Tathra Wharf, TathraCredit: Destination NSW
Tathra Wharf, Sapphire Coast
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Make your next special occasion a truly memorable one with an escape to southern New South Wales. Celebrate an anniversary in romantic Southern Highlands, gather your inner friendship circle in the Snowy Mountains or make your next birthday a family affair with an idyllic beach holiday on the NSW South Coast.
Elevate your beach holiday in Gerringong
Enjoy the best of both worlds when you celebrate a special occasion in Gerringong, a beachside holiday town with easy access to the Shoalhaven wine region just a 90-minute drive from Sydney on the South Coast.
Gather the tribe at the boutique guesthouse Soul of Gerringong – the farmhouse, which sleeps 16, and cottage, which sleeps seven, are both decked out in coastal country style, with fireplaces and open living-dining areas. Or feel instantly more calm as you discover the expansive views of the ocean at Dovecote’s two-bedroom Range or four-bedroom Headland properties commanding a headland above Gerringong.
Gaze over the vineyard and farm from the restaurant at nearby Crooked River Wines, where the focus on seafood celebrates the South Coast, as you savour a two-course menu featuring local oysters, tiger prawns and ocean trout. Take yourself out of the ordinary as you cuddle a goat during a Goat Therapy Farm Tour or sign up for a cooking workshop at Buena Vista Farm, a family farm just outside of Gerringong town. And watch the shadows lengthen across Gerringong’s Werri Beach from your perch at Gather By The Hill as you nibble on the bar’s Asian-inspired small and large plates.
Immerse in nature in Jervis Bay
You’ll feel a world away from the everyday as you walk along one of the many pretty beaches in Jervis Bay, 2.5 hours south of Sydney, with your loved one or your crew. Join a cruise with Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay or Jervis Bay Wild from the port town of Huskisson to spot the many resident dolphins and seals in the sheltered bay – you may also encounter humpback whales during their annual migration from May to November.
Retreat to a country-cool cottage or a glamping bell tent at The Woods Farm, a few minutes’ drive inland, and explore the property on foot or on bikes, dive into the pool or simply relax with a glass of wine beside your private fire pit. Or check into an elevated safari-style luxury tent at Paperbark Camp and savour a three-course set menu served by candlelight in a peaceful bush setting at its The Gunyah restaurant.
Dovecote, Gerringong Credit: @dovecote @alexsprichard
Dovecote, Gerringong.
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Dovecote, Gerringong Credit: @dovecote @alexsprichard
Dovecote, Gerringong.
Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a walk along Murrays Beach at Jervis Bay, NSW
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Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a walk along Murrays Beach at Jervis Bay, NSW
Feel free on the far South Coast
Revel in a shared sense of adventure as you seek out hidden gems on the Sapphire Coast. Feel a million miles from anywhere in one of the beautifully restored Green Cape Lightstation Keeper’s Cottages jutting from a peninsula in the southern section of Beowa National Park, near the town of Eden. Gaze out to sea from the open verandahs and cook up a storm to enjoy overlooking the water – when you’re not hiking through rainforest or along the clifftops in the national park.
Looking for something even more secluded? Cosy up during a relaxed stay in the Barn Studio at Sugar Rock Ranch, on the fringe of the northern section of Beowa National Park. After a day of bushwalking through the national park, fire up the barbecue on the deck or build a blaze in your fire pit and let the sound of the wind in the trees complete the peaceful scene.
Wind down in Berrima
Whisk away that special someone for a romantic getaway in the historic town of Berrima, a 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney in the Southern Highlands. Make your way to your luxe cottage overlooking vineyards, manicured gardens and a lake at Bendooley Estate, a short drive outside of Berrima. Make memories with an atmospheric dinner at the estate’s beautiful cellar door space, or head back into Berrima for dinner at award-winning Eschalot, where much of the produce featured on the thoughtful menus is grown by the owners or sourced from local purveyors.
