Dive Jervis Bay, Jervis BayCredit: Jordan Robins
Seals playfully swimming in Jervis Bay.
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Layer upon layer of wildlife fills the skies, seas and lands across New South Wales. Here, 895 national parks protect a hive of habitats, with rolling rivers home to platypus, towering eucalypts cradling koalas and red desert plains dotted with kangaroos. Cities and towns are wild at heart, their lush parklands the stomping grounds of some 903 native land animal species. Plus, world-leading sanctuaries offer incomparable encounters with creatures from afar, while the Pacific Ocean pulses with seals, dolphins, whales and colourful fish, many of them found nowhere else on Earth. With such rich biodiversity and one-of-a-kind experiences to enjoy, it’s no wonder NSW is known as The Natural State. Here’s just a few standout animal adventures for your holiday hitlist.
Have a whale of a time
Every year from May to November more than 40,000 humpback whales migrate along the NSW coastline as they move between their Antarctic feeding grounds and their tropical breeding areas, with the population continuing to grow since whaling ended in the late 1960s. On a three-hour Discovery Cruise with Whale Watching Sydney, you’ll journey through picturesque Sydney Harbour then out to the open ocean, where these gentle, 18-metre giants may perform spectacular acrobatic displays. Whale-watch tours are available all along the coast, including in Merimbula, Cronulla, Newcastle, Yamba and Port Macquarie, while Jervis Bay Marine Park has the rare opportunity to swim alongside them. If you’d like to stay on solid ground, Cape Solander’s new accessible viewing platform delivers unrivalled sightings as the whales pass southern Sydney.
Choose unique zoo encounters
Globally renowned for its pioneering conservation efforts – including recent breeding wins with rare natives such as little penguins, snapping turtles and long-nosed fur seals – Taronga Zoo Sydney offers VIP access to some 5,000 animals with its Roar and Snore package. Dine and unwind in a safari-tented glampsite flanked by lions, tigers and meerkats on one side, and jaw-dropping views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House on the other, before the wild lullabies of myriad critters soothe you to sleep. An ever-changing range of behind-the-scenes experiences is also included, such as twilight walks, keeper talks and hands-on sessions with everything from giraffes to friendly snakes. The animal adventures continue at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo, where zoofari drives lead to vast savannahs filled with rhinos, giraffes and zebras; as well as at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, where you can discover the world’s largest collection of Australian animals.
Whale Watching, Forster Credit: Destination NSW
Humpback whales breaching off the coast of Tuncurry-Forster
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Whale Watching, Forster Credit: Destination NSW
Humpback whales breaching off the coast of Tuncurry-Forster
Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW
A resident koala at Taronga Zoo, Mosman in Sydney.
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Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW
A resident koala at Taronga Zoo, Mosman in Sydney.
Meet and greet wild koalas
From the southern Eurobodalla’s open woodlands to the North Coast’s dense forests, koala habitats span the length of NSW. In Port Macquarie, just 70 minutes’ flight from Sydney, opportunities to see these endangered enigmas up-close abound – particularly at Sea Acres National Park and the acclaimed Koala Hospital, the world’s first facility solely dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rereleasing injured koalas. Take a free, self-guided tour to meet the plucky patients – the hospital cares for 250 koalas each year – and visit the Koalaseum for fascinating hands-on educational exhibits. Further afield, you can search for wild koalas in the Tillligerry Habitat near Port Stephens; the Koala Country of the Southern Highlands, or the Riverina’s Murrumbidgee Valley Nature Reserve, where 200 of these snoozy beauties reside.
Play with the puppies of the sea
Comical Australian fur seals frolic in the shallows of Barunguba Montague Island – inviting you to take the 20-minute boat ride across from Narooma to join them in some of the South Coast’s most crystalline waters. And while seal swims are available all year round, it’s worth braving the winter chill: that’s when the number of these playful pinnipeds peaks and humpback whales may also pass by. If you’d prefer to keep your happy feet dry, try a sunset tour – the island is also home to NSW’s largest colony of the world’s smallest penguin, the little penguin, with more than 8,000 breeding pairs to observe.
