Sydney: The oldest European settlement in Australia, the capital city of New South Wales and largest city in the country, Sydney is a significant global and domestic tourist destination and is regularly declared to be one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It is admired for its harbour, beautiful coastline, warm and pleasant climate and cosmopolitan culture. Located in a coastal basin between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Blue Mountains to the west, Sydney features the largest natural harbour in the world, Port Jackson, and enjoys more than 70 beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach.
Southern Highlands: the agriculturally rich Southern Highlands has in recent times become a retreat for the wealthy and those who want the creature comforts of the city but still live in the country. It not only supports healthy dairying and vegetable growing industries, it has become a popular day, weekend or holiday destination for Sydneysiders seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for the serenity of the country.
The Waterfall Way: A classic touring drive from Coffs Harbour on the mid-north NSW coast through the lush rainforest of the Great Divide to the New England. The drive encompasses 119 kilometres of national parks, waterfalls and quaint townships, captures the diversity of the landscape of the NSW Northern Tablelands.
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Hunter Valley: New South Wales' premier wine region, The Hunter is also Australia’s oldest and one of its most well-known. It is home to world-class Hunter Valley Semillon that has been called “Australia’s unique gift to the world’, cllaimed Australian Shiraz, and generations of family winemakers. Famous for food and wine, the Hunter Valley has also made a name for producing some of the most spectacular events. There are festivals celebrating the lush local produce, such as Lovedale Long Lunch and Semillon and Seafood and concerts featuring the world’s top musicians. Added to this is a rich diversity of activities and pursuits, all less than than two hours drive from Sydney.
Broken Hill: once the backbone and focal point of Australia's mining industry, Broken Hill has become like a magnet, drawing film makers, artists and visitors alike to experience the vibrant yet subtle colours and magical light of the surrounding landscape. It packs a powerful emotional punch - dark red soil contrasting with clear blue skies where the wedge-tailed eagle soars, appealing to something deep in the soul. It's that undeniable spiritual element of this country that the Aboriginal ancestors knew, revealing itself when the tower mullocks and head frames are silhouetted at sunset, when the wide horizon glows red and orange.
Blue Mountains:
The Blue Mountains, a segment of the Great Dividing Range with an area of 141,000 hectares, begins 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, viewed from a distance, are of an intense cobalt blue, hence the range's name.
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Beaches of the North, Central and South Coasts: the coast of New South Wales stretches some 1,973 kms, and along most of its length can be found some of the finest beaches not only in the country, but in the world. From the southern extemities of surf beaches of the Gold Coast in the north to the sheltered bays of the far South Coast, the beaches of NSW are a summer playground for locals and visitors, and surfers and beachcombers alike.
Snowy Mountains: though not high by world standards, the Snowy Mountains have a unique beauty all of their own that brings visitors back time and time again. The fresh spring mountain air, a hike over pristine landscapes, fishing for trout in its crystal clear rivers and lakes, or skiing its snow covered slopes in winter, all serve to make the Snowy Mountains an all-year-round destination for those eager to leave the big smoke behind for a taste the lifestyle of the legendary mountain cattlemen of the past.
Hawkesbury River: nestled between the cities of Sydney and Newcastle, the Hawkesbury River is navigable for over 100 kilometres with an incredibly varied 1100 kilometres of foreshore fringe. One of the world's most beautiful and varied waterways where you can still experience the serenity of bygone days in its secluded river settlements, the river offers a cruising ground of outstanding scenic and historic interest, from the clear ocean swells and sandy beaches that surround the Hawkesbury's numerous National Parks to its tranquil upper reaches.
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The city of Sydney is the hub of passenger transport into and out of the state.
Rail: Sydney is connected by rail to Adelaide and Perth via the Indian Pacific (connects in Adelaide to The Overland to Melbourne, and The Ghan to Darwin via Alice Springs). The train operates between Sydney's Central Station and Keswick Rail Terminal in Adelaide, the journey is completed in 24 hours 40 minutes. Perth is connected to Adelaide by the Nullarbor Plain leg of the Indian Pacific's east to west coast journey.
Daily XPT services in both directions connect Sydney to the interstate capitals of Melbourne and Brisbane. The regional NSW cities of Dubbo (via Bathurst and Orange), Broken Hill (via Bathurst, Orange and Parkes), Moree (via Newcastle and Narrabri), Armidale (via Tamworth), Griffith and Albury (via Goulburn, Junee and Cootamundra) are also sericed by daily XPT trains to and from Sydney. All trains depart Sydney from Central Station.
- Sydney - Central Coast (Gosford): 1 hour 25 minutes
- Sydney - Blue Mountains (Katoomba): 2 hours 6 minutes
- Sydney - Dubbo: 6 hours 40 minutes (via XPT)
- Sydney - Broken Hill: 15 hours 45 minutes (via Indian Pacific)
- Sydney - Albury: 7 hours 40 minutes (via XPT)
- Sydney - Canberra: 4 hours 20 minutes (via XPT)
- Sydney - Brisbane: 16 hours 5 minutes (via Tweed Heads)
- Sydney - Melbourne: 11 hours 10 minutes (via XPT)
- Sydney - Adelaide: 22 hours 15 minutes (via Indian Pacific)
- Sydney - Perth: 2 days 20 hours 10 minutes (via Indian Pacific)
Air: Sydney International Airport is the only airport in NSW through which international passengers pass. It has full immigration and customs facilities. the airport also services the majority of interstate and intrastate flights and and out of NSW. All the major regional cities and towns have airports and are serviced by flights to and from Sydney.
