From city escapes to beach breaks, country retreats and more, New South Wales offers plenty of long-weekend adventures to enjoy throughout the summer months and beyond. Get into the Feel New Summer vibe with one of these short-but-sweet getaways, just some of the many NSW holiday experiences that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the year ahead.

Be renewed by ocean views

The crunch of sand underfoot, the zing of saltwater on the skin…long weekends in NSW keep the vitamin sea goodness flowing all summer long. Immerse yourself in the big blue with a Far North Coast stay at Yamba’s first boutique hotel, The Surf, ride the waves at the beachside town’s Angourie Point, swim in famous ocean pools, hire a kayak and enjoy fresh seafood at the Pacific Hotel. The spectacular ocean scenes continue all the way down the coastline south of Sydney to Narooma, where the Whale Inn offers relaxing stays surrounded by sparkling South Coast beaches and easy access to Montague Island – the home of penguins, seals and humpbacks.

Rekindle your romance

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.

Revitalise in nature

Reconnect with your favourite people in places that have inspired a million watercolour paintings. Spend a long weekend exploring the mighty Murray River on a houseboat, cruising through peaceful scenery garnished with stately eucalypts, visiting charming Riverina villages such as Wentworth, and unwinding with kayaking and fishing. Venture north to the Bonville Golf Resort, where you can have a hit surrounded by the Coffs Coast’s stunning wilderness. Or continue north to the Tweed Valley, where Tallaringa Luxury Camping has outdoor baths and lush mountain views to soothe you, and you can refuel at the Husk Distillery, Tweed River House and Farm & Co, a paddock-to-plate restaurant on a working farm.

Refresh your thinking

Holidays are all about upgrading your perspective and in Sydney there’s a new discovery at every turn. Experience the city’s rich Aboriginal heritage on a Burrawa BridgeClimb or Indigenous heritage tour of The Rocks and Barangaroo. Embrace a new point of view this Australia Day: in between catching the action around Sydney Harbour, including fireworks, ferry races, live entertainment and more, honour the rich heritage of the world’s oldest living culture at the Yabun Festival at Victoria Park in inner-city Broadway.

Unleash your sense of adventure

In NSW, a long weekend isn’t just a few days off work, it can become the highlight of your story as new experiences reawaken your senses. Spend a family-friendly few days at Wilga Station near Bathurst, where the 105-hectare working sheep farm offers rural adventures and a five-bedroom country retreat to call home. Stop for lunch at renowned restauranteur Matt Moran’s Rockley Pub in the village of Rockley, south of Bathurst, on your way there or on your return journey home. Pack your bikes and head west to Country NSW and explore Mudgee, Mendooran and Dubbo along the Central West Cycle Trail. Or head 5.5 hours south of Sydney for a guided e-bike tour of Mimosa Rocks National Park, taking in soaring clifftops and secret beaches along the way. Wherever your journey takes you, you’ll find inspiring memories to carry with you long afterwards.

Re-energise with your tribe

Holidays are about shaking off your daily routine and sharing the fun of family life, and the good times roll all summer long in NSW. Fit a whole holiday’s worth of fun into a long weekend in Western Sydney with a staycation at Atura Blacktown, where child-friendly attractions such as the hotel’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill, Raging Waters, Sydney Motorsport Park, Skyline Drive In, Cables Wake & Aqua Park and Sydney Zoo are all within easy reach. Up for a family road-trip further afield? Visit the Snowy Mountains for the Kids Summer Adventure Festival in Thredbo, from late December to mid-January. Go north to experience the Tamworth Country Music Festival in mid-January. Or see wild koalas in Gunnedah or camp among the giraffes at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

Savour surprising new flavours

Summer’s all about fresh seasonal fare that nourishes both body and soul, and on NSW long weekends you’ll go straight to the source. Take a Sapphire Coast road trip to Pambula and surround yourself in seaside seclusion in a private luxury tent at Currajong Retreat, and spend your days learning to shuck oysters, taking the younger kids to Oaklands Barn for pony rides, and feasting on seafood at Wheeler’s Seafood Restaurant and the Longstocking Brewery. Around Sydney, you can relish the world on a plate as Taste Cultural Food Tours guides you from one delicious multicultural precinct to the next. Or head to the city’s west to check into the SKY Suites Parramatta urban resort and immerse yourself in Parramatta’s smorgasbord of dining options, including famed restaurateur Maurice Terzini’s CicciaBella, where the antipasti is as moreish as the season itself.

Upgrade your playtime

Whether you’re catching up with the crew or taking the kids away for a few days, there’s a NSW escape to make your quality time together next level. Book a Sydney staycation at A by Adina, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour or the Old Clare Hotel and spend lazy afternoons cooling off in sparkling rooftop pools. Or head to the North Coast for an unforgettable road trip through the hinterland, where you’ll relax together in ancient rainforests, towering waterfalls, refreshing waterholes and world-class surf spots. Set up camp at the Secret Lake Retreat in the riverside town of Lawrence, where you can recharge together with kayaking, birdwatching, hiking and cycling in some of the Clarence Valley’s most pristine bushland.

Retreat and recharge

Upgrade your me time with a pampering escape that indulges every sense. Surround yourself with the World Heritage wilderness of the Blue Mountains at One&Only Wolgan Valley, Spicers Sangoma, Billabong Retreat or the Japanese Bath House, for soothing spa treatments. Back in Sydney, check into The Darling and treat yourself to an invigorating Darling Spa treatment and massage to renew you inside and out. Or be one of the first to rejuvenate body, mind and soul with an indulgent holistic treatment at the two-storey Sofitel Spa at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour when it opens in early 2023.

Unwind among the vines

Keep summer’s quality wine times flowing with a long weekend in wine country. Book a short break at Nimbo Fork Lodge nestled in the Snowy Valleys and sip award-winning drops at landmark vineyards on an helicopter winery tour. Stroll between the vines of the Southern Highlands, where you can base yourself at Osborn House near Mittagong, and visit cellar doors at Artemis and Tertini Wines (by appointment only). Venture further south to South Coast wine country, tasting wines and cheeses and enjoying a long lunch at Cupitt’s Estate in Milton before retiring to one of the winery’s luxury one-bedroom pods. Head southwest to Wagga Wagga for tasting experiences at Borambola Wines and Cottontail Winery; or drive two hours north of Sydney to Pokolbin for a stay in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine region. As you clink glasses and toast the year ahead, you’ll already be planning your next (longer) visit.