Reaching a height of  1100m the Blue Mountains National Park makes a cooling break for city people during the hot summer months. A series of canyons carved out of the Great Dividing Range this area has some spectacular waterfalls and steep sided cliff walls.

The two main access ways in to the park from Sydney is via the Great Western Highway or along the much more scenic Bells Line of Road.  There is also a train service which runs from Sydney to Katoomba every hour and bus services which run around the Blue Mountain attractions.

Activities available include abseiling, rock climbing and canoeing.  Great walking trails and countryside relatively untouched make Blue Mountains National park a unique experience.

The Royal National Park lies 36 km to the south of Sydney and consists of 14,969 hectares including 19 kilometres of coastline forming the eastern boundary. The Royal National Park is Australia’s oldest national park and the second oldest in the world. The Royal National Park can be accessed via the Princes Highway from Sydney or by the ferry from Cronulla. 

Activities enjoyed in The Royal National Park include surfing, lagoon swimming, ocean fishing or walking. Hundreds of bush trails have been well maintained in The royal National Park since the 1920’s.

Home to an abundance of  parrots and other exotic birds Blue Mountains National Park is not to be missed.  Native birds in the forests of the park include wedge-tailed eagles, black shouldered kites, white naped honeyeaters, crimson rosellas, pee-wees,  red wattle-birds, sulphur-crested cockatoos and Bronx wings.

Native Australian mammals include black rats, possums, lizards and dunnarts living side by side with a few poisonous snakes.

 

Sited 24 km from the centre of Sydney Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park consists of 15,000 hectares of sandstone bush land. Created in 1894 Ku-ring-gai is rich in Aboriginal history with hundreds of  sites located all over the park. The Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in New South Wales  is rich in flora and fauna which grow abundantly on the park’s steep sided river valleys.

 

The Garigal National Park is great expanse of bush country within New South Wales set in  sandstone country near to the centre of Sydney, and has with great views of Sydney.

Middle Harbour is a popular spot in Garigal National Park for boating and fishing and has accessible toilet facilities. There are extensive well marked walks for bushwalkers and they can enjoy the scenery in the Garigal National Park.   Garigal Nation Park provides protection and security for the wonderful lyrebirds and sugar gliders.

The South Coast
New South Wales south coast runs for 250 miles from the border with Victoria to Nowra. This part of the Australian coastline is a lovely mix of rocky coves and white sandy beaches bordered with wattles and spotted gums.  This part of the New South Wales coastline is alive with lots of varieties of indigenous Australian birds.  Areas along the New South Wales southern coastline include Ulladulla, Horseshoe Bay Beach Merimbula Beach, Eden, Wreck bay, Lake Conjola, Batemans Bay, Mimosa Rocks, Jervis Bay, Tathra Beach, Ben Boyd National Park, Pebbly Beach and Shoalhaven Heads.

 

Mid June to October, the New South Wales region  known as the Snowies has Australia's best snow sports, catering for cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, and après ski to suite the most ardent non skier. The New South Wales snowfield resorts have excitement and stunning scenery by day - and by night an appealing mixture of  boutique stores, nightspots, warm fires and cosy accommodation.

Skiers and snowboarders from all over Australia and tourists from all over the world at any level of competence can have fun in the snow.  There are ski schools for the kids or they can try snow tubing.

This part of New South Wales provides a wide range of accommodation and good quality facilities, including restaurants and cafes.
destination including a wide range of accommodation and dining options.

Morton National Park
Australian scenery on a huge scale all over the Morton National Park. In the south of Morton National Park is Little Forest Plateau, Pigeon House Mountain and George Boyd lookout offering great views of the coastline and seascape and the Budawang wilderness areas. The  Tianjara lookout, on the Nowra–Braidwood road, has good views of Tianjara Falls in Morton National Park. In the north, Belmore Falls and Fitzroy Falls plunge off the upland into rainforest gullies. On the western side at Tallong there are great views of the Shoalhaven Gorge from Badgerys and Longpoint lookouts.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Covering a total area of 92 000 ha Oxley Wild Rivers National Park has to be one of the most superb national parks in NSW.  It is the sixth largest wilderness area in the state and has the largest area of dry rainforest in New South Wales.  However most of the park is easily accessible by road and there are 13 major waterfalls most of which only run after localised heavy rains. There is a huge variety of plant and animal life that thrive in the natural habitats which include open forest, gorge woodland, dry rainforest and shrublands.

The park is located on the Great Escarpment which separates the tablelands from the coast. It is here that the New England Plateau drops sharply into the rugged gorges which have been carved out by the Aspley and upper Macleay Rivers which amble through the park.

Located some 43 miles to the east of Glen Innes, this wonderful national park is well known for its soaring rocky outcrops towering up to 4,000 feet above sea level.  The tors are surrounded by swamp and heath lands which is so beautiful in the summer months.  Wild flowers are in abundance and don’t miss the waratahs and Christmas bells.  Gibraltar Range National Park is great for walking and camping, with well marked trails and camping facilities.

If you are an experienced walker and 60 miles isn’t out of your manageable distance, take a hike from Gibraltar Range National Park along the World Heritage Walk to Washpool National Park.

Glen Innes is known as Australia’s “Celtic Country” as it was settled mainly by Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Cornish immigrants in 1852.  It is bounded by the villages of Ben Lomond, Glencoe and Shannon Vale and the area celebrates this heritage with the annual Australian Celtic Festival.

The very glamorous sounding sapphire mining is still the areas main industry but there is also topaz, garnet and beryl.