New South Wales Travel Itinerary

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Sydney / Blue Mountains / Hawkesbury River

Sydney

Sydney needs no introduction. It is one of the world's most iconic cities, and contains famous landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. These two landmarks often depict not only Sydney, but the whole of Australia. This city is the biggest in the country and the most likely arrrival point for most visitors from overseas. Sydney is renown for its spectacular harbour, hundreds of fine beaches, and one of the most recognisable city centres in the world. Other areas of interest include Bondi Beach, Manly, and Darling Harbour. Popular landmarks besides the Opera House and Harbour Bridge include Sydney Olympic Park, The Rocks - the Sydney's early settlement, and the Sydney Tower - the tallest structure in Sydney offering superb 360 degree views of the city.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains, located just west of Sydney, is located in the scenic highlands of New South Wales within the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, an impressive conservation area consisting of seven national parks and other reserves. It is one of a few natural sites in the world located next to a main city. The Blue Mountains is an area of impressive canyons made up of sandstone which is heavily forested. Some gorges are up to 760 metres deep and are covered in eucalyptus mixed with temperate rainforests. In 1994, a group of trees thought to have been extinct for millions of years were found in a deep inaccessible gorge, this has been considered the greatest botanical find of the century. In early European times, the Blue Mountains were thought to be impassable which had the advantage of deterring convicts from Sydney trying to escape in that direction.

Hawkesbury River

If you have the time, you could also explore the Hawkesbury River. This river and its tributaries encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney. Steep and rugged terrain inhibits road construction in the lower reaches of the river, and so river access is important to a significant number of isolated homes and communities found here. Tourists can book a trip on Australia's last riverboat postman, a river service that delivers mail to properties here. Other boats also offer tours of this scenic area.
     

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Sydney / Coffs Harbour / Byron Bay

Sydney

Sydney needs no introduction. It is one of the world's most iconic cities, and contains famous landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. These two landmarks often depict not only Sydney, but the whole of Australia. This city is the biggest in the country and the most likely arrrival point for most visitors from overseas. Sydney is renown for its spectacular harbour, hundreds of fine beaches, and one of the most recognisable city centres in the world. Other areas of interest include Bondi Beach, Manly, and Darling Harbour. Popular landmarks besides the Opera House and Harbour Bridge include Sydney Olympic Park, The Rocks - the Sydney's early settlement, and the Sydney Tower - the tallest structure in Sydney offering superb 360 degree views of the city.

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a city nestled between mountains of the Great Dividing Range and beautiful beaches in the North Coast region of New South Wales. It is a popular stopover for travellers starting in Sydney and heading to Brisbane or vice verse, because it is a one days drive from either city in a two day trip. Coffs Harbour is reputed to have the most livable climate in Australia because it is located in the intermediate climatic zone between temperate and tropical. For this reason, the sea is protected as a marine park because it has the mix of tropical and cooler temperate currents resulting in an incredibly diverse range of marine life. Coffs Harbour's location is so varied that it offers a wide range of activities including: surfing, sea and river swimming, diving, white water rafting, rainforest walks, and hiking in the mountains.

Byron Bay

Further north and worth checking out is Byron Bay which is famous for its several fine surfing beaches located on the easterly most point of the Australian continent. Other attractions include great diving and national parks with sub-tropical rainforest. The town of Byron Bay has a colourful mix of surf and hippie induced culture. The town is very popular with tourists and backpackers as it offers a variety of accomodation, great restaurants, and buzzing nightlife. Located in the far-north of New South Wales, it is very close to the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Queensland making it a good stopover if you are also travelling from Sydney to Brisbane.
     

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Coffs Harbour / The Waterfall Way / Armidale

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a city nestled between mountains of the Great Dividing Range and beautiful beaches in the North Coast region of New South Wales. It is a popular stopover for travellers starting in Sydney and heading to Brisbane or vice verse, because it is a one days drive from either city in a two day trip. Coffs Harbour is reputed to have the most livable climate in Australia because it is located in the intermediate climatic zone between temperate and tropical. For this reason, the sea is protected as a marine park because it has the mix of tropical and cooler temperate currents resulting in an incredibly diverse range of marine life. Coffs Harbour's location is so varied that it offers a wide range of activities including: surfing, sea and river swimming, diving, white water rafting, rainforest walks, and hiking in the mountains.

The Waterfall Way

The Waterfall Way is a scenic road in New South Wales that connects the coastal Pacific Highway that passes through Coffs Harbour to the Inland Highway that passes through Armidale. This link road travels through scenic landscape and countryside within the Great Dividing Range. The road is considered the most scenic drive in New South Wales and third overall in Australia. On route are an impressive seven national parks with three of these parks encompassed in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, World Heritage area.

Armidale

At the end of the Waterfall Way lies the city of Armidale. It is located on the New England Tablelands in northern New South Wales at an altitude ranging between 970 metres at the floor of the valley to 1,110 metres above sea level. The climate here is cooler than the coast giving it a seasonal climate hence the name, New England. Armidale is famous for its parks, gardens, and historic buildings. It also has an art museum and you can get up close with kangaroos at an enclosure in the local university.

 

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