From city escapes to beach breaks, country retreats and more, New South Wales offers a variety of experiences primed for an October long weekend escape. Relax, reset or test your adventurous spirit with one of these short-but-sweet getaways.

Ocean views, sleepy beach towns, boutique hotels

Pillowy sand underfoot, saltwater on the skin and sun on your back – immerse yourself in the big blue with a North Coast stay. At Yamba’s boutique hotel The Surf, spend the long weekend riding the waves at Angourie Point's famous right-hand break, bathing in Yamba’s historic ocean pool and kayaking the bay before finishing each day with a modern Asian feast and a natural wine at Paradiso.

Or drop the temperature gauge a few degrees and relax on a crisp, spring stay in the dreamy Sapphire Coast town of Merimbula. The Hillcrest Motel reimagines your memories of small-town motels, keeping the retro but adding a dose of contemporary style. In between trips to the beach, check out the local farm gates for some of the best oysters in the country, trek the Pinnacles Loop walking track to spot a whale, or tackle the mountain bike tracks at nearby Eden.

Whisk your loved one away to the Hunter Valley for a wine-tasting tour by horse and carriage and cosy up in voco Kirkton Park’s romantic Manor Suite or at the recently relaunched Basque-inspired Spicers Tower Lodge. Spend a luxurious few days at Albury’s Circa 1928 getting closer over indulgent couples spa treatments and hot-air balloon flights. Back in Sydney, book into one of Sydney Harbour’s most exclusive stays at the Executive Harbour Bridge Suite at Barangaroo’s Crown Towers Sydney, or the Harbour Suite at Park Hyatt Sydney, where a new chapter in your love story begins with Sydney Opera House views and butler service.

Three-day romantic getaway

Just over two hours’ drive from Sydney and the centre of NSW’s thriving wine scene, the Hunter Valley, is just the spot for a spring long weekend with your other half. Day one, base yourself at Leaves and Fishes, where a stylish cabin overlooking a picturesque lily pond is home to a stone bath and king-sized bed. Day two, dress for a wine-tasting tour by horse and carriage and cosy up a in modern country luxury at Spicers Guesthouse. Day three, don your scarf and jacket for an early morning with Balloon Aloft Hunter Valley over the valley, then head back to Sydney for a luxury hotel stay featuring expansive harbour views at Barangaroo’s Crown Towers Sydney or the Park Hyatt Sydney in The Rocks.

Revitalise in nature

Spend your spring long weekend exploring Lake Mulwala and the mighty Murray River on a River of Islands Houseboat, cruising through peaceful eucalypt scenery and stopping to explore the lake towns. Drop in for a pizza and cocktail at the beautiful bar-cafe-restaurant hybrid Blacksmith Provedore or make your own dinner spruced up with produce from the farmgate of Rich Glen Olive Oil.

In the tropical warmth of the Tweed Valley, book into Tallaringa Luxury Camping for outdoor baths and lush mountain views. Spend your days diving, kayaking and picnicking then refuel at Husk Farm Distillery, Tweed River House and Farm & Co.

Alternatively, ditch comfort in favour of full nature immersion by tackling one of the state’s great multi-day hikes, taking in sandstone cliffs, epic coastal scenery and whale spotting on historic trails through the bush.

Refresh your thinking

A full three-day weekend offers a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture and new perspective. Experience the city’s 60,000-year-old Aboriginal history on a BridgeClimb Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience tour or an Aboriginal cultural tour of The Rocks with Dreamtime Southern X or Barangaroo with an Aboriginal Cultural Tour, each with an Aboriginal guide taking you through the area’s history, Gadigal culture and local stories. Taste the land’s unique flavour profile with a Royal Botanic Garden Australian Bush Tucker Tour or book a table at Midden, a native ingredient-forward restaurant run by celebrity Bundjalung chef Mark Olive, that sits under the sails of the Sydney Opera House. Between meals and tours, wander the halls of the Yiribana Gallery, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection within the Art Gallery of New South Wales or buy your own painting, sculpture or artefact at gallery Cooee Art Leven.

