Sydney Sydney Surrounds North Coast South Coast Snowy Mountains Heart of Country Outback Lord Howe Island Upper Hunter Barrington Tops Port Stephens, Forster and Surrounds Hunter Valley Lake Macquarie and Surrounds Newcastle Central Coast Hawkesbury Valley Hawkesbury River Blue Mountains Wollongong and Surrounds Kiama and Shellharbour Surrounds Southern Highlands
Sydney Surrounds

Views over Barrington Tops Barrington Tops Over 1,200 sq km of unspoilt wilderness, from subtropical rainforest to...

Spectacular scenery in Grose Valley, Blue Mountains (Photo: P. Hayson/Photolibrary)Blue Mountains Experience the spectacular blue-hazed cliffs and canyons of the Blue Mountains.

Birdie Beach, Munmorah State Recreation Area (Photo: H. Lund/Tourism NSW) Central Coast Pristine beaches backed by a lush hinterland.

Explore the Hawkesbury River (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW)Hawkesbury River A fascinating mix of natural attractions and a peaceful country ambience.

Tizzana Winery, Ebenezer, Hawkesbury Valley (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW) Hawkesbury Valley The Hawkesbury River winds its way through a fertile valley.

Cruickshanks Vineyards, Callatoota Estate, Wybong, Upper Hunter (Photo: P. Quirk/Wildlight) Hunter Valley World-class wines complemented by superb cuisine and boutique accommodation.

Family fun in Kiama, Illawarra (Photo: A. Smart/Tourism NSW) Kiama Shellharbour and Surrounds A string of dazzling beaches at the end of the Grand Pacific Drive.

Yachts moored on Lake Macquarie (Paul Foley's Lightmoods P/L)Lake Macquarie and Surrounds A vast aquatic playground four times the size of Sydney Harbour.

Nobbys Lighthouse and Beach, Newcastle (Photo: M. Lauder) Newcastle A vibrant cosmopolitan city perched between a working harbour and beautiful beaches.

Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens, Mid-North Coast (Photo: Hamilton Lund / Tourism NSW).Port Stephens, Forster and Surrounds Golden beaches, a picturesque bay and inlets

Corbett Gardens, Bowral, Southern Highlands (Photo: Susan Wright / Tourism NSW) Southern Highlands The Highland's gentle green hills produce excellent wines and beautiful formal gardens.

Segenhoe Horse Stud, Scone, Upper Hunter Upper Hunter Endowed with rolling plains and rugged mountains, the Upper Hunter has a taste for the good life.

Sea Cliff Bridge, Grand Pacific Drive (Photo: Tourism Wollongong) Wollongong and Surrounds The State’s third largest city has reinvented itself as an escape...



Close to Sydney

Why go there

Surrounding Sydney is a wonderland of mountains, World Heritage national parks and some of the best beaches in the world. This year-round natural playground for kids is all within two hours’ drive from Sydney.

Places to go


Blue Mountains

  • Take a dizzying ride at Scenic World, where the Scenic Cableway cable car glides into the centre of a giant chasm, 270 metres above the waterfall that leaps from the cliff’s edge.
  • See the wild eastern grey kangaroos at the Euroka Campground in Glenbrook.
  • Read the Aboriginal legend of the Three Sisters at Echo Point
  • Hitch a ride on the Scenic Railway, world’s steepest railway journey.

Central Coast

Port Stephens

  • Take a dolphin watch cruise from Nelson Bay to see some of the playful local dolphins.
  • Visit the koala colony at Tilgerry Peninsula.

Illawarra

  • Take a hike along the sensational Illawarra Fly, a walkway above the canopy of a temperate rainforest.
  • Tour Symbio Wildlife Gardens, a bushland zoo with kangaroos and koalas.
  • Spend a day at Jamberoo Action Park, with its bobsleds, water slides, racing cars and speedboats.
  • Follow the boardwalk at Minnamurra Rainforest, a forest of giant roots, strangler figs and raucous bird calls.