Three Sisters, Blue MountainsCredit: Filippo Rivetti
Sunrise over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba.
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Recharge and reconnect in the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Blue Mountains. Revel in the tranquillity of your surrounds; refresh under picture-perfect waterfalls and clear your mind and reset on an unforgettable hike.
Enjoy village life
If you venture west along the Great Western Highway, Mount Victoria is the last Blue Mountains village before you turn right on the Darling Causeway. A great starting point for many bushwalks, the village is filled with historic buildings, including the 1868 sandstone train station. Here you can pick up locally made homewares at Mount Vic and Me, see an arthouse movie at Mount Vic Flicks and wine, dine and sleep at the Victoria and Albert Guesthouse.
From Mount Victoria, head along the Darling Causeway, then onto the winding Bells Line of Road, a scenic route that served as an early passage from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. Stop at the small village of Bell, a tiny hamlet surrounded by pristine wilderness, walking trails and scenic lookouts. Around 10km east of Bell you’ll find two lookouts — the 2.7km Pierces Pass Lookout Track leads you to Walls Lookout, where the reward is beautiful views across the Grose Valley.
Take a garden tour
Also accessible via the Bells Line of Road are the lush villages of Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine, on the northern side of the Blue Mountains. Mount Wilson is a heritage garden village with historic houses and grand exotic gardens that are at their brilliant best during spring and autumn — Windyridge Garden dates back to 1877 and is filled with Japanese maples, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas, while Breenhold Gardens features more than 45 hectares of luxuriant gardens, parkland and native bushland. Mount Irvine is filled with mountain farms and fine gardens. It also provides easy access to walking tracks and popular canyoning spots.
On the way to Mount Irvine, stop at Cathedral Reserve and take the 10-minute walk to the Cathedral of Ferns. This tranquil cool-climate rainforest is dominated by majestic fern trees. There are 10 camping sites on the reserve plus a nearby swimming hole, and on warm summer evenings you might see fireflies.
If you’re in the mood for a longer walk, you can take in some of the best scenic views in the Blue Mountains on the 4.7km Mountain Banks Summit Walk, accessed from Bells Line of Road near Mount Tomah, where you’ll also find the outstanding Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. Framed by wilderness, the garden showcases cool-climate plants and alpine forest, and there are 28 hectares of grounds to explore.
Bubbletent Australia, Capertee Valley Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying Bubbletent Australia's outdoor bathtub with scenic views over the Capertee Valley.
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Bubbletent Australia, Capertee Valley Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying Bubbletent Australia's outdoor bathtub with scenic views over the Capertee Valley.
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic grounds of Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah.
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Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic grounds of Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah.
Venture into valleys
On the western side of the Blue Mountains, heading towards Mudgee, is the rugged Gardens of Stone National Park. Featuring stunning and varied rock pagodas, sandstone cliffs, canyons and breathtaking scenic views over the valleys, it’s a haven for adventurers, with excellent opportunities for canyoning, mountain biking and serious bushwalking.
It’s worth the 15-minute drive to see the world’s second-largest canyon, Capertee Valley, a popular bird-watching destination, dominated by sandstone cliffs. The impressive Pantoney’s Crown can’t be missed — rising majestically from the valley floor, it beckons keen hikers to climb its summit and take in the breathtaking panoramic views.
Under an hour’s drive further west will lead you to the spectacular Wolgan Valley, which is surrounded by the towering escarpments of both Gardens of Stone National Park and Wollemi National Park. Home to the luxury eco resort Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, the valley itself is accessible to the public and the seclusion here is a major drawcard.
Go with the glow
Journeying through the valley along Wolgan Road will bring you to Newnes State Forest, where you can camp along the Wolgan River in Wollemi National Park. Along the way you may also want to stop off and hike the Glow Worm Trail, which leads to an old 400m-long rail tunnel that is home to a colony of glow worms. The return journey is 2km, but keep in mind that the tunnel is rocky, uneven, slippery and dark — it’s also completely thrilling for visitors of all ages!
Wolgan Valley, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial of Wolgan Valley surrounded by the World-Heritage listed Gardens of Stone National Park, Blue Mountains.
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Wolgan Valley, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial of Wolgan Valley surrounded by the World-Heritage listed Gardens of Stone National Park, Blue Mountains.
Capertee Valley, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rising over Pantoneys Crown tableland, Capertee Valley in the picturesque Gardens of Stone National Park.
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Capertee Valley, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rising over Pantoneys Crown tableland, Capertee Valley in the picturesque Gardens of Stone National Park.
More Inspirational Stories
Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald BeachCredit: Destination NSW
See wildlife in a whole new way in New South Wales.
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NSW’s animals are as welcoming as its locals. From kangaroos to snoozing koalas — and everything furry or finned in between — Australia’s wild animals are as unforgettable as the land they call home. Here’s where to find these incredible creatures in their natural habitat across New South Wales.
