Travelling across NSW, you can experience a lovely little slice of life in just about all of Australia's climates and geographical divisions. There are cool bush stands dominated by eucalypts, volcanic ranges, dusty outback, rivers and subtropical rainforests. NSW is arguably the most diverse state in Australia, and if you've updated your car insurance and turned your hot water service off, there's no better place to be if you want to just get in your car and go! Today we explore the top 6 destinations for road trips n NSW.
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is the eastern-most point in Australia, and as such has developed almost a mecca status for many. It was once the exclusive domain of hippies and commune dwellers; now Byron Bay is quite a commercially-focused town with everything that a tourist could want. The culture is still quite different to Sydney - outdoor living is emphasized in the beautiful climate with gorgeous surrounds. Byron Bay has a population of 6,000, but don't let that lull you into thinking it will be a road trip to a quaint, quiet town... especially during summer the population swells to around 20,000.
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie really has a bit of everything that road trippers look for. It is known as one of the closest and best surfing spots to Sydney, but also has:
Plenty of other watersport options
Lots of history to check out
Local winery tours
Fine dining
Plenty of outdoor activities like horse riding, hiking, etc
Katoomba
Katoomba is one of the principal residential areas in the Blue Mountains, and is only 100km west of Sydney. If you don't want to do too much driving on your road trip, or only have one person able to drive, Katoomba is the ideal road trip to take from Sydney. The short distance also helps you save on car insurance, by only having a single driver on your policy. As well as the usual hiking, picnics, and exploring the towns in Katoomba, check out:
Abseiling lessons or the 4WD tours that run around the region
Guided bushwalking opportunities - you'll never know what you're walking past otherwise!
The nearby Jenolan Caves and Megalong Valley
Tamworth
Cowboy up (yes, even the ladies!) for a trip to Tamworth, Australia's country music capital. The town is actually quite large, with a population of around 35,000, and is only four hours west of Sydney. If you don't want to add anyone else to your car insurance policy, Tamworth is quite a do-able single drive. In Tamworth, you can:
Grab a boot-scooting lesson
Give yourself a self-guided tour along the Heritage Trail
Check out any number of awesome country music up-and-comers, or go to a rodeo.
White Cliffs
White Cliffs is the NSW version of Coober Pedy. It's around 1,000km north-west of Sydney, but amazingly different - almost all residents live underground, because of the extreme heat. The hillocks that can be seen around Coober Pedy exist in White Cliffs also. There are plenty of things to explore:
Chat to the locals at the pub- they are well known for their quirky stories!
Go opal fossicking, especially if it has recently rained
The White Cliffs solar power station is an inspiration
The famous Light Opal, considered one of the best quality in the world.
?
Warrumbungle
If you don't feel like going quite as far as White Cliffs, Warrumbungle is in the same direction, but only seven hours away from Sydney rather than 11. The Warrumbungle National Park is close to Coonabarabran, Gilgandra and Coonamble. If you take a road trip to Warrumbungle, make sure you:
Make plenty of time for bushwalking, and bring comfy shoes and blister pads!
Head over to Coonabarabran to go star gazing at the observatory
Check out the Coo-ee Heritage Centre in Gilgandra, a town which played a significant role in WWI.
No comments:
Post a Comment