Start the next day with a decadent breakfast – including a glass of bubbly – with the Sparkling Breakfast Experience at PepperGreen Estate’s cellar door in Berrima, or come at lunchtime for a three-course Wine and Dine Experience featuring a hosted wine tasting.
After you’re recharged your batteries at your Bendooley Estate cottage, venture beyond Berrima to explore the other wineries across the Southern Highlands and charming towns such as Bowral and the foodie magnet that is Robertson, a 25-minute drive from Bowral.
Bendooley Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW
Autumn at Bendooley Estate, Berrima.
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Bendooley Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW
Autumn at Bendooley Estate, Berrima.
Pinnacles Loop Walking Track, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Pinnacles Loop Walking Track, Eden
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Pinnacles Loop Walking Track, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Pinnacles Loop Walking Track, Eden
Reconnect in the Snowy Mountains
Bring together up to 12 of your closest friends or family members for a memorable stay at Forty Nine Post Office Lane in the Snowy Mountains, around a five-hour drive southwest of Sydney. Feel right at home in the private luxury homestead in Crackenback, five minutes from Kosciuszko National Park for warm-weather hiking, or equally close to Perisher’s Skitube if you’re keen to hit the slopes. Or soak up the solitude and seclusion with your partner at the off-grid Crafters Cabin, looking out over bushland on the Alpine Way between Crackenback and Jindabyne.
While both properties feature fully equipped kitchens for conjuring up hearty meals, you’ll want to savour the French farmhouse-style meals served in a cosy setting at Crackenback Farm Restaurant; everything is made with local ingredients, including homegrown herbs and vegetables.
Wine and dine in Wagga Wagga
Work up an appetite as you drive past the orchards, farms and vineyards of the NSW Riverina – you’ll find plenty of great places to sample super-fresh regional produce in Wagga Wagga. Soak up the historic atmosphere of The Houston, a luxury boutique hotel set in the impeccably restored neo-gothic Belmore House in the heart of town, as you get ready for a night of gourmet treats.
Indulge in three-, five- or seven-course tasting menus of Riverina goodness at The Charles Dining Room at The Charles boutique hotel, feast on prime Junee lamb at The Oakroom restaurant at the Townhouse hotel, or relish regional cuisine and wines at Magpies Nest restaurant, set in a charming stone stables around a 10-minute drive out of town.
Dreamily recall the previous night’s feasting as you stroll through olive groves on a tasting tour of fine oils at Wollundry Grove Olives, 10 minutes north of town. Or bond over a cooking class as Food I Am helps you discover the art of preparing everything from pasta and tapas to Vietnamese favourites and Thai specialties.
Backcountry, Kosciuszko National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying the scenic views across Kosciuszko National Park.
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Backcountry, Kosciuszko National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying the scenic views across Kosciuszko National Park.
Food I Am, Wagga Wagga Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a long lunch with scenic views at Food I Am, Wagga Wagga.
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Food I Am, Wagga Wagga Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a long lunch with scenic views at Food I Am, Wagga Wagga.
More Inspirational Stories
The Eve Hotel, Surry Hills, SydneyCredit: The Eve Hotel, Sydney
Rooftop garden with pool at The Eve Hotel, Sydney
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From bold hotel concepts bringing fresh energy, tempting restaurant openings and an intriguing line-up of new attractions headlined by the dazzling new Sydney Fish Market development, there are plenty of travel experiences to look forward to across Sydney and NSW in 2025.
HOTELS AND RESORTS
A new star rises in Sydney’s east
The Eve Hotel Sydney, on the crossroads of Surry Hills and Redfern in Sydney’s inner east, opens to guests in mid-February 2025. The centrepiece of the new Wunderlich Lane dining and retail precinct, the 102-room hotel features two venues by Sydney’s Liquid & Larder hospitality team. Bar Julius, an art-filled neighbourhood bar, tempts guests on the lobby level, while Lottie, a contemporary Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria, shares The Eve’s rooftop space with a lush garden and a swimming pool.
