Empress Falls, Blue Mountains National ParkCredit: Destination NSW
Get back to nature on a waterfall hike in the Blue Mountains.
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Craving fresh air, nature, and open space? Take a deep breath and discover nine unforgettable NSW outdoor experiences to add to your travel to-do list.
Stand on the top of Australia
You don’t need to be a mountaineer to make it to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak at 2,228m. Located in Kosciuszko National Park, around six hours’ drive southwest of Sydney, the mountain has two summit tracks. There’s an 18.6km-return trail from Charlotte Pass or a 13km-return trail from Thredbo that includes a lift on the Kosciuszko Express chairlift. The pathways are smooth and well maintained, and are best hiked between December and March, when the snow has melted and wildflowers are in bloom. Even in the middle of summer it will be chilly at the top, so be sure to bring warm layers.
Discover a secret side of Sydney
Sydney might look like a bustling metropolis, but you’ll be amazed at how much untouched wilderness lies within the city limits. Much of the foreshore around iconic Sydney Harbour is protected as part of Sydney Harbour National Park. You’ll find leafy green areas all along the coast, threaded with walking trails and secret beaches. Try the 4km Bradleys Head to Chowder Bay Walk near Taronga Zoo for great city views across the harbour, or enjoy the short nature walk to the historic Barrenjoey Lighthouse at Sydney’s northern tip for superb views along the Northern Beaches.
Learn ancient stories on the Bingi Dreaming Track
Follow in the footsteps of the Brinja-Yuin People, who have lived around the Moruya region of the NSW South Coast for thousands of years, on the Bingi Dreaming Track, which follows ancient Aboriginal Songlines linking traditional camps, ceremonial and trading sites, fresh water and food sources. The 13.5km coastal trail in the Eurobodalla region, 4.5 hours’ drive south of Sydney, passes beaches (perfect for a cooling dip), lakes, heathlands and forests, and you can expect to see kangaroos and wallabies lazing in the sun and whales cruising up the coast from May to November.
Ride horses on the beach at Port Stephens
Three hours’ drive north of Sydney, Port Stephens is home to some of the state’s most beautiful beaches. Get a different perspective on a horseback ride with Sahara Trails. Experienced guides will take you for an exhilarating ride along the sand and into the waves, then through the huge sand dunes that surround the beach. The rides are suitable for all ages and levels of experience, so first timers can stay at a walk while experts canter along up ahead.
Kosciuszko National Park, Kosciuszko Credit: Tourism Snowy Mountains
Summit of Mount Kosciuszko in Kosciuszko National Park.
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Kosciuszko National Park, Kosciuszko Credit: Tourism Snowy Mountains
Summit of Mount Kosciuszko in Kosciuszko National Park.
Bingi Dreaming Track, Meringo Credit: Destination NSW
Echidna walking across sand along the Bingi Dreaming Track, Meringo.
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Bingi Dreaming Track, Meringo Credit: Destination NSW
Echidna walking across sand along the Bingi Dreaming Track, Meringo.
Walk through ancient rainforest at Barrington Tops
The most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world stretches along the east coast of Australia. Step deep into this unforgettable wilderness in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Barrington Tops National Park, a five-hour drive north of Sydney. Its rugged peaks were carved by ancient lava flows and rise up to 1,500m above sea level. Walking trails range from gentle hikes that take a few hours to challenging overnight treks with bush camping under the stars.
Follow the Yuraygir Coastal Walk along the Clarence coast
Stretching 65km from Angourie to Red Rock, the Yuraygir Coastal Walk on the NSW North Coast is one of the state’s top multi-day walks. The coastline of the Clarence region (a 1.5-hour flight from Sydney) is fairly untouched and pure, so you’ll be completely immersed in nature amid striking cliffs, fields of wildflowers, native animals and sweeping ocean views. Look out for dolphins frolicking in the waves and whales migrating along the coast in season. There are beach and riverside campgrounds along the way where you can pitch your tent, as well as a few cabins and holiday parks if you prefer a little more comfort on the four- to five-day journey.
Go chasing waterfalls in the Blue Mountains
What’s better than one waterfall? Seven waterfalls! Go deep into the Valley of the Waters on the Wentworth Pass Loop Walking Track in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, just 90 minutes’ drive west of Sydney. The trail passes no less than seven stunning waterfalls, ranging from the jaw-dropping 867m-high Wentworth Falls to the gentler moss-covered cascades of Sylvia Falls. There are icy waterholes to swim in along the way; look out for lyrebirds hiding among the vivid green foliage.
Cycle along a piece of history near Sydney
Built in the late 1880s, Lady Carrington Drive started life as a scenic carriage trail through Royal National Park, an hour south of Sydney. The trail is now closed to traffic and is instead one of the prettiest cycling routes in the state. Starting at Audley, the trail runs for 10km, following the edge of the Hacking River and flanked by huge sandstone cliffs. You’ll be immersed in peaceful bushland, cycling to a soundtrack of native birdsong. Pack a picnic and stop at one of the three designated areas along the trail or eat at the Audley Dance Hall, a beautifully restored 1940s building that now houses a busy café. You can also hire a kayak from the nearby Audley Boatshed (expected to reopen in June 2021 following a refurbishment) and take a paddle along the weir.
Camp under the stars in Mutawintji National Park
In Mutawintji National Park, a three-hour drive northeast of Broken Hill, you’ll find a stunning outback landscape of rich red earth, secluded waterholes, dramatic ridges, towering red gums and saltbush plains that stretch to the horizon. The park has deep cultural significance to local Aboriginal people; admire its rock art on a tour with Broken Hill-based Tri State Safaris. After a day exploring the park, pitch your tent at the Homestead Creek Campground and sleep under a canopy of a million stars.
Thunderbolts Lookout, Barrington NP Credit: Don Fuchs; Destination NSW
Walk to Thunderbolts Lookout in Barrington Tops National Park.
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Thunderbolts Lookout, Barrington NP Credit: Don Fuchs; Destination NSW
Walk to Thunderbolts Lookout in Barrington Tops National Park.
Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
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Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
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).