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Sydney Weekend Trips

By Danielle Chenery // 27 October 2010 // Comments: 1 // Related Categories: sydney, Traveller blog

Sydney is a great place to work and play, but life in the ‘big smoke’ takes its toll after a while. The good news is that plenty of perfect weekend getaways are just a short drive away.

Read on for some weekend holiday inspiration...

Hunter Valley

When it comes to weekend getaways, New South Wales Hunter Valley region is hard to beat. Only two hours north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is renowned for its wine - you’ll find golden Semillions, earthly Shiraz varieties and crisp Chardonnays.

Set amongst the stunning rural scenery of the Brokenback Ranges, the Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine region and contains over 110 wineries and cellar doors. Be prepared to indulge in the finer things in life, with gourmet food and fresh local produce other gastronomic delights.

It’s not all about food and wine though, the Hunter Valley region is frequently host to excellent music festivals. The regions picturesque lakes, mountains and rural settings are ideal for canoeing, cycling, walking, horseriding and fishing. Or if adventure activities are more your thing get your adrenaline pumping with a hot air balloon flight or a skydiving adventure over the vineyards.

Base yourself at nearby Cessnock or Scone and wander through rural towns, which are brimming with antique shops, art galleries and museums.

While in the Hunter region be sure to check out Newcastle - the region’s capital city. Newcastle’s highlights include awesome city beaches, a buzzing harbour, nature reserves and great nightlife. And with more working artists per capita than any other city in Australia, Newcastle has a diverse cultural scene to enjoy.

Getting to the Hunter Valley is easy. Catch a train, coach or self-drive. Once you have arrived, be aware that there is no public transport around the vineyards, so walk, cycle or be chauffeured around via horse-and carriage!

Blue Mountains

Only 50 kilometres from Sydney, the Blue Mountains are a popular tranquil escape from the big-smoke. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the foothills of the Mountains begin 64 kilometres west of Sydney and rise 1,100 metres. Why ‘Blue’ Mountains? Well, the area is shrouded in a blue mist, created by the region’s abundance of eucalyptus oil.

Regarded as the ultimate spot for bushwalking, abseiling, canyoning, camping, horseriding and adventure caving the Blue Mountains will satisfy all - from adrenaline junkies, to those simply after a relaxing retreat from city-life.

The Greater Blue Mountains area is made up of 1.03 million hectares of World Heritage Listed landscape. Within this area there are seven national parks and the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve. The national parks include the Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai, Kanangra-Boyd, Gardens of Stone and Thirimere Lakes.

Eco-tourists will be fascinated to know that the Blue Mountains area is considered a ‘natural laboratory’ for the evolution of eucalypts. Also, newly discovered Woollemi Pine, previously thought extinct, is found in the area. Wollemi Pine dates right back to the dinosaur age.

The Greater Blue Mountains area consists of eucalypt woodland wilderness, misty river valleys and rugged mountains ranges with sandstone cliff faces. Over 140 kilometres of walking tracks for all levels makes the region a bushwalker’s heaven. Once you’ve had your fill of the area’s bushland check out the surrounding towns of Katoomba, Glenbrook, Blackheath, Wentworth Falls and Leura. Popular lookouts, waterfalls and more walking tracks are easily accessed from these towns, as are restaurants, antique shops and boutique galleries.

For awesome views check out the area’s many panoramic lookouts. They include Katoomba’s Echo Point, which provides views of the Three Sisters, Sublime Point Lookout in Wentworth Falls, as well as Govetts Leap and Evans Lookout in Blackheath.

The stunning Jenolan Caves, located southwest of Katoomba, are definitely worth the trip. An ancient network of stunning limestone caves, beneath more than 2000 hectares of unspoilt bushland, the caves are an amazing display of staglagmite and staclactite formations. Tours are available for nine of the caves and three are open for self-guiding.

Established camping areas are found all throughout the mountains. Generally it’s possible to camp anywhere south of the Great Western Highway, apart from picnic areas and lookouts, or within 200 metres of visitor facilities like public access roads or constructed walking tracks.

South Coast

Just two hours from Sydney, the NSW South Coast has all the ingredients for another great weekend break. There’s a plethora of beaches, quiet towns and National Parks all awaiting your surfing, scuba diving, fishing, bushwalking, camping and caving adventures.

On your way south, make sure you stop off and explore the Royal National Park (RNP) - Australia’s oldest National Park. Only 32 kilometres from the centre of Sydney, the RNP is a treasure trove of natural delights. Bushwalking, camping, fishing, swimming and canoeing are just a few of the activities to enjoy.

Wollongong, Kiama, Nowra, Jervis Bay, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Narooma, Bermagui, Bega and Eden are the main towns along the South Coast. Together they make up 160 kilometres of pristine coastline, 109 beaches and over 300,000 hectares of National Parks and State Forests.

Wollongong, 80 kilometres south of Sydney, is best known for its excellent surf beaches and the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Backdropped by the Illawarra Mountains, Wollongong is a picturesque town. Kiama, a small fishing village, is another beautiful stop-off, with pretty beaches and camping areas. Kiama is also known for its awesome blow hole, discovered in 1797 by George Bass.

Nowra, located on the Shoalhaven River, is ideal for white-water rafting and other aquatic adventures. Further south comes Jervis Bay, a beautiful town, with blindingly white beaches and crystal clear water. Freshwater estuaries flow into the bay, and the water is so clean and fresh that water visibility averages 30 metres. As you can imagine, this makes for some of the best diving outside of the Great Barrier Reef. Jervis Bay is about eight times bigger than Sydney Harbour and while in the area, make sure you go on the ‘Whitesands Walk’, made up of Chinamans, Greenfield, Blenheim and Nelsons Beaches. Dolphin and Seal spotting are other highlights of a Jervis Bay adventure.

Booderee National Park, located on the southeast tip is jointly administered with the local Indigenous Australian community. It contains hidden beaches and heaps of walking opportunities.

Ulladulla, located in the heart of the South Coast, boasts good swimming and surfing beaches, as well as a great walk to the top of Pigeon House Mountain. Murramarang National Park, popular with surfers and campers, begins around 20 kilometres south of Ulladulla and stretches further south to Batemans Bay. Park highlights include gorgeous beaches and resident Kangaroos.

Continuing south, you will pass through the towns of Batemans Bay, Narooma, Bega and Eden. If an island getaway sounds like the perfect weekend break to you, Montague Island Nature Reserve is about nine kilometres off the South Coast. The island’s highlights include Australia’s second largest little penguin colony, an array of seabirds and Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals. Local dive sites around Montague Island are another attraction, including large caves, drift diving, colourful sponge gardens and the shipwreck of the Lady Darling. The National Park and Wildlife Service run ranger guided tours to the island. On the 30 minute journey to the island, look out for dolphins and whales (seasonal).

A travellers tale by Danielle Chenery.