• Travel Planning – Buy a good Australian map and plan the places/regions you intend visiting in Australia. This is crucial since so many other factors evolve from this point. Don’t believe anyone who says, “just arrive and go from there”, as they are usually the ones who waste time and money.  

•  Have a logically flowing direction, avoid backtracking (Australia is huge!) and look at air travel as a means of covering large distances. Unlike in any other times before now is the time you can do this seriously cheap    

• Travel Money, Visas & Backpackers Work – Get an idea in broad terms what it will cost to do what you want: e.g. lodging, travel, food, tours, and party essentials. Don’t leave yourself short, there is nothing worse whilst travelling around than arriving at a destination icon and not being able to pass through the gates. It sounds stupid but it happens all the time. Feeding your self-noodles on toast and moping around a backpackers hostel won’t generate the money. Working while your remain in Australia can help, and many travellers on working holiday visas do make money to further their travels, however this normally just sustains the non-stop partying most travellers seek. If you think the money you have already saved will not be enough, now is the time to work some overtime at home, beg your parents and/or get a large credit card limit to use as a final resort. Travellers with a working holiday visa keep in mind you can only get this once in your life, so I suggest that if you’re not sure of your prospects come over on a three month holiday visa, try things out, and if all looks good you can go over to New Zealand or the nearest South Pacific country and then get one. Also another very vital point to bear in mind (with the working holiday visa scheme) is that even though you are probably very well educated and qualified, any one employer can only legally hire you for 3 months at a time, so the possibility of getting a great job is low. Most backpacker travellers in Australia get work labouring on building sites, waiting/cooking/cleaning in bars, restaurants and cafes (hospitality), serving in shops (retail), data entry, telephone sales or fruit picking. 

   

   

• Optimal Timing - After deciding that what you really want to do is within the realms of possibility, check seasonality and the major events calendar. These are two very essential subjects because they will most likely cause you to sit back down at the map… detours will be created, times will be changed, and the end result will make for an excellent trip. There is nothing worse than turning up to a place to find everybody saying, “you should have been here last week”. Australia has many different climatic conditions because it is a huge country and there are so many festivals and events I am sure you certainly would want to attend. To list every event would be way too time consuming and I’m sure most of the popular guide books list them together with the weather conditions expected at particular times.   

• Travel Guide Books - Buy a good guidebook and read what it says. I know it’s hard to envision a place until you have landed but this will help you. Currently the most popular backpacker guidebooks are the Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Lets Go and BUG Australia.  
• Pack Lightly - Travelling with the least amount of weight on your back gives you the freedom and will help you save money by being able to walk to a hostel from a drop-off rather than taking a taxi, bus etc. However, Australia’s backpacking network is so well organized you rarely have to walk far at all. So that spare space can be kept for a souvenir or two. We do have shops over here and with exchange rates it probably makes shopping cheaper than at home.    

• ‘Stop over’ in Asia En-route to Australia - Practically every flight from Europe stops to refuel in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, so take advantage of this for little/no extra cost and have a look around. They are all fascinating places to visit and the cost is low, plus it breaks that long flight up. Do you really want to sit in the same seat for 24 hours?  

Sydney hostels

·         Those little plastic camera film containers are great for storing things. For example, you can use these as salt and pepper holders.

·         If you are someone who wouldn’t want to part with your bottle of wine even while travelling, then it is a good idea to have your own wine/bottle opener! Often you can get these as key rings. You’ll never find one in a hostel cause they’re constantly stolen.

·         Always travel with a pack of cards. It’s the best way to make friends and a lifesaver if you’re staying in a hostel with no TV.

·         A sarong has many uses. It can be used as a tablecloth during a picnic, a wrap around to protect your legs in the midday sun, a belt that keeps your trousers up, something to sit on while relaxing on the beach or in the park. Finally, by some stroke of luck, if you get a bottom bunk, you can pin your sarong under the mattress above to get a little more privacy.

·         Always have a journal with you. The stories you scribbled on it while in Singapore, tales from Thailand and recollections of amazing people and places will be what you treasure when you’re in your 50s. Consider it as the story of your travels. Your own little book!

·         You can carry detergent in a plastic water bottle. It’s both safe and convenient. Glass bottles can break creating a mess inside your bag.

·         If you have a meal at some fast food place, make full use of your trip stock up on sachets of salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, jam, napkins and anything else you can get for free, without getting your self arrested of course! Pulling your T-shirt out and folding it back to make a rather sizeable pouch is the best way to carry these out.