Montague Island, Narooma Credit: Destination NSW
Getting up close to seals as part of the Montague Island Discovery Tours experience
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Montague Island, Narooma Credit: Destination NSW
Getting up close to seals as part of the Montague Island Discovery Tours experience
Go bush for platypus
One of Earth’s only egg-laying mammals, platypuses are found only in Eastern Australia’s freshwater systems, where they burrow into muddy banks and forage for insects and crustaceans. The crisp, clear rivers of the Snowy Mountains are prime habitats for these cute recluses; Bombala has such high numbers that it’s known as Platypus Country, with a designated reserve offering an elevated vantage point to see them foraging. Closer to Sydney, the Royal National Park has a new population of platypuses: 10 were recently reintroduced into the Hacking River and they’re already breeding. As you search for them along the Lady Carrington trail, look out for their egg-laying mammal cousins, too – the park is also a hotspot for echidnas, the world’s only other monotreme. Rather a guided search? Book a platypus walking tour near Byron Bay.
Jump into a kangaroo experience
From coastal bushland to suburban golf courses, rolling countryside to desert plains, NSW’s biodiverse landscapes host 15 different types of kangaroo and wallaby. For a close look at elegant Eastern Greys, reach for the beaches of Murramarang National Park on the South Coast, where the myth of the surfing ’roos was born. For the towering red specimens seen in many a meme, head to the outback: you’ll find an abundance of these musclebound macropods in Mungo, Kinchega and Gundabooka National Parks, while in Mutawintji they live alongside the state’s only colony of endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies and a large population of emus. If you’re staying in Sydney, you may wish to take a guided day tour to see them in their urban habitats.
Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Kangaroo grazing on Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach.
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Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Kangaroo grazing on Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach.
See the Devil in Barrington Tops
You don’t need to leave the mainland to see wild Tasmanian devils: in the Barrington Tops area of The Hunter, Aussie Ark is maintaining the world’s largest insurance population of the charismatic carnivores in huge free-range, protected enclosures. This innovative conservation initiative is successfully breeding threatened natives – including Eastern quolls and long-nosed potoroos – to help them sidestep extinction. Join an Aussie Ark Ranger on a 2.5-hour guided tour to explore the sprawling Devils In the Wild habitat and watch them feed, before looking for quolls, potoroos and bandicoots. Nearby, you can continue your native encounters by seeking out the local wombats, or take your search to the Greater Blue Mountains with an expert-led tour.
Make a splash with dolphins, turtles and sharks
The nutrient-rich waters of the Pacific Ocean support an abundance of wildlife, presenting countless opportunities to connect with creatures from the deep. On the North Coast, Dolphin Swim Australia runs NSW’s only completely wild dolphin swim with an intimate four-hour tour off Port Stephens; endangered grey nurse sharks are the highlight of a South West Rocks diving charter, while a turtle tour of the Cook Island Aquatic Reserve offers the chance to see endangered Loggerheads and Hawksbills. The ocean adventures continue offshore, too, where UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island boasts the world’s southernmost coral reef, with more than 60 dive sites and nearly 500 fish species, many of them endemic to this marine wilderness.
Connect with feathered friends
With more than 400 species of native bird, NSW is a twitcher’s happy place – and you don’t need to venture far to see some sought-after species. A stroll through Sydney’s Centennial Parklands winds through a range of habitats, where tawny frogmouths, powerful owls, kookaburras, black swans, corellas, black cockatoos and Eurasian coots live side by side. Just two hours’ flight away on Lord Howe Island, 14 types of seabird breed in their hundreds of thousands, and local conservation efforts have brought the endemic woodhen back from the brink of extinction. Back on the mainland, wedge-tailed eagles soar over the Murray Valley Regional Park, Mount Oxley, and Blackheath areas, while the Blue Mountains and New England National Park are lyrebird hotspots. Not sure where to start? Let the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s accredited experts lead you to intriguing sightings on a birding tour.
Shoalhaven Zoo, Jervis Bay Credit: Discover Jervis Bay
Kookaburra at Shoalhaven Zoo, Jervis Bay.