A Paddington icon is reborn
Accor’s playful 25hours Hotels brand makes its Australian debut in mid-2025 with 25hours Hotel The Olympia in Sydney’s Paddington. Taking its name from the site’s past as the West's Olympia Theatre picture palace, the 109-room hotel will feature three themed concept suites, a chic cocktail bar and a rooftop bar looking out over Paddington’s famed Oxford Street.
Koreatown gets a fun new stay
Sydney’s second Moxy hotel, following Moxy Sydney Airport, is set to open in August 2025 in the city centre’s Koreatown precinct. The new-build Moxy Sydney Pitt Street will rise up from a compact footprint, offering 314 guest rooms as well as a gym, restaurant and retail outlets. Alongside lively communal spaces infused with the brand’s high-energy vibe, Moxy Sydney Pitt Street will boast one of the city’s highest outdoor rooftop bars when it opens on level 34.
The Eve Hotel, Surry Hills, Sydney Credit: The Eve Hotel, Sydney
Rooftop garden with pool at The Eve Hotel, Sydney
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The Eve Hotel, Surry Hills, Sydney Credit: The Eve Hotel, Sydney
Rooftop garden with pool at The Eve Hotel, Sydney
25hours Hotel, Paddington Credit: Central Element
25hours Hotel, Paddington
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25hours Hotel, Paddington Credit: Central Element
25hours Hotel, Paddington
Raising the bar on the Central Coast
Voco Gosford will be the first new-build hotel to open on the NSW Central Coast in more than 15 years when it launches in mid-2025. The 130-room hotel is the centrepiece of the Archibald by ALAND residential and retail development in the Gosford city centre. Guests will enjoy incredible views over the Brisbane Water estuary from the rooftop pool and sky bar on level 28, while on the street level there’ll be a pub and pizzeria. A signature restaurant on level 5 is being curated by Sydney chef Dany Karam, formerly of The Star Sydney’s Black Bar & Grill.
Luxury under the stars
B.Farm in Port Stephens, a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney, continues to expand its visitor offering. The multi-sensory estate will offer a range of luxury accommodation in early 2025 to complement its beer garden, high-tea pavilion, farm-to-fork restaurant, and brewery, distillery and winery experiences. From February 2025 guests can gaze up at the stars from a sleeping platform that rolls out from the interior of the Sally the Skywatcher tiny house, which includes a wood-fired sauna and two outdoor bathing tubs, or choose from four luxe glamping suites featuring outdoor tubs and dressing rooms. And in April 2025 B.Farm will offer 26 tented cabins, each with ensuite bathrooms and outdoor soaking tubs.
Urban resort living comes to Byron
Byron Bay’s The Bonobo by Raes, a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom hotel-style residential apartments managed by the team behind the town’s famed boutique hotel Raes at Wategos, is slated to open by the end of 2025. Anchoring the beachside town’s emerging Jonson Street precinct, Bonobo by Raes promises to be the ultimate in barefoot luxury, with well-appointed apartments featuring deep balconies, a lush central courtyard, wellness centre, signature restaurant, lobby bar and rooftop pool.
A luxe take on astrotourism
Reflections Lake Keepit holiday camp, a 30-minute drive from Gunnedah in Country NSW, is set to become an international star-gazing tourist destination with the launch of its Big Sky Dreaming precinct in mid-2025. The astrotourism initiative features eight spacious glamping tents with skylights, so guests can watch the stars from the comfort of their bed. Guests can dine under the stars or at the new Star Lounge chalet, and enjoy star-gazing experiences, Aboriginal storytelling and cultural activities.
voco Gosford, Central Coast Credit: voco Gosford, IHG Hotels & Resorts
voco Gosford, Central Coast
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voco Gosford, Central Coast Credit: voco Gosford, IHG Hotels & Resorts
voco Gosford, Central Coast
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The dawn of a new Century
A beloved fixture in Chinatown’s dining scene for decades until it closed its doors in 2021, acclaimed Cantonese restaurant Golden Century will reopen at Crown Sydney in Barangaroo in January 2025. The new venue reprises the original Golden Century concept: expect signature live seafood dishes such as XO pippies, as well as classics like Peking duck and yum cha lunches.