Take the family to the country

Give the kids a sense of country life within the rugged bush of NSW. Start the weekend’s journey at Wilga Station near Bathurst, where the 105-hectare working sheep farm offers rural adventures and a five-bedroom country retreat to call home. On your way in or out, stop for lunch at renowned restaurateur Matt Moran’s Rockley Pub, just 30min from the farm. If you’ve got one set of wheels per family member, spend the next two days on the Central West Cycle Trail. Otherwise, show the family the ancient rock sculptures of Warrumbungle National Park and, when the sun sets, see the starriest sky in the state. Or hike the rocky outcrops of Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp, then jump in the water pristine waters or stay dry by getting into the saddle of a kayak.

Play, feast and stay in Western Sydney

Fit a whole holiday’s worth of fun into a long weekend in Western Sydney with a staycation at Sky Suites Parramatta or Atura Blacktown, where adventurous child-friendly attractions such as Raging Waters (Sydney’s biggest water park), Sydney Motorsport Park and nearby Eastern Creek Carting, Skyline Drive In, Cables Wake & Aqua Park and Sydney Zoo are all within easy reach. In between adventures explore more cuisines than you can name in the restaurants of Western Sydney’s different cultural hubs or give the kids a taste of Sydney street food culture by exploring the streets yourself. Not sure what to order, or keen to learn more? Book in a tour with a local with Taste Cultural Food Tours or Gourmet Safaris.

A weekend of culinary extravagance

From minimal-intervention wines to biodynamic meats and award-winning oysters, NSW produces world-class, nourishing produce and the best place to eat it is on the tables of Sydney’s best restaurants. One of the country's most acclaimed chefs, Neil Perry, combines home cooking with cutting-edge modern Australian cuisine at the stylish but cosy Double Bay restaurant Margaret. In St Leonards, discover an entirely different way of thinking about, and cooking, seafood at sustainability-focused fine diner Petermen, the home base of James Beard nominee Josh Niland. Equally innovative and produce-focused, but relying on only the most ancient cooking technique, the open flame, is Lennox Hastie’s Firedoor, which featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table: BBQ. Make sure to stock up on tasty goods at Carriageworks Farmers Markets or Marrickville Organic Food Markets on the Saturday or Sunday, so you can spend the public holiday picnicking at Sydney’s most scenic spots while the restaurants are closed.

Retreat and recharge

Getting an extra day in your weekend can be crucial to help recharge and reset before a new week of responsibilities, so make the most of it and pamper yourself. Start the weekend by surrounding yourself with the Blue Mountains’ World Heritage-listed wilderness at an escape with a wellness focus at Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Lilianfels or Billabong Retreat. Spend the weekend days spotting waterfalls, listening to lyrebirds and gazing over the epic scenery of the mountains with the area’s best trails, then retreat to Leura’s Finnish-style Blue Mountains Sauna. Returning to Sydney for the last day, go all out with a room at one of the city’s best wellness-focused hotels, and spend your remaining hours in a spa, on a massage table or getting a world-class facial.

Unwind among the vines

The October long weekend is the ideal time to make your way to NSW’s wine regions: the weather is perfect for a vineyard stroll, flowers are in bloom and there’s an extra day to recover from a weekend of wine. Book a few nights at Nimbo Fork, nestled in the Snowy Valleys, and sip award-winning drops at landmark vineyards on a helicopter winery tour.

Stroll between the vines of the Southern Highlands, where you can base yourself at the artful Osborn House, and visit cellar doors at Artemis Wines and Bendooley Estate.

In South Coast wine country, taste your way through the region’s boutique wineries and breweries, and long lunch at Cupitt’s Estate in Milton before retiring to one of the winery’s luxury one-bedroom pods.

In the most famous NSW wine region, the Hunter Valley, base yourself in Pokolbin for the weekend, and spend the days touring cellar tours and tastings at some of the oldest vineyards in the country.