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Shoalhaven Zoo, Jervis Bay Credit: Discover Jervis Bay
Kookaburra at Shoalhaven Zoo, Jervis Bay.
Cook Island, Fingal Head Credit: Destination NSW
Woman freediving with a local sea turtle in waters off Cook Island, Fingal Head.
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Cook Island, Fingal Head Credit: Destination NSW
Woman freediving with a local sea turtle in waters off Cook Island, Fingal Head.
More Inspirational Stories
Canvas Restaurant, Sydney Credit: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
Canvas brings a bold new dining concept to the MCA, with a newly transformed space, stunning harbour views and a seasonal Chef-in-Residence.
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Sydney
Canvas Restaurant
Just like a gallery rotates artists, Canvas rotates concepts and chefs. The new experimental venue atop the Museum of Contemporary Art, Canvas, sees a new concept fill the dining room every lunch for six months, while in the evening the restaurant turns into an events space. Run by The Big Group (they put on the Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup and the Australian Open), the restaurant’s current artist-in-residence is former Tetsuya’s executive chef Josh Raine. The next is a mystery, but while the chefs change, the views, featuring the harbour’s most exciting sights, will remain the same.
Song Bird
Australian culinary icon Neil Perry’s newest restaurant is a grand, 200+ seat Double Bay take on Cantonese food. Rather than the traditional cooking found in Sydney’s Cantonese hubs, at Songbird you can expect a new iteration based on induction cooking and the premium Australian produce Perry has celebrated throughout his career. Before (or after) you settle in for a feast of roast duck, dumplings, and ginger and shallot coral trout, head downstairs to Bobbie’s, a bar run in collaboration with the owners of 2019 World’s Best Bar winner Dante in New York City.
Allta
A restaurant with two Good Food Guide hats and a chef who’s most recent posting was Michelin-starred Seoul restaurant Jungsik is going to book out quickly regardless of how big it is, and this CBD restaurant is only 12 seats. If you can get one, a seat at Allta’s long U-shaped bar ensures a 15-course journey into Korean cuisine that is sometimes delicate and sometimes bold, but always creative. But, instead of the stereotypical fine dining service, Allta presents its artistic dishes with a friendly, casual service.
Firepop
Alina Van and Raymond Hou might be the only restauranteurs in NSW who have gone from opening a Chinatown food stall to the 2025 Good Food Guide’s Best New Restaurant in under a year. Their plaudits are a result of their unique, Chinese-influenced take on modern Australian cuisine that sees skewers of live-flame barbecued meat peppered with anything from kiwi fruit to cumin dukkah and chilli. That menu, plus a plush, velvety dining room and a “joy, discovery, and deliciousness”-driven drinks list that combines classics and new age makers, make this Newtown restaurant one of the most exciting openings in the state.
Ammos Brighton
The view from the window at Ammos is nothing but ocean, treetops and the faint outline of Kurnell on the other side of the bay. The smell from the kitchen is barbecued lamb, baked pastry and honeyed cheese. The taste is Greek, not quite classically so, but an Australian version helmed by renowned restauranteur Peter Conistis. Set within the Novotel in Brighton-Le-Sands, this summery restaurant is just a minute walk from the calm waters and thriving beachside community.
Canvas Restaurant, Sydney Credit: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
Canvas brings a bold new dining concept to the MCA, with a newly transformed space, stunning harbour views and a seasonal Chef-in-Residence.
#feelnewsydney
Canvas Restaurant, Sydney Credit: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
Canvas brings a bold new dining concept to the MCA, with a newly transformed space, stunning harbour views and a seasonal Chef-in-Residence.
Murray Rose Pool, Double Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Harbour views from Murray Rose Pool, Double Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
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Murray Rose Pool, Double Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Harbour views from Murray Rose Pool, Double Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
King Clarence
Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt have a culinary Midas touch. After opening award-winners Brasserie 1930, Yellow and Bentley Restaurant and Bar, their latest city-centre restaurant, King Clarence, invites innovative Melbourne chef Khanh Nguyen to explore the cuisine of East Asia with the most premium produce Australia has on offer. The broad, bold menu serving everything from reimagined fish fingers to dry-aged duck served with native Davidson plum, plus the exhaustive drinks list and level of service to match, saw the restaurant bring in Gourmet Traveller’s new restaurant of the year.
