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The regions beyond Sydney are previewed on our sister website, Australia For Everyone. Please follow the links below for more information on each region
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The Central Coast
Though it is the third largest urban area in New South Wales, the Central Coast is a very popular destination for holidays and day trips, particularly for families from Sydney (it is just over an hours drive north of Sydney along the F3 Freeway), who are drawn here by the region's closeness, its facilities and its natural beauty. Being set among broad sandy beaches, scenic national parks, deepwater inlets and coastal lakes, an endless array of water activities including boating, fishing, surfing, scuba diving and water skiing are possible and facilities have been developed to take full advantage of the area's natural assets. Moving inland, the region's National Parks and State Forests are a haven for bushwalkers, campers and 4wds alike.
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The Hunter Valley
Like its coastal neighbour, the Central Coast, the Hunter Valley has become a favourite weekend destination for Sydneysiders, offering not only wine tasting, but also fine dining and boutique accommodation, bushland and hillside walks, as well as gardens and historic towns to explore.
From its source on the slopes of the Mount Royal Range, the Hunter River flows through some of Australia's finest grazing country, before it passes over NSW's largest coal seam. Thus, on a drive through the valley, an every changing variety of scenery unfolds, from rugged mountains at the head of the valley, past some of the finest horse stud farms in Australia alongside grazing cattle, to one of Australia's most well known wine regions where vineyards have been planted over the hills but not too far away from power stations, open cut and underground coal mines, which amazingly all manage to survive side by side.
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The Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains, a segment of the Great Dividing Range that
begin about 64 kms west of Sydney
. They contain some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in eastern Australia - tremendous sandstone precipices ringing densely wooded valleys which, when viewed from a distance, are of an intense cobalt blue, hence the range's name.
For over a century, the plateau
has been a favourite holiday place for the people of Sydney. It has been extensively developed for tourism and is now criss-crossed by more than 1,100 kms of roads. The terrain, however, is so broken by deep gorges that considerable areas are still rarely visited, except by skilled bush walkers or mountain climbers. The mountains are served by fast electric trains from Sydney, the journey between Sydney and Mount Victoria taking a
round
two hours.
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The Southern Highlands
As it winds its way south from Sydney to Melbourne, the Hume Highhway passes through the Southern Highlands, a rich agricultural area with pretty towns and villages set against a backdrop of stunning scenery. The Southern Highlands is a gourmet lover's delight - there is wine Tasting, Cellar Doors Sales, Berry Picking, Road Side Farm Produce Stalls, Fine Dining, wineries and more. The highlands has its own ghost town - Joadja - established in the 1870s for the mining of shale.
Surrounding the towns and farms are the denuded plugs of old volcanoes, the lava from which has formed the mineral rich soil in which there are prosperous farmlands and stands of rainforest supporting abundant wildlife. Large areas of the more remote mountains have been declared sanctuaries, with waterfalls, lookouts, bushwalking trails and picnic areas.
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The Illawarra
The Illawarra region is conveniently located 1 hour drive south of Sydney and offers the best of everything - dramatic landscapes, pristine beaches, scenic drives and towns full of character. The Illawarra is overlooked from the spectacular lookouts at the top of the Eastern Escarpment as you approach Wollongong from Sydney. It is this juxtaposition of mountain and beach, in a region where the escarpment actually meets the sea, that gives the whole south coast region its special character.
The Illawarra's attractions include fine surfing beaches and magnificent panoramic views along the whole coastline, water sports, and prawning and fishing in many inlets including Lake Illawarra. The summer climate is pleasant and the standard of accommodation and visitor facilities is excellent.
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The Hawkesbury Valley
Few would argue that, after the much smaller but blazingly spectacular Katherine Gorge in NT and Giekie Gorge in the Kimberley region of WA, the Hawkesbury River is the most beautiful reach of river on the Australian continent. The entire Hawkesbury River system is around 600 kms long, its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney to the north and east, making it a perfect recreational playground for the city of Sydney.
The country through which the lower tidal reaches of the river pass is particularly beautiful. One of the most delightful holidays Australia can provide is a leisurely few days or weeks spent cruising on the hundreds of kilometres of clear, sheltered water of the Lower Hawkesbury's four main branches - Pittwater, Cowan Creek, Brisbane Water and Berowra Waters.
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