Diversity of destinations across NSW


New South Wales (NSW) encapsulates a wide range of holiday experiences within its borders; this is because the landscape across the State is dramatically varied.

You can travel to the north of NSW in the middle of 'winter' in July and swim in the sea and spend most of your time outside. On the same day, you could jump in a plane and fly close to the Snowy Mountains in the south west of the State to make snowmen and do a bit of skiing.

While the landscape entices people to explore, the business calendar is well organised to allow plenty of time out. Business people usually work a five-day week and can take four weeks holiday during the year. This time off is supplemented by several public holidays throughout the year, many of which conveniently fall either side of a weekend.

There are 12 weeks of school holidays a year- six weeks at Christmas in the summer, and three lots of two-week holidays in April, July and October. Peak holiday times are during these school holiday periods.

See dates for school and public holidays in NSW .

Because NSW offers such a wide variety of holiday experiences it's easy to get away to somewhere interesting for a weekend. You'll also find that NSW residents often stay within the State for their longer holidays because the range of options is vast.

Just a couple of hours drive from Sydney, you can visit rolling green vineyards where wineries entice you in to sample wines. There are stunning coastal towns all along the Eastern Seaboard which range from quaint fishing villages to large, established tourist centres. There are spectacular mountains, lakes and rivers in lush green countryside. There are outback towns that see little rain and are rich in Australian pioneering history.

Accommodation options are diverse enough to fit any budget - you can stay in luxurious resorts, child-friendly hotels, holiday apartments, private retreats, modest motels or just camp in the wilderness.

Getting around

Getting around NSW is easy by road - there are excellent freeways between major centres and scenic routes are often sign-posted to encourage picturesque detours. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle you can travel off-road in some areas for truly scenic adventures.

If you want to reach towns or centres in NSW that are over a day's drive away, consider flying. Qantas flies to a range of destinations around NSW and some smaller regional airlines will fly to out-of-the-way centres.

The train network is extensive and train rides to destinations around NSW make travelling a relaxing experience. If you want to travel between distant places you can take a sleeper train, which adds to the comfort of the journey. For more information visit the Countrylink website.

General destination information

The diversity of NSW's holiday destinations is captured in the NSW section of the Australian Tourism Net site.

VisitNSW is packed with summaries of the State's key tourist attractions and information on where to stay and what to do when you get there.

The NRMA has a thorough travel and maps section that details some of the best destinations around the State.

If you know the name of a town you want to visit, look it up on the Walkabout website, which has a rich depth of information on towns and tourist attractions across NSW.

The most visited regions in NSW are:

- Blue Mountains
- Hunter Valley
- Central Coast
- Coffs Harbour
- Canberra
- Southern Highlands

Sparkling Sydney

The natural beauty of Sydney Harbour became well known during the 2000 Olympic Games, as stunning images of the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the sparkling blue water and the city's pretty beaches were beamed around the world.

Great summaries of the Sydney experience are available at the VisitNSW website and maps and information section on the City of Sydney website.

CitySearch has comprehensive listings of restaurants, cinemas, museums and attractions across Sydney.

The most popular destinations in Sydney are:

The Rocks
Darling Harbour
Bondi Beach
Manly
Glebe/Newtown
Kings Cross
Paddington

National parks

There are hundreds of national parks scattered around NSW - look at any large map of an area and you're bound to see at least one, given they cover an estimated six per cent of the State. There are over 190 national parks in NSW.

Some national parks are within Sydney's borders, giving ready access to the wilderness where you can go bushwalking and camping.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website lists national parks by region of NSW and tells you where to find bushwalking tracks and camping facilities, and what fees, if any, need to be paid.