Saint Peter at The Grand National Hotel
Josh Niland is already one of the most famous chefs in the country but, until this year, one title evaded him: the award of three hats in the Good Food Guide. The coveted honour was distributed to only four restaurants across the state this year, with Saint Peter being the only newcomer. The Paddington restaurant is the most evolved version of Niland’s signature sustainability and head-to-tail seafood cookery but this time in the beautiful, restored dining room of a historic Paddington pub.
Neptune’s Grotto
With Clam Bar on top and Neptune’s Grotto opening underneath, 44 Bridge Street is now one of the city’s most exciting eating palaces. That’s thanks to Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson, the restaurateurs who run Pellegrino 2000 and recently closed Bistro 916. While Clam Bar channels up-market New York City bars, downstairs Neptune’s Grotto is a homage to the cuisine and hospitality of northern Italy, the land of Parmigiano Reggiano, tortellini and Lambrusco. Expect rich ragus, wines to match and an underground style and colour palette that eschew the usual minimalism in favour of colour, fun and vibe.
Joji
A rooftop bar open til 2am with live DJs, quality booze, good food and views of the city sounds like a unicorn. ESCA (the same restaurant group responsibly for Nour, Aalia, Henrietta and Ito) has made the dream happen, and it’s called Joji. Good Food Guide Chef of the Year winner Paul Farag is behind a Japanese-influenced menu divided into raw, robata grilled and not-raw (mostly snacks like karaage, Japanese sandos and curry bread). If you’re there late, dig into the bar menu that includes a Japanese burger with a layer of Bolognese.
Golden Century
When Golden Century closed in 2021, the hospitality industry mourned their post-service hang out, the Cantonese community mourned a three-decade-old institution, and the dining public mourned the death of one of the great Sydney restaurants. In early 2025 the legend returns, opening on the third floor of Crown Sydney with an updated dining room but the same menu of classics featuring live seafood tanks, yum cha and, of course, the famous XO pippies.
Barangaroo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rising over Barangaroo and Pyrmont Bay, Sydney.
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Barangaroo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rising over Barangaroo and Pyrmont Bay, Sydney.
Harkham Restaurant, Hunter Valley Credit: Nikki To
Much-loved Hunter Valley winery Harkham's restaurant on their grounds to sit alongside their cellar door
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Harkham Restaurant, Hunter Valley Credit: Nikki To
Much-loved Hunter Valley winery Harkham's restaurant on their grounds to sit alongside their cellar door
NSW
Harkham Restaurant
At Harkam, the views are bucolic, but the menu is approachable – homemade pastas, pizzas, a ripper steak and a family tiramisu recipe (you can also splash out with picks from the caviar cart), but what makes this restaurant such a desirable Hunter Valley spot is the experience. The restaurant trades on atmosphere, designing their menu, experience and dining room to make an evening by the fire or a lunch looking out onto the vineyard green as relaxed and convivial as possible. Of course, Harkham’s minimal-intervention wines are on the menu but so are a range of other international and local natural drops.
Rowlee Dining and Bar
The recipe for Rowlee’s restaurant is simple: take the same spirit and qualities of the vineyard – the sun-drenched tasting rooms, commitment to quality, warm hospitality and vibrancy of the Mount Canobolas surrounds – and combine it with the culinary styling of Simon Furley, a chef who won plaudits in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. What you get at this dining room just outside Orange is a menu that explores and experiments but never tips into the confusing. That might be a burger at the bar, or a plate of charred, air-dried pork spiced with locally made miso.
Umi-ko
Walking into Umi-ko is like a portal to central Japan, the place of head chef Kaoru Ito’s birth, but still with a local touch – the South Coast charm, pace and personalities. The Merimbula opening, designed with the izakaya atmosphere and menu in mind, comes from Jamie Sverdrupsen and Brett Kryskow, two locals who learnt their trade in big-name Sydney venues. Although there are classic ramens and snacks on the menu, it’s not all traditional (find a kimchi poke bowl with sashimi added-in, furikake fries, and a vegan ramen with corn and bamboo) but improvisation and creativity are within the spirit of the izakaya.