·         It is a good idea to carry a roll of toilet paper (not just ass wipe paper) with you because this can be useful in so many ways.

·         Do some homework before you leave on your trip or may be you can do this while you’re travelling, find out the population of your own country, city and any other interesting facts,. The Internet is packed with information that should have been stuffed into our heads while we were in school. You don’t want to look stupid when a foreigner asks you simple questions about home. And believe me, they will.

·         Spend some time shopping around when buying international phone cards. When ringing home, the best thing to do is to pay for the call locally rather than using a card because most likely you will end up paying a small fortune for a call that lasted only a few minutes.

·         Invest in a VIP, HI or any other type of backpacker card if you have it in mind to stay in a lot of hostels. You’d be surprised how much money you’ll save over the period of a few months. Most cards give a discount of at least a dollar/pound per night in a hostel.

·         Some hostels provide free pickups from the airport, train or bus station. Make an Email enquiry before hand and check it out, saves on taxi or bus costs. It also prevents you from fumbling around lost while carrying an enormous rucksack on your back.

·         In Most hostels they usually have a free food shelf. When you enter the kitchen in the morning, check it out! When people travel they don’t want to be saddled with extra bags of pasta that weigh them down. Refrigerators in hostels generally get cleaned out once a week; so get there while the goings good. It may sound desperate, but believe me, when you’ve been travelling long enough and finances are almost none existent, a bag of pasta could mean the difference between having dinner or staying hungry till morning.

·         Make sure you always wear a pair of cheap slippers while showering. Hundreds of people use hostel showers and I’ve heard some really bad stories about what people get up to in them.

·         Without having all your stuff inside a plastic bag, buy yourself a wash bag. No traveller will thank you for disturbing his or her sleep!

·         For them lady backpackers, at times it’s difficult to look and smell your best. If you’re feeling a little smelly or you’re visiting someplace nice for the night, get into any large department store and sample their perfume. Guys you too can do the same, tryout some nice after-shave samples that are there.

·         Often, free Internet access is available in large city libraries, and yeah libraries are also great places to spend a rainy day. You can find some info about your next destination in the travel section, may be even getting to know some hostel names and numbers.

·         Make it a habit to check out the Tourist Information Centre in the city that you are visiting. They’re the people who know what’s on for free. Many cities have free admissions or cheaper ticket days to galleries, museums and cinemas.

·         It is vital that you carry insect repellent constantly wherever you go. If you have been stung and tend to react badly then take some anti-histamine; that will calm your bites right down!

·         And keep in mind that; you perhaps will never get an opportunity like this again…travelling expands the mind. Teaches you many things that remain with you forever. You see things you couldn’t have even imagined and meet people that are so strangely fascinating. So talk to everyone you meet, learn as much as you can about what and who surrounds you each day, laugh lots, forget about the financial debt you are getting into and get to know who you really are! This is your time-out to live the way you want and be who you always knew you could be!

South of Sydney in the stunning Jamberoo Valley is the Budderoo National Park. Minnamurra Rainforest is part of this wonderful tropical rainforest and home to a great variety of exciting birds and rare plants. You should be able to hear, and usually see Lyrebirds showing off for females near their mounds at this time of year. Elevated boardwalks showcase this magnificent rainforest with its huge trees and crystal clear streams.

Katandra Reserve & Long Reef

Katandra Reserve was once privately held land now owned by the Lands Department and managed by Friends of Katandra. The reserve is situated on the escarpment of Ingleside is a delight for birdwatchers and plants enthusiasts. In spring you can see kingfishers, cuckoos, nesting raptors, honeyeaters and maybe even a Dollarabird or two.
Long Reef just around the corner is renown for an array of waders from Ruddy Turnstones to Eastern Curlews the gamut of possibilities is very exciting. So wear your slip proof foot wear to walk over the rock platforms to view the selection at low tide.

Ku-ring-gai National Park

Here you will find fast moving honeyeaters like the White-cheeked and the Eastern Spinebill. There are often Varied Sitellas during October and all sorts of surprises down the Chitlern Trail. There are Little Penguins on the Lion Island and Whistling Kites at Patonga.

Eyre Peninsula

Spectacular Coffin Bay estuary with its grand expanse of rambling channels and waterways and amazingly beautiful bay is one prime destination to go bird watching in the region. Here you can watch for Rock Parrots, Ospreys, Hooded Plovers and other heathland and sea coast birds. The most ideal time to visit this area is during the winter when many birds are moving in to the mainland from the islands.

