Bondi to Manly Walk, Bondi BeachCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a walk along Bondi Beach, Sydney.
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A weekend away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is a welcome break you need every now and again. New South Wales offers plenty of options for a quick trip away centred around natural wonders, with beaches, bushland and bountiful experiences ready to enjoy. Here are a few places to consider for your next weekend escape.
Sydney
There’s plenty to see and do in the state’s largest city. Start with a 30-minute walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the city centre and enjoy sweeping views of the harbour and the Sydney Opera House. Catch the train back to Circular Quay, then hop on the ferry for an afternoon at Taronga Zoo — you can stay overnight at the zoo’s Wildlife Retreat or have a Roar and Snore experience.
Make the most of the sunshine and tackle a section of the four-day Bondi to Manly Walk, an 80km track of iconic beaches, ocean pools and secluded picnic spots from Bondi in the Eastern Suburbs through the city and on to the southern end of the Northern Beaches.
Looking for a bite to eat in the city? Popular Bondi Italian eatery Totti’s has a sister venue in the city centre, Bar Totti’s, which serves up amazing house-made antipasti. For more Italian fare, head to Restaurant Leo or Ragazzi, which have revitalised the nearby Angel Place. And if you’re looking for bars, find a seat at Cantina OK! or PS40, or Maybe Sammy in The Rocks.
Stay at the minimalist Little National Hotel Sydney in the city for easy access to the Barangaroo dining precinct; or soak up harbour views from your room at Pier One Sydney Harbour - a stone's throw away from Circular Quay.
Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
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Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
The Shoalhaven
The Shoalhaven region of the South Coast, around a three-hour drive south of Sydney, shines with 170km of pristine coastline. There are many beaches to choose from – you can swim at the calm Callala Beach or Scottish Rocks, or camp at Green Patch. Book a tour with Dolphin Watch Cruises, or a whale-watching cruise with Jervis Bay Wild for the ultimate Jervis Bay experience during whale migration season (May to November).
At Stonegrill steakhouse in the bustling coastal town of Huskisson, you cook meat or seafood on a heated volcanic stone yourself. Explore the region’s increasingly sophisticated wine offerings at Two Figs Winery, or have lunch at Cupitt’s Estate, a destination in itself only minutes away from the South Coast towns of Milton, Mollymook and Ulladulla.
Stay on the coast at Bangalay Luxury Villas, on the beach at Shoalhaven Heads, or book an escape for the whole family at The Shore at Gerringong, The Pause, The Shed Gerroa or Beach House Gerroa, at the other end of Seven Mile Beach from Bangalay Luxury Villas. And Kangaroo Valley Getaways can match you with your ideal holiday home in the lush Shoalhaven hinterland.
Whale Watching, Jervis Bay Credit: Jordan Robins
Humpback whale breaching off Jervis Bay on the south coast of NSW.
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Whale Watching, Jervis Bay Credit: Jordan Robins
Humpback whale breaching off Jervis Bay on the south coast of NSW.
Blue Mountains
A 90-minute drive from Sydney, the Blue Mountains is home to incredible outdoor activities and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park. Soak up breathtaking views of the Jamison Valley with a Scenic World experience, from the world's steepest passenger railway, to the recently launched Beyond Skyway experience. Go canyoning, abseiling and rock-climbing via High and Wild Australian Adventures and Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Head to Red Door Café in Leura for breakfast, or enjoy afternoon tea at Megalong Valley Tea Rooms. Once you're finished exploring one of the region's many walking tracks, head to Bilpin at the foot of the mountains for refreshments at Hillbilly Cider and Bilpin Cider, or get your hands dirty picking fruit at Bilpin Fruit Bowl.
Sip pre-dinner drinks at Champagne Charlie’s at The Carrington in Katoomba, then enjoy dinner with a view at Echoes Restaurant & Bar, or Bar NSW at the Lookout. For self-contained accommodation just five minutes from town, The Kyah is a Palm-Springs inspired converted motel in Blackheath.
Three Sisters, Blue Mountains Credit: Filippo Rivetti
Sunrise over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba.
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Three Sisters, Blue Mountains Credit: Filippo Rivetti
Sunrise over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba.