Fire Kitchen
In 2022, Osborn House, Bundanoon’s heritage luxury lodge launched Fire Feast, a weekly, outdoor lunch inspired by the asado barbecues of South America. Its popularity convinced the Osborn House team to ditch the acclaimed restaurant they already had and make Fire Feast a permanent fixture. At Fire Kitchen, you start with empanadas, ceviche and slow-cooked chorizo, move onto the South American barbecue – maybe a rack of ribs or a whole barbecued lamb shoulder – order a glass of Argentinian red to match and finish up with a flan while looking onto Morton National Park.
Harkham Restaurant, Hunter Valley Credit: Nikki To
Much-loved Hunter Valley winery Harkham's restaurant on their grounds to sit alongside their cellar door
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Harkham Restaurant, Hunter Valley Credit: Nikki To
Much-loved Hunter Valley winery Harkham's restaurant on their grounds to sit alongside their cellar door
Rowlee Wines & Guesthouse, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Rowlee Cellar Door is located in Mt Canobolas, 950 metres above sea level - exposed to the cool climate and unique topography of the Orange Wine Region. The picturesque location provides the ideal way to enjoy Rowlee's handcrafted wines.
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Rowlee Wines & Guesthouse, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Rowlee Cellar Door is located in Mt Canobolas, 950 metres above sea level - exposed to the cool climate and unique topography of the Orange Wine Region. The picturesque location provides the ideal way to enjoy Rowlee's handcrafted wines.
Byron Bay Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant
The name says it all – this luxury New York-inspired bar within five-star Hotel Marvell takes oyster service to the next level. A specialised oyster tank keeps hundreds of local oysters as fresh as possible, with the molluscs only shucked (at a live shucking station no less) to order. Diners choose the oyster variety and pick from more than ten toppings, alongside a wider menu that offers more North Coast-focused raw seafood options, a grill menu and a selection of classic desserts.
Bertie’s
Bertie’s is the new neighbourhood dream from Tim Coleman, a former Rockpool and Iceberg’s sommelier, and Rhianne Contreras, a stylist who’s worked for Vogue and Gourmet Traveller. They call it a wine bar but with a 7am open time, a menu mixing cafe classics and bar snacks, it’s neither cafe nor bar, but its own thing. The vibe is relaxed and the fit-out humble, and the shortlist of wines are all, bar one, available by the glass. Come early for coffee from Byron roasters Beam or late on Friday to lean into the wine bar side.
Spare Restaurant Lounge and Bar
Jamie Shepley is Wagga Wagga’s food baron. After opening riverside cafe Mr Lawrence and the dry-aged-specialised Hide Steak & Bar, the chef has transformed the dining room of 1860s pub Prince of Wales Hotel into a martini bar and bistro. While the atmosphere harks back to bars of the past, the menu is ambitious, set-menu only and explores a broad range of cuisines and techniques, including a signature beef wellington.
Blak Cede Gunyah Cafe and Shop
For diners, Blak Cede might just be a great hang out spot and a rare opportunity to try Australia’s native produce, but for the Shoalhaven Aboriginal community it’s much more. The women-run cafe and grocer in Nowra operates as a social enterprise, empowering women from the area with cultural knowledge, work experience and community. Already, the cafe has won local acclaim not just for its community initiatives but the quality of the coffee, the welcoming atmosphere and the unique menu that includes kangaroo burritos, native produce tapas plates and strawberry gum scones.
Byron Bay Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant, Byron Bay Credit: Ethan Smart for Buffet Digital
Located at 4 Marvell St, Byron Bay Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant is an approachable yet refined dining offering with a focus on the very best oysters and seafood from across Australia.
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Byron Bay Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant, Byron Bay Credit: Ethan Smart for Buffet Digital
Located at 4 Marvell St, Byron Bay Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant is an approachable yet refined dining offering with a focus on the very best oysters and seafood from across Australia.