Port Lincoln National Park though remotely located has a mouth-watering reputation in the birding world. Mallee Whipbird, Blue-breasted Fairy-wren, Western Yellow Robin and Purple-gaped Honeyeater means that the habitat is wild, humanless thick mallee with a coastline of quiet coves, sheltered beaches and sheer cliffs.

Arid Lands Botanic Garden, near Port Augusta is a birdwatcher’s delight. From walking trails through the garden you will get to see the Rufous Fieldwren, Chirruping Wedgebill, White-winged Fairy-wren and White-fronted Honeyeater.

At Ceduna you can try for the Scarlet-breasted Parrot and Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters, along the way you can also visit other vast South Australian National Parks. While Coming down this alluring coast; the most eastern of Australia’s Bight you will get to see places like Streaky, Venus and Baird Bays with huge white dunes, wetlands and long surf beaches.

Capertee Valley

Capertee Valley is a good location to find the extremely rare Regent Honeyeaters, Turquoise Parrots and Plum-headed Finches. You will also get to see Gang-gangs, Yellow Thornbills and a pardalote that nests in the old wooden building across the road.
Other birds residing in this area include the Brown Treecreeper, White-browed and Grey-crowned Babbler, the Hooded Robin, Diamond Firetail, Choughs and the Yellow-tufted Honeyeater. With a bit of luck you might even see the Regent Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler and some of the owls. The rich diversity of bird life makes this valley an ideal birding spot in New South Wales.

The soaring sandstone cliffs, eucalypt forests and the woodlands provide a haven for birds. The valley itself is unique and contains some unusual rock formations, one being the truly amazing Pantoneys Crown, a huge mesa at the entrance to the Capertee Valley. Then there are the pagoda rock formations for which the Gardens of Stone National Park is famous.

Warrumbungles

Warrumbungle National Park and the Coonabrabran surrounds have an abundance of wildlife. Here you might get to see the Pale-headed Rosella and maybe even a Mallee Ringneck without having to drive all the way to Timbuktu, and yeah then there are Red-winged Parrots, and Variegated Fairy Wrens too.

The landscape formed by old volcanoes with speccy rock formations in crystaline skies will shatter your big city blues. There are also Dykes and Lava Domes, Plugs and Pyroclastic deposits.

Mallacoota & Gypsy Point

Protecting almost 100 km of pristine coastline, Croajingolong National Park at 86,000 ha contains a rich diversity of habitats – vast tracts of open eucalypt forest, large areas of coastal heath, patches of banksia woodland and pockets of warm temperate rainforest. It is certainly one of the best places to go bird watching in Victoria.

250 species have been identified here – the heathland is home to rare birds like Eastern Bristlebird, Ground Parrot, Southern Emu Wren, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Striated Field Wren, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren and Beautiful Firetail.

The massive trees impress and renew the word forest. Thickets of coastal tea-tree are also ancient with swamp paperbark in patches and green damp pasture edging the Genoa River at Gypsy Point.

Other birds living in this birding heaven are Glossy Black-Cockatoos, Black Bittern, Turquoise Parrots, Hooded Plover and Double-banded Plover, Black-faced Cormorant, Spotted Quail-thrush and Robins galore : Easter Yellow, Flame, Scarlet, Rose and Pink.

Barrington Tops

The Antarctic Beech forest with soft tree ferns and ground covers of smaller ferns, mosses and lichens is home to Lyrebirds, Brush Turkeys, Eastern Whipbird, Bowerbird and Olive Whistler. If you have the luck you might even catch a glimpse of a rare Rufous Scrub Bird.

Gloucester Falls is a brief walk through Snow and Mountain Gums, one of the specialties of the Barrington area is the Olive Whistle bird.

Sphagnam moss swamp is an unusual environment that is sliced off by meandering channels of icy water filled with vivid green weeds. Rich in subalpine flora the region is also the home of the fabulous Flame Robin, Peregrine Falcon and Russet-tailed Thrush.

Christmas & Cocos Islands

Christmas & Cocos Islands are not only breathtakingly beautiful these are also steeped in history.

These Islands are remote specks of land some 300 kilometres south of Java and 1400 kilometres NW of Broome. They are a natural historians and birders paradise.

On Christmas Island you will see plenty of Red-footed Boobies, which are kept under constant scrutiny by piratical frigatebirds. Stunning golden White-tailed Tropicbirds glide over the forest canopy with the occasional giant, critically endangered Abbott’s Booby coming into view. Tropical rainforests are alive with Island Thrush, Imperial-Pigeons, Emerald Doves and white-eyes. For any person with an appreciation of island ecology this Island truly is a remarkable place to be.