See kangaroos by the sea
Thrill to the sight of kangaroos, one of Australia’s most iconic native animals, in the wild all across Country NSW. Keep an eye out for eastern grey kangaroos at beautiful Diamond Head Beach in Crowdy Bay National Park on the Barrington Coast, a 3.5-hour drive north of Sydney. Let the unforgettable sight of a mob of ’roos backdropped by the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean put a spring in your step as you stroll along the 1.6km loop trail at the Look At Me Now Headland in the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, at Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast. And refresh with a dip in the ocean as curious eastern greys look on from grassy clearings at Depot Beach and Pebbly Beach in Murramarang National Park, a four-hour drive from Sydney on the spectacular NSW South Coast.
Gaze up at koalas
Discover the eucalypt forests around eastern NSW and you may well spot a koala snoozing among the gum-trees. Marvel at these tree-dwelling marsupials from viewing platforms in the stunning bushland at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, less than an hour’s drive from Newcastle, or three hours north of Sydney. Then settle into your four-star glamping tent, studio room or deluxe suite at the sanctuary for a night among these iconic creatures. Head to Guula Ngurra National Park, an easy two-hour drive south of Sydney in the Southern Highlands, to hike through some of the 3,358 hectares of protected koala habitat in the recently created park (Guula Ngurra means “Koala Country” in the local Gundungurra Aboriginal language). Or hone your spotting skills at Narrandera Koala Reserve, around an hour’s drive from the regional town of Griffith in the Riverina region in the state’s southwest, where more than 200 koalas live among river red gums.
Dive in with wild dolphins
Come fin to fin with wild dolphins with Dolphin Swim Australia in Port Stephens, just an hour’s drive north of Newcastle or three hours from Sydney. Feel a surge of adrenaline as a catamaran tows you through the ocean among these playful creatures. Prefer to stay dry? See Port Stephens’s resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, many of them so friendly that the locals know them by name, on an outing with Imagine Cruises. Or head south for close encounters with dolphins in sheltered Jervis Bay, on the NSW South Coast, with Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay and Jervis Bay Wild.
Shoal Bay, Port Stephens Credit: Destination NSW
Dolphins swimming in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens.
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Shoal Bay, Port Stephens Credit: Destination NSW
Dolphins swimming in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens.
Whale watching, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
A whale breaches out of the water off Sydney waters.
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Whale watching, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
A whale breaches out of the water off Sydney waters.
Let whales stir your spirit
Marvel at the majesty of humpback whales as they travel along the New South Wales coastline from May to November each year. Embrace the sublime as you witness some of the 40,000 humpback and southern right whales that make their way along on the ‘Humpback Highway’ from Antarctica to the warm waters of their breeding grounds in the north. Clamber aboard a boat for an unforgettable day of whale watching in Sydney, join a cruise from seaside towns or find the perfect vantage point on land to see these magnificent creatures leap from the water all along the NSW coastline.
Meet a Tasmanian devil
Get up close with free-roaming Tasmanian devils without leaving mainland Australia at Aussie Ark’s wildlife sanctuary in the rugged Barrington Tops, a five-hour drive northeast of Sydney. Feel yourself moved by the stories you’ll hear on Aussie Ark’s 2.5-hour guided Devils in the Wild tour — the team behind this conservation initiative is breeding a wild population of the endangered carnivores to ensure their survival. And be astonished as you see Tasmanian devils thriving in the wild and, if you visit in breeding season, dote on super-cute devil joeys exploring their surroundings.
Play with seals
Come alive with a sense of joy at Montague Island Nature Reserve, a revered wildlife destination that’s home to little penguins, a huge colony of Australian fur seals and 90 types of birds just 9km off the town of Narooma, in the South Coast’s Eurobodalla region. Be delighted by their playfulness as you discover why friendly fur seals are called the puppies of the sea on a seal snorkel with Narooma Charters. Or delight to the sight of penguins waddling back to their nests after a day of fishing on a sunset tour with Montague Island Discovery Tours.
Montague Island Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
Be immersed in wildlife experiences off Montague Island.
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Montague Island Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
Be immersed in wildlife experiences off Montague Island.
Be captivated by a platypus
Be rewarded for your patience when you spot a platypus in the wild: while platypus inhabit a number of regions in NSW, these shy little icons can be very tricky to find. Increase your chances by visiting Bombala, about an hour’s drive from Cooma in the Snowy Mountains — it’s known as ‘Platypus Country’ because a large number of these mysterious monotremes (egg-laying mammals) live there. Practise mindfulness at the Bombala Platypus Reserve, 4.5km outside of town, where a viewing platform over the river makes spotting them easier. Or try a guided Platypus Walk with Vision Walks Eco-Tours near Byron Bay, on the far North Coast.
Bliss out with turtles
Discover the underwater wonderlands of the North Coast at Cook Island, less than 1km offshore from Fingal Head, just south of Tweed Heads on the far North Coast of New South Wales, to encounter astonishing numbers of green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. Deepen your respect for the incredible beauty of the underwater world on a memorable snorkelling tour with local operators such as Watersports Guru or Cooly Eco Adventures.
Take off to an island of seabirds
Look at the skies with awe as hundreds of thousands of seabirds wheel above you on Lord Howe Island, 700km northeast of Sydney in the Pacific Ocean. Fill your diary with sightings of the 130-odd permanent and migratory bird species found on the country’s premier bird-watching destination. Come in winter to see providence petrels circle in spectacular courtship rituals during their breeding season, while shearwaters return in awe-inspiring flocks at dusk each day from spring to late autumn (September to May).