NSW is where most of international travellers first head on their trip to Australia, for a good reason - Sydney. But you'll be surprised after you have discovered this great city that there are other terrific places in this state like Byron Bay and Hunter Valley, and national parks like Blue Mountains, Royal, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Mutawintji, Mungo and Mount Kosciuszko. Along the coast are some great beaches and popular small places like Jervis Bay, Bateman’s Bay and Coffs Harbour. Inland are Broken Hill and Silverton; and Australian capital Canberra is not far from Sydney. Here is some NSW travel information, and in the end of the page is the current time and a map of New South Wales.
History of New South Wales: Early Convict Colony NSW is where the European colonialisation of Australia started. After Captain James Cook in 1770 explored the east coast of Australia, it was decided that Botany Bay (just south of Sydney, where Sydney Airport is today) was the place to send the first convicts and start a new colony. Seventeen years later (Captain Cook had by then been killed by natives on Hawaii), the “First Fleet” of 11 ships full of convicts, lead by Captain Arthur Phillip, arrived in Botany Bay.Arthur Phillip didn’t like Botany Bay and ventured into a nearby harbour, docked his ship where Sydney’s Circular Quay is today, and started a city. The date, 26 January, is now celebrated as Australia Day. NSW is a good place to start your Australia trip too. The south-eastern states are the most populated in Australia, and big cities like Sydney make it easy to get a feel about Australia, get that temporary job or buy what you need before you take off to less civilised places.
Sydney Travel Information - New South Wales Tourism Sydney is one of the greatest cities in the world, with much more to offer than the world-famous Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Circular Quay where Captain Arthur Phillip docked the boats is today a transport hub with a train station and a ferry terminal. The convicts started building the city west of where the Sydney Harbour Bridge is today – in the historical quarters called The Rocks.
West from here is Darling Harbour with the famous Sydney Aquarium, many museums and outdoor restaurants. East of the Circular Quay (and Opera House) are Sydney’s famous Botanic Gardens, Kings Cross, the trendy Paddington and the wealthy Eastern Suburbs; and south is the busy CBD with George Street; and the bohemian suburbs Glebe and Newtown.
Around Sydney - New South Wales Tourism Sydney is surrounded by some great outdoors: north of it is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. South is second oldest national park in the world (after Yellowstone in the USA) – Royal National Park with many opportunities for bushwalking. Blue Mountains National Park west of Sydney is huge – it contains small towns Katoomba, Leura and Blackheath, many long bushwalks and famous lookouts like Three Sisters. About three hours drive south-west from Sydney is Canberra and the Mount Kosciuszko National Park - one of the most popular national parks in New South Wales. During the winter, it's popular with skiers, and summer time it is a great place to hike up to Australia's highest mountain.
Coast of New South Wales - New South Wales Tourism South of Sydney, Princes Highway is a beautiful drive along the southern NSW coast - past Wollongong, Jervis Bay, Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay, Bega and Eden, each with lovely coastal views and a beach visited by kangaroos. North of Sydney, a similar drive along the northern NSW coast takes you to Gosford, Newcastle, Port Macquaire, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.
Hunter Valley Wineries - New South Wales Tourism Inland from Newcastle is Australia’s oldest wine district Hunter Valley where you can tour many wineries, test free samples and have nice meals. It’s a lot of fun but the only problem is the vineyards are not within walking distance to each other, so if you want to swallow your samples, soon you need a sober driver. There are several tours available that can take you around, some can even pick you up from Newcastle.
Byron Bay Australia - New South Wales Tourism Byron Bay used to be a sleepy old town with a beach and a lighthouse, until Paul Hogan decided to marry his Hollywood beauty here in 1990. Little Byron was suddenly world-famous. People started to visit, hotels started to rise, and today Byron Bay is a not-to-miss destination, particularly for younger travellers and backpackers. Its beautiful white-sand beaches, lively night-life and streets full of diving shops and centres for alternative therapies have hold many people here until their visas run out, and - the hippie-vibe is still here although the fattest joints are now rolled in the neighbouring Nimbin.
Outback New South Wales Tourism The cities and coastal towns are fun, but the really unique part of Australia is in the inland. I warmly recommend you rent a 4WD and take off to that deserted countryside called "the outback". NSW doesn't have as much of it as do many other states, but the soils are equally red and there are a few gems worth travelling to: the historical mining town Broken Hill, the one-pub ghost town Silverton, and the world-heritage-listed Mungo National Park - the site of Australia's oldest archeological find and some great Aboriginal history. Bring your camera - the sunset views are magnificent.
Map of New South Wales Here's a map of New South Wales with places mentioned on this web page tagged. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