The annual Red Crab migration is one of the great wildlife spectacles in the world. You have to see it to believe it. Christmas Island is home to over 20 species of land crab (the most bio diverse location in the world for these crustaceans) and includes the Giant Robber Crab, a species that has vanished from 90% of its original habitat. Also there are a bunch of special geckos and skinks and even a couple of bats that have their ranges restricted to this outpost.

Their close proximity to Java has made Christmas & Cocos Islands top locations for finding vagrant birds from Indonesia that have overshot the mark.

North Keeling Island is the star attraction in the region, which is an uninhabited National Park island. Here you can spot The Cocos Buff-banded Rail, the island’s endemic species and other vagrants such as the Saunders Tern and Western Reef Egret.

Between mid May and early August they travel north to give birth and mate at this time of year they tend to swim at 4-5 knots (5-9km/h) and will have frequent down times. They may pass close by the boats to check us out as they swim, but will tend to keep moving north. They can be very lively, especially the large pods of males as they jockey for dominance in anticipation of the mating season.

Late August – December: The whales are voyaging south, Mothers with their newborns and males after the mating season. They have a propensity to spend more time on surface and swim slower (so that the calf can keep up!) although rarely you will see some long down times. This part of the season is best for Muggings were the whales would come up close to the boat and investigate us!

Other Whale Species

June – November: Other whales species will sporadically appear, here are some you might be able to see off Sydney.

The Blue whale

The biggest animal on the planet, you may see one or two per season. They can be difficult to watch with long down times and erratic directions!

Southern Right whale

The second most common visitor to the sea around Sydney, they often swim into the harbour or bays along the coast searching for a secure place to mate and give birth

Pilot whales and False Killer whales

Frequently seen in large pods these mammals are prone to beaching.

Dolphins

Both Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose or ‘flipper’ type) and common pacific dolphins live in our coastal waters.

Schools in Sydney and New South Wales are renowned worldwide for having high a quality curriculum and innovative teaching. Computer technology, Internet, digital and multimedia materials are a part of everyday activities so students develop as creative and independent learners.

International students learn together with Australian students in safe, friendly, multicultural classrooms. Students are encouraged to participate and develop personal skills and confidence.

Teachers in New South Wales are highly qualified, university-trained professionals.

Subjects being offered are English, mathematics, science, history, geography, visual and performing arts, technology, languages and physical education. Specialist teachers teach English as a Second Language for international students.

There are pastoral care teams with dedicated curriculum coordinators as well as counsellors and careers advisers to look after the well-being of each student in all the schools

Universities

Australian universities have a high regard internationally and are ranked among the top universities in the world. Sydney and nearby regions offer a variety of options for international students.

Sydney and surrounding regions attract students from all corners of the globe. All universities offer a wide range of courses with degrees in the Sciences, Arts, Business Studies and Humanities. Further than this, each university has specialisations and strengths, which make it unique. These may comprise courses in Medicine, Nursing and related health areas, Engineering, Computer Studies, Law, Education, Sport and Exercise Science, Behaviour and Social Sciences, Tourism and Hospitality, Psychology, Dentistry, Management, Agriculture, Viticulture and Veterinary Science.

All universities places a very high level of importance on research, which ensures that the courses on offer are at the leading edge of knowledge, and are constantly being updated to reflect new developments. Many Australian researchers are trailblazers in their fields, and include in their number several Nobel Laureates, and Fellows of the Royal Society. Australian PhD degrees have an outstandingly high reputation internationally, and most universities will provide opportunities for international graduates to apply for PhD places.

All universities offer Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees. There are also many universities that offer professional Doctorates and other Graduate Diplomas.

Learning English

There are many reasons why someone will want to study the English language. Some may be looking to improve their English for work or career purposes, others may have a personal interest or because they have it in mind to travel or because they must reach specified English entry standards.

Irrespective of the cause for learning English, colleges in Sydney and New South Wales offer programs to help students in achieving their goals.

There are privately owned and government owned English language colleges. These can be specialist colleges or a part of a high school, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute, private vocational provider or a university. Colleges can be small boutique institutions or large international providers.

Vocational education and training

Technical and further education graduates expand practical workplace skills and academic qualifications to progress directly into a career or to gain credit transfer to an Australian university.

Intensive English programs and university preparation courses increase competency for tertiary studies.

