The Paper Mill, LiverpoolCredit: Destination NSW
Group of friends enjoying food and drink at The Paper Mill, Liverpool.
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South West Sydney is a colourful, exciting pocket of the city with a world-class zoo, a huge arts centre and an incredible variety of multicultural restaurants. From Liverpool to Fairfield, Cabramatta to the verdant banks of the Georges River, the South West offers a diverse and engaging daycation for Sydneysiders and visitors alike, all about a 40km or 40-minute drive from the city centre. The following highlights are mostly within a 5km radius of Warwick Farm, where you’ll find the South West’s first five-star hotel, the William Inglis.
Highlights:
- Indulge in authentic Vietnamese food in Cabramatta
- Meet the residents of a world-class zoo
- Enjoy some downtime at a luxury spa
Meet the animals at the zoo
Meet the newest arrivals at South West Sydney’s word-class Sydney Zoo, just off the Great Western Highway at Bungarribee. Feed the meerkats, or watch the African big cats, Asian elephants and Australian animals in their enclosures. Kids aged 7 to 13 can join the Mini Zookeeper for a Day program to get a little closer to the animals and learn about how to help protect rare and endangered species.
Go flying in Western Sydney Parklands
Climb, fly and jump through Western Sydney’s magnificent gum trees in TreeTops adventure park, which is threaded with more than 100 elevated obstacles, including self-guided rope courses, wobbling bridges, tunnels and cargo-nets, plus thrilling zip lines. The park in Abbotsbury, a 20-minute drive west of Warwick Farm, is suitable for all ages over three, and children’s courses are supervised by instructors.
Check out an exhibition
Take in a range of multi-disciplinary arts and culture events at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, a converted 1950s electrical plant on the banks of the Georges River in Casula, near Liverpool. As well as seven galleries offering rotating exhibitions, a 326-seat theatre and three artist studios to explore, the centre offers onsite eatery Bellbird Dining and Bar, with sustainable snacks and drinks (around 40 per cent of the produce is picked from its own kitchen garden).
Taste your way through Cabramatta
Discover the rich history and diverse eating culture of Cabramatta on a Taste of Vietnam food tour that highlights the area’s famously strong Vietnamese heritage. Taste some of the suburb’s famed dishes, like banh mi, pho, Vietnamese coffee and more. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and scents of a bustling authentic Vietnamese market town, without leaving Greater Sydney. Servings are generous, so arrive hungry and leave happy.
Enjoy authentic Chilean dishes
Start the day at the oldest Chilean eatery in Sydney, La Paula, whose owners have been dishing up South American food to South West Sydney for more than 30 years. In Fairfield, a 30km drive from the centre of Sydney, La Paula is famous for its traditional beef empanadas and addictive alfajores (shortbread biscuits stuffed with dulce de leche), but the street food menu has also garnered acclaim. Especially popular are the completos, Chilean hot dogs piled high with avocado, sauerkraut and mayo.
Sydney Zoo, Bungarribee Credit: Destination NSW
Resident emu greeting visitors at Sydney Zoo, Bungarribee in Western Sydney.
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Sydney Zoo, Bungarribee Credit: Destination NSW
Resident emu greeting visitors at Sydney Zoo, Bungarribee in Western Sydney.
TreeTops Adventure Park, Abbotsbury Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying the action at TreeTops Adventure Park, Abbotsbury in Sydney's south west.
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TreeTops Adventure Park, Abbotsbury Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying the action at TreeTops Adventure Park, Abbotsbury in Sydney's south west.
Breakfast like a local
Enjoy the buzzing vibe at The Woods Pantry in Villawood, which is perennially packed for a reason: an Instagrammable brunch menu that leans on Middle Eastern inspiration. Try the knafeh French toast — brioche filled with stretchy cheese and rose syrup, go for the Turkish salmon simmit, or order the breakfast mezze platter to share. With Campos coffee and sunny outdoor seating, this is the perfect place to satisfy those mid-morning munchies.
Brunch with a different bunch
Try something unusual at The Usual Cafe in the heart of Cabramatta, which offers lunch with a difference, levelling up classic brunch plates with decadent flavours. Try miso spanner crab scrambled eggs in your croissant, order the tangy yuzu French toast or go luxe with the wagyu burger with truffle aioli. Caffeinated drinks use Single O beans, juices are cold pressed by Wollstonecraft juice business Allie’s and organic loose-leaf tea comes from Byron Bay company Mayde.
Get spoiled for choice
Spice your life with variety at Liverpool’s dining hub The Paper Mill Food, where there are four distinct eateries to choose from. Try Lebanese-style grilled chicken at Charcoal Joe’s; feast on locally sourced meat and market-fresh seafood cooked over the flames of a hand-crafted fireplace at Firepit; go for Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza at Georgie’s; or order classic brunch dishes and luscious desserts at Shepherd’s Lane.
Balkanise your palate
Go Balkan at Fabrika by Madera in Canley Heights, which offers southeast European dishes served with modern flair. Many dishes are slow-cooked in the traditional Balkan earthenware oven, the sač. Try slow-roasted lamb shoulder, the chargrilled pork neck, or the karadjordjeva, a deep-fried schnitzel and cheese roll stuffed with fries. Don’t leave without sampling a glass of rakija, a fruit brandy popular throughout the Balkans.
Mix up a Mexican
Join the nightly fiesta at Warwick Farm’s El Topo Cantina, the South West sister venue to Bondi’s popular Mexican restaurant. With a playful menu of street food snacks, freshly made tacos and heartier chargrilled mains, plus cocktails and more than 40 different kinds of tequila, El Topo promises a fun night out.
Dine fine alfresco
Treat yourself from a menu centred around paddock-to-plate dining at The Newmarket Room, and admire the plush designer interiors and lush alfresco dining space looking over the striking gardens of the Riverside Stables at the William Inglis hotel. Choose your after-dinner drinks from hotel bar 1867 Lounge’s extensive whisky selection.
Stay in style
Make yourself at home at the William Inglis, an M Gallery by Sofitel boutique hotel inspired by part-owners William Inglis & Son’s revered horseracing history. Elegant and luxurious equine-themed rooms overlook the surrounding Riverside Stables and each is named after a winning Inglis family horse. Grab a pre-bottled negroni by The Everleigh Bottling Co. from the mini bar and take in the sights of Warwick Farm Racecourse below.
For some downtime relaxation treats, order a poolside cocktail as you laze by the 20-metre rooftop Chiltern Pool or book into the decadent Inglis Day Spa. Qualified therapists are ready to ease away the stresses of your week with a luxurious menu of beauty and wellness treatments. Choose the Inglis Signature facial that brightens and smooths using selenite crystals and serums, or go for a couple’s massage to unwind and relax with your partner.
Streetscapes, Cabramatta Credit: Destination NSW
Entrance to Freedom Plaza off Arthur St, Cabramatta in Sydney's south west.
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Streetscapes, Cabramatta Credit: Destination NSW
Entrance to Freedom Plaza off Arthur St, Cabramatta in Sydney's south west.
The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying the sunset and views across Sydney from The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm in Sydney's south west.
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The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying the sunset and views across Sydney from The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm in Sydney's south west.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.