A piece of Paris on Martin Place
The team behind the chic Loulou Bistro in Milsons Point brings Gallic panache to the new Sydney Metro Martin Place station in February 2025. Evoking the relaxed atmosphere of a Parisian bistro, Loulou Martin Place flows over two levels of the tower sitting above the Metro line. Enjoy lighter takes on classic bistro fare while indulging in people-watching from Loulou Martin Place’s outdoor seating, or delight in a freshly baked croissant at the adjoining café-patisserie Petit Loulou.
New heights of Greek cuisine
The Greek village-style taverna Olympus Dining opened in December 2024 as one of the anchors of the Wunderlich Lane dining precinct, on the border of Surry Hills and Redfern. Here the team behind Potts Point’s modern Greek diner The Apollo employ ancient cooking methods to create a homely dining experience. Wunderlich Lane continues to take shape in 2025, with The Eve Hotel’s restaurant and bar offering, cocktail bar Baptist St Rec. Club and refined Japanese R by Raita Noda joining Regina La Pizzeria, the Southeast Asian eating house and bar Island Radio.
After-midnight wine bar
Another December 2024 debutante, the late-night wine bar Letra House has opened in the basement beneath the Roman-style trattoria Palazzo Salato on Clarence Street in Sydney’s city centre. The moodily lit underground bar features a bronze-topped bar and a mix of leather banquettes and high-top tables, while the Spanish-leaning menu offers shared small plates as well as a selection of more than 40 wines by the glass.
EXPERIENCES
Sydney’s new culinary destination
The striking new Sydney Fish Market complex is expected to open in November 2025. The instantly iconic waterfront destination on Blackwattle Bay, between Glebe and Pyrmont on the fringe of the city centre, will feature more than 6,000sqm of public space. There will also be an extensive dining precinct featuring a flagship Southeast Asian restaurant by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, while the retail offering will include current Sydney Fish Market favourites such as Claudio’s Seafood, Getfish and Christie’s Seafood. Visitors will be able to peek in at the bustling wholesale fish market, take seafood cooking classes and enjoy a range of tours and activities.
A new showcase for craft beer
North Coast craft beer pioneer Stone & Wood will open the doors of a Tasting Room at its Murwillumbah brewery, around a 50-minute drive north of Byron Bay, by the end of 2025. The tasting room will be the centrepiece of a $30 million upgrade of the brand’s largest brewery, which was previously not open to visitors. Craft beer aficionados can go behind the scenes on a brewery tour, sample pilot batches and immerse themselves in the brewing process before trying new brews in the designer tasting space.
Connect with First Nations cuisine
Building on a successful launch in late 2024, Karkalla Byron Bay will run a series of curated Indigenous culinary experiences throughout 2025. Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods, the driving force behind the shuttered Karkalla restaurant, will offer Native Food cooking classes as well as Karkalla On Country dining experiences at the Conscious Ground organic farm, a 15-minute drive from Byron Bay. Check Karkalla’s events page for monthly releases of dates inspired by local seasonal and native produce and the Bundjalung seasonal calendar.
Orange’s latest culinary experience
Printhie Wines near Orange, around a four-hour drive from Sydney, will launch tours of its new kitchen garden in late 2025. Visitors to this award-winning cool-climate winery can learn of the estate’s sustainability initiatives while touching, smelling and tasting the garden’s herbs. There will also be a bush tucker section, developed in collaboration with Orange Botanic Gardens. The kitchen garden tour ends with a dining experience where guests can savour freshly picked produce paired, of course, with Printhie’s award-winning wines.