Certificate to advanced diploma level, and diploma-to-degree courses cover subjects such as:

• Business
• Information technology
• Marketing
• Engineering and building
• Child studies
• Telecommunications
• Hospitality and tourism management
• Applied sciences
• Design and visual arts
• Television and media
• Environmental studies and land management
• Sport and recreation

In Sydney and New South Wales, government Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes as well as non-government colleges provides vocational courses. Government to ensure the quality of curriculum, staff and teaching practices carefully monitors these institutions.

Merely an hour away from Sydney is the Hawkesbury Nepean region. Its propinquity, historic villages and pretty wineries unite to make it a perfect day trip from the city centre. A more recent producer The Southern Highlands is well suited to producing delicious cool-climate wines.

Excellent cellar doors, historic attractions, fine restaurants and cafes, and quality accommodation ensure these regions are alluring to wine-lovers as well as tourists.

Lower Hunter

This is the oldest wine valley in whole of Australia also is best known for aged semillon and shiraz. Lower Hunter is located to the west of Newcastle. Cessnock, the gateway to the region, is 170 km (2 hours’ drive) north-west of Sydney. 

Hunter Valley is world famous for producing the finest semillon, it can also lay claim to being the home of Australian shiraz and chardonnay.

Hunter Valley’s flavoursome, medium bodied, lower alcohol wines are best described as food wines. Strong regional characteristics of the wines are a product of warm and dry growing conditions and rich red soils.

Upper Hunter Valley

This region located north-west of Newcastle on the Golden and New England Highways is best known for chardonnay and Semillon.

The peaceful rolling countryside and highways of the Upper Hunter distinguish it from the more boisterous Lower Hunter.

Chardonnay from the Upper Hunter has a special depth of flavour. It is a unique style respected by experts and enjoyed by all. Local semillon gives a full-bodied version of the State’s best grape. Any good wine collection would contain at least several vintages of Upper Hunter semillon or chardonnay.

Situated between Wollemi and Yengo national parks, this region offers a relaxing wine-tasting experience with understated winery sheds filled with wine vats and vines out back that typify the Hunter. For those of you who yearn for quality there are small family-owned vineyards where you can sample wines with owner-winemakers.

Hawkesbury Nepean

This region located on the banks of the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers is best known for its Chardonnay and Shiraz. The two rivers form a natural northern boundary for the city of Sydney.

Hawkesbury Nepean is going through a period of revival. Some 35 small vineyards were planted recently. This delightful semi-rural area is just an hour’s drive from Sydney and is the perfect place for a scenic day trip.

Southern Highlands

This region which is located halfway between Sydney and Canberra, inland from the South Coast, is best known for pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and merlot.

Southern Highlands is a newcomer in wine terms, the first vines were planted in the 1980s, today the district thrives on delicate, fresh white wines and pinot noir.

This is a hilly, misty, elevated region, ideally suited to producing cool-climate wines. The highest vineyards receive a dusting of snow in winter but the biggest concentration of vineyards lies to the west of the highway, near Bowral. There are also wineries east of the highway.

Here you will find 60 small wineries and vineyards, 16 with cellar doors, some with vineyard tours, bush treks and weekend entertainment.

A remote yet accessible World Heritage-listed destination, Lord Howe Island, is the perfect place to get away from it all. This is a magical island in the Tasman Sea, which is only a two hours’ flight from Sydney or Brisbane.

Here is a place where you can revitalise, de-stress and calm your soul. Lord Howe Island is one of just four island groups in the world possessing World Heritage status, a tribute to its “amazing volcanic geology, its marvellous range of ecosystems, its rare collection of plants, birds and marine life… and last, though by no means least, its exceptional natural beauty.”

Encircled by the world’s southernmost coral reef, Lord Howe is Australia’s prime birdwatching spot. Watch red-tailed tropic-birds somersaulting backwards during their courting ritual. The island is home to 130 permanent and migratory bird species, while more than 500 species of fish and 90 species of coral thrive in its crystal-clear waters.

Spectacular views from Lord Howe’s Mt Gower will take your breath away and walks on the island will give you a delightful experience of nature. Lord Howe’s iconic Ball’s Pyramid is the largest monolithic sea rock in the world. The majestic twin peaks at southern end of the island, Mt Lidgbird and Mt Gower are 875 metres tall.

Blue Mountains National Park

This magnificent land of sandstone outcrops, deep ravines and hazy blue eucalypt forests boasts luxury retreats and the world’s steepest railway. The Blue Mountains National Park, reachable from Sydney by road or rail under two hours, is one of eight national parks that make up the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

The Blue Mountains National Park, a scenically dramatic region of forested ravines and pristine bushland about 120 km west of Sydney by road, is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. It is listed for its extensive eucalypt forests and natural biodiversity.

