Red Rock, Coffs CoastCredit: Destination NSW
Get back to nature on a wild walk
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From short walks to multi-day treks, New South Wales is full of incredible wild walks. Here are five terrific tramps in the state’s north to get you started. Prepare for your adventure by familiarising yourself with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service’s bushwalking safety tips and Australia’s Walking Track Grading System, and remember to pre-book to camp in NSW national parks.
Solitary Islands Coastal Walk, Coffs Coast
- Distance: 60km one-way
- Time: 3–4 days
- Track grade: 4
Cross golden beaches, hike up rocky headlands and stroll through lush rainforest on one of the most beautiful walks on Australia’s east coast. The Solitary Islands Coastal Walk takes you from Red Rock, at the northern end of the Coffs Coast, down to Sawtell, passing through Coffs Coast Regional Park, Moonee Beach Nature Reserve and Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve along the way.
Meet the resident kangaroos on the Look At Me Now Headland and bring your binoculars for a closer look at humpback whales from May to November. You can camp along the way or, if you prefer more comfort, Solitary Islands Coastal Walk Experiences offers transfers to local accommodations.
Minyon Falls Walking Track, Byron Bay Hinterland
- Distance: 13km return
- Time: 3–4 hours
- Track grade: 3
Walk among waterfalls, wildlife and wildflowers as you wind your way through UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest in Nightcap National Park, 90 minutes’ drive northwest of Byron Bay on the far North Coast. The Minyon Falls Walking Track leads you past the base of the 100m-high waterfall and, if you’re comfortable scrambling over some rocks, you can cool off with a swim at the base before heading back to the car park. Keep your camera ready for possible sightings of koalas, wallabies and goannas en route.
Minyon Falls is also set to become the end point of a four-day walk linking Nightcap National Park and neighbouring Mount Jerusalem National Park, which is expected to be completed in 2022. Known as the Tweed Byron Hinterland Trails project, the new network of tracks will also include areas for cyclists.
Diggers Camp Credit: Destination NSW
Coastline of Diggers Camp on the mid-north coast.
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Diggers Camp Credit: Destination NSW
Coastline of Diggers Camp on the mid-north coast.
Nightcap National Park, Whian Whian Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park, Whian Whian.
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Nightcap National Park, Whian Whian Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park, Whian Whian.
Eagles Nest Walking Track, Northern Tablelands
- Distance: 2.2km loop
- Time: 1–2 hours
- Track grade: 3
The Eagles Nest Walking Track in New England National Park starts 1,563m above sea level at Point Lookout (around 2.5 hours east of Armidale). Enjoy panoramic views over the verdant forest to the Pacific Ocean before climbing down into the Gondwana Rainforest.
See delicate ice sculptures created by water trickling over freezing rocks in winter, colourful wildflowers mingling with snow grass tussocks in spring, and orchids in Antarctic beech trees covered in moss throughout the year. Also keep your eyes peeled for spotted quolls, kangaroos, wallabies, gliders and possums, and when you reach Banksia Point be sure to look for the resident lyrebird. Twitchers will be pleased to know that the park is home to more than 100 other bird species.
Yuraygir Coastal Walk, Clarence Coast
- Distance: 65km one-way
- Time: 4–5 days
- Track grade: 4
Yuraygir National Park, a 70-minute drive north of Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast, has the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in NSW, and the Yuraygir coastal walk guides you on a 65km trek inspired by the path of the coastal emu.
Keep an eye out for some of Australia’s most vulnerable wildlife, including the rufous bettong, a rabbit-sized marsupial also known as a rufous rat-kangaroo, as well as coastal emus.
With seven camping spots along the way you could do the whole walk in one stretch — north to south to keep the sun at your back is best — or you could simply choose one section for a day out.
Bald Rock Summit Walking Track, Tenterfield
- Distance: 3.2km loop
- Time: 1–2 hours
- Track grade: 3
Just outside of Tenterfield in the New England region, you can climb the largest exposed granite monolith in the southern hemisphere the easy way or the hard way in Bald Rock National Park. The Bungoona Walk is the slower, more gradual way and includes walking through huge boulders and up staircases made of stone. The Rockface Walk does what the name suggests — it involves a steep climb from the base to the summit, and is best for confident and fit walkers.
Both Bald Rock Summit Walking Track options lead to the same spot on the top of the rock that’s about 200m tall, with sweeping views of the countryside below.
Point Lookout, New England National Park Credit: Richard A Stanley
Scenic views across New England National Park from Point Lookout.
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Point Lookout, New England National Park Credit: Richard A Stanley
Scenic views across New England National Park from Point Lookout.
Red Cliff Beach, Yuraygir National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Kangaroos relaxing in Yuraygir National Park near Red Cliff.
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Red Cliff Beach, Yuraygir National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Kangaroos relaxing in Yuraygir National Park near Red Cliff.
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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).