Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula RiverCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a tour with Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tours on Pambula River, Pambula.
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We’ve spent months dreaming about our next holiday in NSW and it’s time to start exploring our beautiful state again. Feel the exhilaration of going on a road trip along one of NSW’s great coastal routes. Reconnect with nature as you stand under thundering waterfalls in ancient rainforests. Rekindle romance with a decadent lunch at an award-winning restaurant. Here are six energising destinations to visit on your next NSW holiday.
Immerse yourself in nature on the Sapphire Coast
Looking to escape to unspoilt wilderness? NSW’s far South Coast offers some truly spectacular experiences in nature; the Light to Light Walk in Beowa National Park is one of them. Complete a small section or embark on the full 30 kilometres, which will take you from tea tree groves to banksia woodlands, where you can stop to swim at sheltered coves and spots seals and seabirds.
For more animal-spotting, Montague Island is home to hundreds of fur seals, as well as dolphins, little penguins and many varieties of sea birds. Spring is the peak time for seal spotting — a unique feature of the Australian fur seal is they don’t care much about personal space — often even sitting on top of each other. Snorkel and dive with these playful creatures through a tour with Underwater Safaris and Montague Island Discovery Tours.
The South Coast is also famed for its oysters — discover the Pambula Lake environment on Captain Sponge’s Magical Oyster Tour. You’ll learn about the cultural and ecological significance of the estuary and visit the area’s oyster farms for a tasting.
Relax at the recently refurbished Hillcrest Motel in Merimbula, which has kept the character of its 1970s bones and added a new pool, outdoor fire pit and native garden. Every room looks out onto the sparkling coastline and features In Bed linen and specially commissioned artworks.
Montague Island, Narooma Credit: Destination NSW
Montague Island Adventures tour boat along the shores of Montague Island Nature Reserve, Narooma.
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Montague Island, Narooma Credit: Destination NSW
Montague Island Adventures tour boat along the shores of Montague Island Nature Reserve, Narooma.
Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
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Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
Chase waterfalls on a scenic road trip on the Mid North Coast
Hit the road for an unforgettable adventure on the Mid North Coast. Spend a few days unwinding on the many stunning beaches that make up the Coffs Coast — pop up to Woolgoolga for fish and chips by Woopi Beach; if you have kids with you, take them swimming in the calmer Emerald Beach; and watch the dogs frolic on Sawtell Beach. Explore the Solitary Islands on a paddle board tour with Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours where you’ll learn about the homelands of the Gumbaynggirr tribal nation and taste seasonal bush tucker.
A day on the Waterfall Way scenic drive will leave you refreshed and in awe of the lush hinterland of the Mid North Coast. From Coffs Harbour, stop off at TreeTops for some monkey-like fun, an adventure park with ziplining and trapezes, where you can see across Ulidarra National Park all the way to the coast. Next, stop at Dorrigo National Park, home to subtropical rainforest, with ferns, orchids, palms and figs as well as many birds, such as the brilliant wompoo fruit dove. The Crystal Shower Falls Walk is a 3.5-kilometre loop that will take you over a suspension bridge and behind a thundering waterfall. Get back on the road to stop at the gorgeous Dangar Falls, Ebor Falls and Wollomombi Falls – packing in as many hikes as you can to erase those lockdown blues.
Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours, Coffs Harbour. Credit: Destination NSW
Group enjoying a stand-up paddleboarding tour with Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours at Moonee Creek on the Coffs Coast.
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Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours, Coffs Harbour. Credit: Destination NSW
Group enjoying a stand-up paddleboarding tour with Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours at Moonee Creek on the Coffs Coast.
Dangar Falls, Dorrigo Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a walk to the bottom of Dangar Falls, Dorrigo.
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Dangar Falls, Dorrigo Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a walk to the bottom of Dangar Falls, Dorrigo.
Rekindle the romance with an indulgent trip to Newcastle
For a weekend of gastronomy, make sure a visit to Newcastle is on the cards. The city’s dining scene has come into its own in the past few years. Try Flotilla in the up-and-coming Wickham neighbourhood for elegantly plated dishes and inventive cocktails (start with the Local Highball). Signal Box is all about made-from-scratch ingredients and premium wine in a bright and breezy wharfside locale. If you’re in the mood to kick on, try MoneyPenny for slushies, good music and rainbow paper lanterns.
Get a room a Crystalbrook Kingsley – Newcastle’s first five-star hotel has a rooftop bar and restaurant with 360-degree views of the city and a sustainable leaning.
The Flotilla, Wickham Credit: Destination NSW
Food and drink available from The Flotilla, Wickham in Newcastle.
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The Flotilla, Wickham Credit: Destination NSW
Food and drink available from The Flotilla, Wickham in Newcastle.
Lobby, Crystalbrook Kingsley Credit: Crystalbrook Kingsley
Newcastle’s hotly anticipated Crystalbrook Kingsley, a sophisticated 130 rooms five-star property, opened 9 June 2021.
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Lobby, Crystalbrook Kingsley Credit: Crystalbrook Kingsley
Newcastle’s hotly anticipated Crystalbrook Kingsley, a sophisticated 130 rooms five-star property, opened 9 June 2021.
Unwind on one of NSW’s great coastal drives on the South Coast
The Grand Pacific Drive is one of Australia's prettiest routes, winding through rainforests and seaside villages along a curvaceous coastline. From Sydney, stop at Stanwell Tops to stare out at the sea as you feel your shoulders drop and breath slow down. Release endorphins by cuddling some of your favourite native animals at Symbio Wildlife Park, which is set among six hectares of gardens for picnics.
Back on the coast, motor along the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge, which extends over the ocean as it sketches around the escarpment. Explore the sweet seaside towns of Austinmer, Coledale and Thirroul, boasting boutiques, coffee shops and antique centres. Make sure to have a sunset drink at Thirroul Beach Pavilion – located on the promenade, it basically feels like you’re dining on the beach.
Spend a day or two in Wollongong, relaxing on scenic beaches, dining in beachside cafes and exploring the region’s galleries. Dine at the newly opened Restaurant Santino, a modern Italian trattoria with pink and cream tiled floor, leather stools and a pasta-focused menu.
Travel another 30 minutes south to the beachside hamlet of Kiama, famous for coastal walks, sophisticated seaside dining and the extraordinary Kiama Blowhole. Book a night at Crooked River Winery near Gerringong: the Willowvale Estate House overlooking the vineyards sleeps eight people, and there’s a fantastic cellar door and restaurant to get to know their premium wines.
Symbio Wildlife Park, Helensburgh Credit: Destination NSW
Friendly koala at Symbio Wildlife Park, Helensburgh in the Illawarra region.
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Symbio Wildlife Park, Helensburgh Credit: Destination NSW
Friendly koala at Symbio Wildlife Park, Helensburgh in the Illawarra region.
Main Beach, Wollongong Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying the sand and surf at Main Beach, Wollongong.
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Main Beach, Wollongong Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying the sand and surf at Main Beach, Wollongong.
Ride horses and relax in lodges in the high country
Feel alive again by getting out of your comfort zone: try a spot of fly fishing, or horse riding alongside wild brumbies. Spring transforms the Snowy Mountains into an adventure playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Experience the spectacular scenery on foot and follow a scenic walking trail through Kosciuszko National Park, one of the largest national parks in the state.
The pristine waters of the lakes, rivers and water catchments of the Snowy Mountains are great fishing spots for recreational anglers. Fishing in most rivers and streams is allowed between October and the June long weekend, when melting snow creates crystal-clear waterways teeming with rainbow trout, Murray cod and golden perch. Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa’s fishing ambassador Matt Trippet offers beginner lessons in fly fishing as well as full-day guided experiences that include gourmet meals and local beer. At Lake Eucumbene, anglers can hook a rainbow trout, brown trout or fine Atlantic salmon. Visit Eucumbene Trout Farm and Gaden Trout Hatchery to see how these cold-water sport fish are bred.
Reconnect with your wild side with a horse-riding tour in the stunning back country. At the Snowy Wilderness Resort, take part in a one-day trek with lunch on the trail and sleep in a secluded stone cottage or luxury lodge. If you’re a more experienced rider, a five-day trek with Cochran Horse Treks is an unforgettable experience; you’ll camp in the Kosciuszko National Park and ride out among the brumbies on Currango Plain or to the top of the mountain to discover secret swimming spots.
Ram Ranges Head, Kosciuszko National Park Credit: Don Fuchs; Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a walk along Ramshead Range in Kosciuszko National Park.
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Ram Ranges Head, Kosciuszko National Park Credit: Don Fuchs; Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a walk along Ramshead Range in Kosciuszko National Park.
Horse Riding, Snowy Wilderness Resort Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying a scenic horse ride around the Snowy Wilderness property in Ingebirah, Snowy Mountains.
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Horse Riding, Snowy Wilderness Resort Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying a scenic horse ride around the Snowy Wilderness property in Ingebirah, Snowy Mountains.
Sip your way around an emerging wine region in Country NSW
One of NSW’s most exciting up-and-coming wine regions, the Cowra wine region has more than 30 vineyards planted around the historic towns and villages of Cowra, Grenfell, Billimari and Canowindra. Spend a week touring acclaimed organic wineries and tasting wine at boutique cellar doors, and dine at classic country pubs and restaurants where the menus feature local produce grown on innovative eco-agricultural farms.
Rosnay Organic Wines is Canowindra's first organic vineyard and farm, just eight kilometres from town. The Statham family began their organic farming journey 20 years ago and have been recognised as one of the organic pioneers in NSW. Keep an eye out for olives and figs on your way in — you can pick your own when they are in season. Windowrie is one of the region’s founding winemakers, located in Cowra, and is certified organic. The family grow a wide variety of varietals but the cabernet, shiraz and merlot as well as the verdelho are the ones to try. The Quarry Cellar Door offers tastings of some of the region’s best wines, some of which don’t have a cellar door. There is a gorgeous restaurant on site with seating in the garden and a menu showcasing local produce.
Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a farm tour through the orchard with Sam Stratham at Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra.
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Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a farm tour through the orchard with Sam Stratham at Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra.
Wallington Wines, Nyrang Creek Credit: Destination NSW
Food served at a dining experience at Wallington Wines, Nyrang Creek.
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Wallington Wines, Nyrang Creek Credit: Destination NSW
Food served at a dining experience at Wallington Wines, Nyrang Creek.
For more information on things to see and do in NSW go to www.visitnsw.com
Share your favourite holidays in Sydney and NSW on social media using @sydney @visitnsw #feelNew #feelNSW
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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