town of Armidale has many beautiful parks, tree-lined streets and gardens, and hosts the annual Armidale Autumn Festival.  

Near the town of Uralla, the Gostwyck Chapel is covered in Virginia creeper, which turns a dramatic crimson in autumn. And Tamworth is stunning in autumn, with highlights including the view from Oxley Scenic Lookout.  

Set out for the Southern Highlands 

This delightful region, 90 minutes’ drive southwest of Sydney, is known for its old-world charm, country mansions and formal garden estates. Autumn is one of the most popular times to visit, when picturesque heritage villages come alive with colour. In Bowral, stroll through the Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens and Corbett Gardens.

Near the colonial sandstone buildings of Berrima is Bendooley Estate, perfect for an autumn wine tasting or lunch overlooking the grounds, when the trees turn shades of copper and amber and the exterior of the main building is layered in rich, red leaves. 

Make sure to visit some of the iconic cool-climate gardens on open days the Southern Highlands Autumn Gardens and Plant Fair showcases five magical gardens rarely open to the public. 

Explore a grand garden in Crookwell 

The town of Crookwell, perched on the Great Dividing Range, a 2.5-hour drive south-west of Sydney, is home to the famed Edna Walling Garden, on Markdale, a working sheep and cattle station. Redesigned in 1949 by renowned Australian landscape gardener Edna Walling, the garden features her signature woodland plantings, winding paths, rustic timber gates and deciduous trees. It’s spectacularly golden during autumn and there’s farm-stay accommodation on the property.  

Centennial Vineyards, Bowral Credit: Kramer Photography; www.kramer.photography

Autumn at Centennial Vineyards, Bowral in the Southern Highlands.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Centennial Vineyards, Bowral Credit: Kramer Photography; www.kramer.photography

Autumn at Centennial Vineyards, Bowral in the Southern Highlands.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Bendooley Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW

Autumn at Bendooley Estate, Berrima.

#feelnew #feelnsw

Bendooley Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW

Autumn at Bendooley Estate, Berrima.

#feelnew #feelnsw

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