Mid North Coast
Go on a jet ski experience, river cruise or dolphin spotting on the pristine waterways of Port Macquarie, a four-hour drive north of Sydney, with Port Jet Cruise Adventures. A camel safari along Lighthouse Beach with Port Macquarie Camels may be more your speed, or you can get up close to a koala at Billabong Zoo.
For lunch, head to The Hilltop Store in Sawtell, a 90-minute drive north of Port Macquarie. Another nearby lunch option is the refurbished The Kiosk Sawtell.
Fresh oysters are shucked to order at Hamiltons Oysters in Tuncurry, an hour south of Port Macquarie. And off the Pacific Highway in Wauchope is Bago Maze and Wine, where the vineyard, cellar door and a hedge maze are surrounded by eucalypts.
Just a short drive from Port Macquarie, Telegraph Retreat Cottages cater to couples and families. And inland from the coast, The Lodge in the laid-back town of Bellingen is a 16 acre property with 30 rooms with views over the Bellinger Valley towards Dorrigo National Park.
Bago Maze and Winery, Wauchope Credit: Destination NSW
The architecturally designed native Lilly Pilly hedge maze at Bago Maze and Winery, Wauchope.
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Bago Maze and Winery, Wauchope Credit: Destination NSW
The architecturally designed native Lilly Pilly hedge maze at Bago Maze and Winery, Wauchope.
Country NSW
For a taste of the good life, you can’t beat Orange, a 3.5-hour drive west of Sydney. At Ferment, a slick wine centre showcasing 19 wineries in the region, you’ll get a well-rounded introduction to the local wine scene.
While you’re in town, hop into Jumbled store to browse its interesting edit of homewares, fashion and art. Then head to Byng Street Local Store for brunch. For a sophisticated dining experience, make a reservation at Printhie Wines Cellar Door. Stay at The Oriana, which has rooms to suit couples and families alike. There’s the farmers market on every second Saturday, and just 15 minutes from Orange is the family-friendly Heifer Station Wines and its petting zoo.
Three hours south of Sydney, between Canberra and the South Coast beaches, you’ll find the country town of Braidwood. Don’t miss Braidwood Bakery and its excellent pies and pastries, and find treats for the drive back at The Boiled Lolly. Stop off at the Braidwood Farmers Market for regional produce if you’re visiting on the second or fourth Saturday of the month. Extend your stay at Mona Farm, a restored homestead with luxe self-contained accommodation outside of Braidwood.
In the heart of the Riverina, named for the mighty Murray River that flows through the region, you’ll find the town of Wagga Wagga. Start your weekend early on Thursday at the Riverina Producers' Market at Wagga Showgrounds. For dinner that celebrates local produce, dine at The Roundabout Restaurant or The Oakroom. Set up base at The Houston, a boutique hotel created within the grand neo-gothic Belmore House.
Heifer Station, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Group of friends enjoying a private food and wine tasting experience at Heifer Staton Wines, Orange.
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Heifer Station, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Group of friends enjoying a private food and wine tasting experience at Heifer Staton Wines, Orange.
More Inspirational Stories
Mulwala Water Ski Club, MulwalaCredit: Destination NSW
Mulwala Water Ski Club located in the Riverina Murray region in Mulwala, offers an outdoor bar and casual relaxed dining overlooking Lake Mulwala. Learn to water ski on a world-class, private, twin lake the Max Kirwan Ski Park.
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Cool off with an adventure: NSW is a watersports playground
Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
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Hot sands, wild rivers, bays with towers of coral and waves that curl like a rockabilly quiff – NSW is a paradise for adventure on and under the water. For adrenaline-chasers, there are world-class waves and whitewater runs, foils and jet boats built for speed, and reefs home to sharks and turtles. For the quiet adventurers, try paddleboard expeditions, fishing for rainbow trout and bass in pristine rivers, and colourful snorkelling spots.
Your next adrenaline hit
Surfing may be the famous action-hero of the NSW watersports scene, but the state’s rivers, lakes, bays and beaches also host a huge diversity of aquatic adventures to get the heart racing. Take in Sydney Harbour’s icons, while spinning, splashing and thundering past in a jet boat with Oz Jet Boating or Thunder Jet Boat. In Western Sydney, Penrith is a hub for adventure. Penrith Whitewater Stadium, purpose-built for the 2000 Olympics, is uniquely set up for both beginner paddling and intense raft adventures, as well as kayak courses where you can test yourself against Olympic times; Cables Wake Park teaches you to wakeboard via zipline (jumps and obstacles included); and Jet Pack Adventures lets you feel like a water-powered Iron Man.
In Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury River, Jet Ski Safaris will take you around the bends of the river at 30 knots, while Fliteschool Manly and OzFoiling (with multiple locations on the Mid North Coast) will teach you how to cruise the coastline via eFoil, a motorised surfboard that glides above the water like an elegant seabird. Outside of Sydney, on the Murray River, encounter one of the greatest and oldest waterski clubs in the world at Mulwala Water Ski Club.
Find a wave
With reliable breaks on some of the world’s most picturesque beaches, NSW is a premium spot on the international surf circuit. Surfers with their own board and years of experience behind them can find world-class waves all up the coast while newbies can join in on a surfing lesson, all you have to do is choose which one and which beach. You can also practice on a perfectly shaped, perfectly reliable wave (with multiple options suitable for beginners or experts) at URBNSURF, Olympic Park’s surf park, and finish off with a meal at RAFI, the onsite Applejack-run restaurant and bar that overlooks the waves.
URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
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URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Explore NSW’s coral reefs
The pristine, ecologically rich seas of NSW have seen the development of 10 protected marine parks covering more than 100,000 square kilometres, offering a haven to wildly diverse range of sea life. Beyond those areas, in the harbour and the bays of the coastal cities, there are also vibrant ecosystems ripe for snorkel or scuba dive trips. Self-guided snorkelling can be done in most places along the coast and, provided you have the equipment and training, so can diving. Or learn the ropes with a tour. Woebegone Expeditions and Courses will teach you how to explore the reefs of the South Coast with safe, freediving techniques; Region X Snorkel Tours has you jumping off a kayak with a snorkel around Batemans Bay; and Ecotreasures fits in a headland walk between time in the aquatic reserve around Manly. For new divers, you can explore the lower North Coast with Jetty Dive Centre or the tropical far North Coast with Cooly Eco Adventures. While Sydney Underwater Scooters will set you up with a handheld swim-assister and show you the clear waters and underwater fauna of Sydney’s Gordon’s Bay.
Paddling sunrise to sunset
Every river, bay and lake has a different scene and a different story, and cruising on a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lets you discover at your own pace. NSW is also full of explorers and local experts ready to guide you along the way. In Sydney, Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Sydney by Kayak will introduce you to the harbour at its multicolour best with dawn and dusk paddles. Manly Kayak Centre has both hire and guided options for kayaks and SUP, as well as giving you the opportunity to try your hand at SUPBALL, which is like polo but replaces the horse with a SUP. Cronulla SUP and Balmoral Paddlesurf let you explore less famous, but no less beautiful, beaches of Sydney’s south and north respectively.
On the Sapphire Coast combine your next river adventure with a story, like on Navigate Expeditions’ Aboriginal Culture Tour, where you journey into the land’s Indigenous heritage, or a Kayak and Shuck Tour where you visit the oyster farms. On the North Coast, social enterprise and SUP tour guides Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours offers cultural eco-tourism on a paddleboard around the pristine waters of Solitary Island Marine Park. Not far away in The Tweed, Watersports Guru offers SUP lessons and hire, allowing you to cruise the waters Cudgen Creek while taking in the local birdlife – if you’re lucky you may even see a pod of dolphins.
Reel in a new experience
With pristine rivers and wild oceans, NSW is a dream for fishing for both newbies and those looking for the next big catch. Out on the oceans of the South Coast Kiama Charter Service will help you pull in your first deep-sea fish (go for blue-eye trevalla, gemfish or hapuka). While Port Macquarie Fishing Charters, Reel Ocean Adventures (in Tuncurry) and Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, provide the boats, deep-sea equipment and vibes on the North Coast. Inland, learn traditional yabbying in the bush at Narrabri Fish Farm, or set up your own line on NSW’s most epic jetties at Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie and Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley. If you know the ways of a fly fisher, the Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains are the hot spots.
Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
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Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru
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Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru