New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, and as a result there is much to see and do throughout.  Its biggest draw is undoubtedly its largest city, Sydney, but there are areas removed from the urban landscape that are definitely worth seeing.  Whether you're a nature buff who can't wait to see the splendour of the Blue Mountains, or if you want to go skiing in the Snowy Mountains during the winter months, or even if you want to go exploring the wine country in Hunter Valley, New South Wales has it all for you! The official motto of New South Wales is "Newly risen, how brightly you shine," and it's obvious from the many vistas around the state that the motto definitely fits.

Sydney Area | Coast of NSW | Inland NSW | Far West NSW

Sydney Area

Sydney City

Sydney is probably your first stop when you arrive in Australia and will probably be your base camp as you plan the rest of your stay. There are a multitude of things to do while in Sydney; visit our Sydney A-to-Z to learn more.

Outside of Sydney

Even though there’s plenty to do in Sydney, there’s just as much to do within the surrounding areas.  National parks, such as the Blue Mountains, are both quite a sight to behold and a great way to experience nature firsthand, while areas such as Hunter Valley are meant for you to relax, put your feet up, and perhaps enjoy some of the fantastic products Australia has to offer.  Feel free to check out any of those places in more detail by clicking on their links, as well as our page on Port Stephens and Nelson Bay, home to some of the best dolphin-watching spots in the state.
- Where to stay: There are advantages to staying in both the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley areas if you intend on spending more than just a day or so there, but Sydney is centrally located and has a ton of accommodations; search using the widget to the left in order to find the right accommodation for you. 

Top 5 things to do:

• Head up to the Blue Mountains and enjoy the pristine natural beauty of its vistas.
• Visit the Hawkesbury Valley and sample fresh seasonal produce from the roadside stalls, orchards. and wineries. Then head into the town of Windsor and visit its historical buildings.
• Discover the largest collection of reptiles anywhere in Australia at the Australian Reptile Park.
• Enjoy the surf and sand on the Central Coast, especially at Terrigal or Avoca beaches.
• Taste the many wines that made the Hunter Valley a namesake throughout Australia and the rest of the world.

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Coast of New South Wales

North Coast

Going out of Sydney to the north lands you, appropriately named, on the North Coast.  This is where Aussie surf culture is cultivated, where subtropical rainforests meet mountains, and where many sights can be seen outside of the Sydney area.  It’s also where outdoor sports are exhibited in large supply, from surfing and white-water rafting to rock-climbing and trekking.  It contains the eastern-most point in all of Australia, Byron Bay, as well as picturesque coastal towns such as Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.  However, no trip to the North Coast is complete without seeing what the vibrant city of Newcastle has to offer.  If you’re interested in learning more about these locations, feel free to click on their links.
- Where to stay: There are many small towns up and down the North Coast, and Newcastle is certainly a great place to start, but if you’re one who wants to roll out of bed and right onto the beach, there’s no better place for you to stay than Byron Bay.

Top 5 things to do:

• Scuba dive in the amazing Solitary Islands Marine Park, which is located just off the coast at Coffs Harbour.
• Go for a hike through Barrington Tops National Park, a World Heritage-listed site with trees that date upwards of thousands of years.
• Learn to surf with surf companies located up and down the North Coast, but especially in Byron Bay and Ballina.
• Snorkel or scuba dive around the many shipwrecks at Catherine Hill Bay.
• Visit Ulmarra, a great example of a 19th-century river port and a National Trust-listed town.

South Coast

The South Coast seems to move at a slower pace than hectic urban Australia, which only means that you’ll be able to enjoy it at a much less hectic pace.  There are many things to see and do on the South Coast, and if you want to learn more about this “gateway to Eden,” feel free to visit South Coast.

Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island is located just off the coast of New South Wales right near its border with Queensland - it’s so pristine and protected that only four hundred people are allowed at any one time.  It’s about two hours from Sydney by plane, and accommodations are both limited and expensive.  Still, if you’re really into natural resort areas, Lord Howe Island may be worth a glance.

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Inland NSW

Snowy Mountains

There’s no place better for winter sports than the Snowy Mountains. Containing Australia’s tallest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko, the Snowys offer fantastic skiing and tobogganing for first-timers and pros alike.  Even in the summer the Snowy Mountains are a prefect place to see old country towns, beautiful mountain flora and grazing fauna.  Music lovers, winter lovers, summer lovers, and even golf lovers can find something great to do.
- Where to stay: Thredbo, located in the heart of the Snowy Mountains, is a fantastic starting place for those winter sports junkies.  Even in summer, the village has plenty of activities and some great accommodations.

Top 5 things to do:

• Hike up to Mt Kosciuszko Peak, passing glacial lakes, views of the valley and ranges below, and flora and fauna around you that make up quite a unique environment.
• Ski the Funnelweb in Thredbo; it is Australia’s longest ski run clocking in at 3km.
• Go horse riding on the high plains, or go fly-fishing in the streams and lakes around Cooma.
• Ride a mountain bike throughout the National Park, including the famous Cannonball Run.
• Attend one of many music festivals that take place in Thredbo, including the Blues Festival in January, CMC Rocks the Snowys - a country music festival - in March, and the Jazz Festival in May.

Heart of New South Wales

In many ways the central part of New South Wales is home to the pure Australia - the Australia most people are associated with - with some of the most historic country towns in all of Australia spread throughout the region.  Today these towns are known for their general stores, their friendly country pubs, their festivals and some other off-the-wall attractions.  From the Parkes Observatory and its radio telescope that received American Neil Armstrong’s famous transmission, to one of Australia’s oldest inland settlements at Bathurst, there’s something for everyone here deep in the heart of NSW.
- Where to stay: See if you’re able to book a farm stay - some of the farms in this area, especially around the town of Orange, allow you to live like the farmers do.  A particular one is the Aussie Farmstay and Bush Adventure tour; their Venture West tour is an amazing experience if you can swing it.

Top 5 things to do:

• Converse with the animals at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo located in Dubbo, one of Australia’s best open-range zoos.
• Take a trip down the Murray River in a paddle steamer.
• Go on an adventure trip into Warrumbungle National Park and hike past the Breadknife formation, a natural formation of epic proportions.
• In January, head to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the largest music festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Visit Cowra and learn about Australia’s military history, including the dark period of internment during World War II, and go for a hot-air balloon ride afterwards.

Canberra

Canberra is Australia’s capital city, often nicknamed the “Bush Capital” for its purposely-chosen location in the heart of the bush country.  Canberra is the best place to see both urban planning and Australian government at work.  To learn more about Canberra, visit our Canberra page.

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Far West NSW

Outback

The far western part of New South Wales isn’t nearly as populated as the coast, but the Outback sure has its own set of fantastic sights.  The history of this area is filled with mining stories and ghost towns, and the natural beauty of this part of regional Australia has drawn inhabitants to it, inspiring them for millennia, Aboriginal artworks inspired by the Outback can be found in places like Mutawintji National Park and film-makers who come to shoot their films here can be seen in cinemas throughout Australia and the world.
- Where to stay: Broken Hill is known as the gateway to New South Wales’ vast outback (trains are available to Broken Hill from Sydney Central), and there are a number of varied accommodations available.

Top 5 things to do:

• Spend the night in White Cliffs, a town with a remarkable history as the first commercial opal field in Australia, and where most of its inhabitants live underground to beat the Outback heat.
• Take a tour of the Royal Flying Doctor base at Broken Hill, home to the largest air-based medical association in the world.
• Visit the town of Silverton, a historic, nearly abandoned mining town used as the backdrop for Australian movies like “Mad Max 2.”
• Look at the many Outback-inspired pieces of Aboriginal artwork in Mutawintji National Park.
• Stare at the Walls of China natural rock formation located in Mungo National Park.

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