National
International:
- Sydney - Auckland: 3 hours
- Sydney - London: 22 hours
- Sydney - Frankfurt: 22 hours
- Sydney - New York: 21 hours
- Sydney - Los Angeles: 13 hours 30 minutes
- Sydney - Toronto: 21 hours
- Sydney - Vancouver: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Sydney - Honolulu: 7 hours 5 minutes
- Sydney - Nadi: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Sydney - Singapore: 7 hours 30 minutes
- Sydney - Hong Kong: 5 hours 50 minutes
- Sydney - Bangkok: 7 hours 40 minutes
- Sydney - Dempasar (Bali): 7 hours 35 minutes
- Sydney - Kula Lumpur: 7 hours 30 minutes
- Sydney - Johannesburg: 14 hours 10 minutes
- Sydney - Santiago: 17 hours 10 minutes
Road (coach): Numerous operators provide coach services between Sydney and Brisbane (coastal and New England routes); Canberra; Melbourne; Adelaide (via Mildura and Canberra). Services to other cities and towns across Australia are by connnections to one of those destinations. The main routes followed are -
- Sydney to Brisbane via Newcastle, Armidale, Toowoomba (17 hrs 45 minutes)
- Sydney to Brisbane via Newcastle, Forster, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour (15 hrs 25 minutes)
- Sydney to Melbourne via Albury (12 hours)
- Sydney to Adelaide via Mildura and Canberra (22 hours)
- Sydney to Canberra (4 hours)
Road (private motor vehicle): NSWs towns in the southern region are linked to each other, and to towns and cities in other states by a network of well signposted, well maintained sealed highways and major roads which allow for easy travel between localities.
In NSW, the speed limit on the open road is generally 110 kilometres per hour. In NSW, a driver’s licence from your home country or another Australian state will usually suffice for up to three months, as long as it has photo identification and it’s for the same class of vehicle you intend to drive. If you’re staying more than three months, you’ll need to get a NSW drivers licence.
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| Useful information for visitors |
Clothing
Australians in general dress casually, except for formal functions and venues. A jacket or warmer clothing is recommended for evenings and during the winter months. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended when touring regions such as The Blue Mountains, or whenever bushwalking activities are planned.
Banking
Banks in New South Wales are generally open:
9.30 am - 4.00 pm Monday to Thursday
9.30 am - 5.00 pm on Fridays.
Shop trading hours
Mondays to Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursdays, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sundays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Smaller shops and many businesses in smaller country towns and some regional centres close at 5:00 pm on all weekdays, at midday on Saturday and refrain from Sunday trading altogether.
| The Best Times to Visit NSW |
New South Wales is an all-year-around destination, though Spring is generally considered the best time to visit and tour. Winter can be very cold at nights in some parts of rural NSW, but that is also the time when it is at its greenest (and prettiest). Summer and autumn are the best seasons if you are a beach person, though Summer can get quite hot inland and the countryside is generally much drier than in winter or spring. Outback NSW is desert country so the usual warnings about the weather in arid areas apply - temperatures are exteme all year around - cold nights and hot days all year round, though nights are coldest in winter and days are hottest in summer.
New South Wales lies in the temperate zone and the climate is generally free from extremes of heat and cold. The greatest heat is usually experienced in the north-west; a shade temperature of more than 51 degrees C has been recorded at Bourke. The coldest region is the Snowy Mountains, where winter frosts and snow are experienced over long periods. Rainfall varies widely over the state, gradually diminishing to an annual average of 180 mm in the far north-west.
About New South Wales
New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and first region of Australia to be settled by Europeans. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (1825), Victoria (1851), Queensland (1859), and South Australia (which at that time included what is now the Northern Territory). In 1901 these colonies plus Western Australia voted to form an independent nation called the "Commonwealth of Australia"
New South Wales leads Australia in manufacturing production. Its chief manufactures include machinery, electrical goods (including radio, television and other communications equipment), basic metal products, chemicals and fertilisers, processed food and beverages.
The mainstay of the State's mineral production is the huge basin of high-quality black coal under the central coast and Blue Mountains area. Coal is mined extensively in the Hunter River Valley, the Illawarra coast south of Sydney and around Lithgow. Production in 1992 was 85 million tonnes of product coal. Other important minerals are lead and zinc concentrates mined at Broken Hill, and mineral sands (rutile and zircon) from the beach areas of the central and north coast.
The coastal region is mostly used for mixed farming, including dairy and timber. In the warmer northern section, sugar and bananas are grown, mainly in the Tweed, Richmond and Clarence river areas. Beef cattle are grazed extensively on the ranges, and large quantities of butter and milk are processed at cooperative factories along the coast.
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Destinations - regional centres
Destinations - tourist
Experiences/Activities
Journeys - rail
Journeys - road
Journeys - cruises
Journeys - scenic flights
Journeys - hiking
Area
- Total: 809,444 km2 (5th)
- Land: 800,642 km2
- Water: 8,802 km2 (1.09%)
Population (2004)
- Population: 6,731,295 (1st)
- Density: 8/km2 (3rd)
Abreviations
- Postal: NSW
- ISO: 3166-2: AU-NS
Elevation
- Highest: Mount Kosciuszko (2,229m)
Time zone: UTC+10 (+11 DST)
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