The Wollemi Pine, world’s oldest species of tree found in Wollemi National Park, is unique to the Blue Mountains. The region is so densely forested the 40-metre-high trees escaped detection until 1994, flourishing undisturbed in a remote valley less than 200 km from Sydney.

Designated walking trails criss-cross Blue Mountains National Park, passing streams and waterfalls, descending into cool gorges and snaking around sheer cliffs offering spectacular views.

The region’s most famous rock formation is The Three Sisters, a trio of pinnacles best viewed from Katoomba, the largest of 26 mountain towns and villages. These include Wentworth Falls (near a beautiful waterfall of the same name), Faulconbridge and Katoomba. The settlement of Blackheath, full of colonial history, is renowned for its Rhododendron Festival held in November each year.

Enjoy a plethora of adventure activities, art and craft galleries, fine dining, stylish shopping and romantic escapes. Grand Edwardian country hotels predominated in the early 20th-century. An abundance of luxury guesthouses, spas and eco-retreats are available for you to choose from to spend the night. Gardens in these parts are a delight. One of the most striking is Everglades Gardens, laid out in the 1930s by Danish-born landscape designer Paul Sorensen. Don’t miss the tearooms!

Barrington Tops National Park

Barrington Tops National Park, situated about 320 km north of Sydney is a mixture of eucalypt forests, rainforest, subalpine woodlands, swamps and grasslands.

Rainforests occupies only about 0.3 % of Australia yet these shelter about half of all Australian plant families and about a third of the country’s mammal and bird species. Few rainforests are easier to reach than those within Barrington Tops National Park, an easy drive from Sydney.

The park, which includes eucalypt forests, subalpine woodlands and wetlands, also includes a 25-kilometre-long plateau set amongst long-extinct volcanoes. It’s reachable even to those with limited mobility; criss-crossed with an excellent network of tracks offering short, easy walks, steep overnight treks, and much in between.

Villages in the vicinity include charming Gloucester, which is nestled in a valley under a range of hills called The Bucketts, is home to both a school museum and a folk museum. Another town, Stroud, was founded in 1826 in the green Karuah Valley. It still looks the same as it did in the 1850s. Gold mining and cedar cutting history is preserved in small museums at Paterson, Dungog and Clarence Town.

In the Barrington Tops National Park you can spot the eastern grey kangaroo, red-necked and swamp wallabies, red-legged pademelon, platypus, northern brown bandicoot, yellow-bellied glider, sugar glider, mountain brushtail possum, koala, long-nosed potoroo, three-toed earless skink, stuttering frog, grey-headed flying-fox, short-beaked echidna and common wombat.

The birds you can spot ranges from the magnificent wedge-tailed eagle to smaller species like the White-throated needletail, Rufous scrub-bird and wompoo fruit-dove.

Dorrigo National Park

Dorrigo National Park in the rainforest-rich North Coast region of New South Wales is about 450 km north of Sydney (halfway between Sydney and Brisbane). Take the Pacific Highway south from Coffs Harbour, turn right at the Bellingen/Armidale turnoff, then come up the beautiful Waterfall Way.

Dorrigo’s rainforests, on the edge of the Great Escarpment, are amongst Australia’s most easily reached. Dorrigo National Park’s well-known boardwalks (on forest floor and at treetop level) make the going easy for visitors.

Dorrigo Rainforest Centre is a foremost CERRA interpretation centre. The plateau rises to 1586 metres and is at the centre of the now extinct Ebor Volcano, which helped create the region’s topography about 18 million years ago.

You can choose to take short strolls under the rainforest canopy, or to tackle longer and more challenging like the trek (just under 5 kilometres) to the top of Casuarina Falls. It starts from the Never Never picnic area along Sassafras Creek and passes through cool rainforest and eucalypt stands and Aboriginal historic sites. Views of McGrath’s Hump and the Great Escarpment are truly breathtaking.

Mount Warning National Park

The sun’s rays hit Mount Warning before anywhere else on the Australian continent. This 1156-metre-high mountain is the leftover central plug of the Tweed shield volcano.

The park is located about 800 km north of Sydney; near the place the Tweed River meets the sea at the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

The iconic attraction of the national park, Mt Warning, is a volcanic remainder once used by mariners as a landmark to warn them of offshore reefs. Captain James Cook gave the mountain its ominous-sounding name in 1770. The local Bundjalung Aboriginal people know the mountain as Wollumbin, meaning Cloud Catcher.

Sunrise is a predominantly magical time at Mt Warning. Under the established laws of the Bundjalung Aboriginal people, only certain people can climb Mt Warning, so if you choose to respect their wishes, consider a stroll along the 200-metre Lyrebird Track or a picnic at the Korrumbyn picnic area as an alternative to attempting the nine-kilometre return journey.

Mungo National Park

One of the world’s most significant human cremation sites, Mungo National Park, is also Australia’s first World Heritage-listed national park. The park is situated 987 km west of Sydney, and 110km northeast of Mildura

Mungo National Park is a part of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, a chain of dried-out lakes that were once strung between Willandra Creek and the main channel of the Lachlan River in Outback NSW.

Lake Mungo has dried out approximately 14,000 years ago, a huge crescent-shaped dune, called the Walls of China, stretches along the eastern shore of the lakebed. The wind and water are constantly eroding these dunes, of mud and sand. What remains today is a fragile landscape of crinkled, fluted outcrops and shifting sand, which changes colour from a daytime khaki to the vibrant yellows, oranges, and deep wine reds of sun set.

It was at Mungo, that a young scientist stumbled across “Mungo Woman”, the remains of a cremated skeleton of a human. Six years later, he found Mungo Man, buried in a pit strewn with ochre.

Stone flake tools are strewn across the landscape, and peeking out of the mud are prehistoric wombat holes, fossilised chunks of Eucalyptus trees, and the bones of long-dead marsupials, including extinct buffalo-sized wombats and giant kangaroos.

Kosciuszko National Park

This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is one of the world’s best national parks and the biggest in New South Wales. Kosciuszko National Park, which is located about 400 km southwest of Sydney, is five hours by road or 50 minutes by air. Rising above the park is Australia’s highest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko.

The mountainous region between the Australian Capital Territory and the Victorian border is a wild and stunning region and Kosciuszko National Park, spreading almost 675,000 hectares, cocoons the best of it.

Here, in the highest elevations of Australia’s Great Dividing range in the Snowy Mountains, you can walk through alpine herbfields, explore caves and limestone gorges, enjoy scenic drives and stay at historic huts and homesteads – all within sight of the tallest mountains in Australia.

Famous mountain villages in the region are Charlotte Pass Village, the highest resort village in Australia; Thredbo Village, with its great restaurants, and Jindabyne.

Ground elevations Kosciuszko National Park ranges from just 213 metres above sea level up to 2228 metres. The alpine section of the park includes a wetland that is even mentioned in the Ramsar list (a group of wetlands around the world internationally recognised for their ecological, botanical, zoological, limnological or hydrological importance). Some of Australia’s most popular and most beautiful rivers, including the Snowy, Murray and Murrumbidgee, flow from this area. Apart from its winter role as a skiing and snowboarding paradise, the Biosphere Reserve supports wildlife such as the grey kangaroo, the red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby and wombats.

Montague Island, Narooma

Montague Island, which is mostly Famous for its penguin and seal colonies, is also a superb location for whale watching during the season. The island is located 10km southeast of Narooma and about 350 km south of Sydney.

Montague Island becomes the temporary home of Hundreds of Australian fur seals (up to 700 animals during breeding season) from late August to early December. A separate species, New Zealand fur seals also visit the island regularly. The island is a breeding ground for at least 15 bird species – including about 8000 pairs of penguins.

Small penguins flourish on the island and other bird varieties include crested terns, silver gulls, Australian gannets, mutton birds, hawks, sea eagles and three species of shearwaters.

To safeguard Montague Island’s unique environment, access is limited to regular organised tours run by licensed operators from Narooma and guided by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers.

Guided tours include plants, animals, the island’s Aboriginal and European past and the Montague Lighthouse, first lit in November 1881. The lighthouse, 21 metres tall and able to be seen well out to sea, was converted to automatic operation in 1986. It is still an essential part of Australia’s coastal navigation system.

From September to November, guided tours expand to include whale watching, as humpback and southern right whales travel south on their annual migration from warmer tropical waters to the cooler waters of the Antarctic.

Solitary Islands Marine Park

Solitary Islands Marine Park is a tiny group of islands, which are spread in an area about 75 km along the Coffs Coast, from Muttonbird Island in the south to Plover Island in the north. These Islands give protection for marine species at the same time providing idyllic conditions for diving, fishing and whale watching. The Solitary Islands Marine Park is located Near Coffs Harbour, some 550 km north of Sydney.

The biggest marine protected area in New South Wales looks breathtakingly beautiful with blue-green seas swirling around jagged islands, and beaches in sandy coves.

Underwater, Solitary Islands Marine Park is one of Australia’s extremely popular scuba diving environments. Divers swim with turtles, take pictures of shoals of multi-coloured fish and move smoothly past banks of rainbow-hued coral. The park’s amazing marine diversity derives from the merging of two great ocean currents: the warmer waters of the East Australian Current, flowing from the tropical Coral Sea; and the cooler northward flow from the Tasman Sea.

Here you will have the pleasure of witnessing greater than 550 species of fish, four turtle species and a variety of marine mammals cruising around 90 species of coral and a host of active ascidians (better known as sea squirts). Each autumn and winter, humpback whales migrate north to calve in warmer waters.

In spring, they go south again to their Antarctic feeding grounds. Coffs Harbour, and the sea around Solitary Islands Marine Park, is among the finest locations in Australia for whale watching, by land and by sea.

Sydney Harbour National Park

Sydney Harbour National Park area (which includes harbour islands and surrounds) was created in 1975. Ever since its birth the area covered by the park has grown rapidly, taking in historic Fort Denison and little Goat Island in 1995. North and South Head, with their huge cliffs standing like giant sentinels at the doorway to the harbour. Sydney Harbour’s islands are Shark Island, Clark Island, Goat Island, Rodd Island and Fort Denison.

Sydney Harbour beaches incorporate Washaway Beach, Reef Beach, Obelisk Beach and Cobblers Beach. The last two, located around Middle Head, are both nude-bathing areas. Other prominent beaches include Chowder Bay (just north of Bradleys Head), Nielsen Park near Vaucluse and Balmoral Beach near Mosman.

The splendid harbour at Sydney’s heart, with its dark green sea, world famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House, is so popular that many visitors (and Sydneysiders) don’t realise that it’s also a National Park. Protected beaches within Sydney Harbour National Park include Nielsen Park, where you can lounge on the beach or unwind under a shady tree, Washaway Beach, Reef Beach and further beaches stretching north of Dobroyd Head not far from Manly.

Dolphins are recurrent visitors to the park and whales drop in too, delighting both city’s inhabitants and visitors alike. Harbour surroundings include heathlands, woodlands and eucalypt forests, with walkways between for easy exploration.

Inside this enormous park there are many Aboriginal sacred sites, spectacular scenery and famous rock formations. Visit the Olgas/ Kata Tjuta, a dramatic series of 36 dome-like rock formations, which stand up to 1,701ft (546m) high and cover an area of 35sqkm. Similarly to Uluru these giant rocks too produce an incredible light show at sunset, with crimsons turning to rusts, and pinks to mauves.

Merely an hour drive north of Sydney is the perfect destination for an extraordinary range of holiday and visitor attractions. Here you can enjoy Sunny, golden beaches, visit wildlife and nature reserves, the internationally famous reptile park and wineries, play golf just watch or engage yourself in various other sporting and recreation activates. You cal also visit secluded holiday nature reserves, spend your time leisurely at a beach resort or visiting villages. You can take part in a unique pelican feeding, and view pristine beaches from seaside clifftop lookouts. Explore vast recreational reserves and waterways and enjoy an enormous range of watersports.

Blacktown

Blacktown is the largest suburb or township in New South Wales. This town is home to a thriving multi-cultural and diverse community with a strong Australian heritage. The population is a mix of people from over 50 countries and they speaking 63 languages. Most of Greater Sydney is easily accessible from this bustling hub, which boasts popular attractions adjacent to international standard shopping centres, conference and convention facilities, car-racing venue, Wildlife Park and nature reserves and International Ice-skating Arena.

Oberon

This is the highest town in the Blue Mountains region. Internationally renowned Jenolan caves and Kanangra Boyd National Park are the key attractions in this area. Oberon is the perfect hub for exploring a multitude of unique attractions in surrounding towns & villages. The most stunning scenery in rural NSW merges gracefully into a region dotted with popular heritage villages, art and craft markets, secluded holiday and weekend retreats and of course the annual Daffodil Festival. Enjoy a wonderful summer with a spot of snow in winter.

Hawkesbury

National Parks, spectacular scenery, pristine waterways, secluded natural reserves and one of Australia’s most magnificent rivers with a vast array of water sports and recreational activities, make this region an extremely popular destination amongst those who crave for a invigorating or relaxing year-round getaway. A fascinating holiday location with old-world charm, bustling with dozens of museums and heritage locations, art and craft exhibits and galleries, horse-riding, and houseboats.

Manly

Manly is popularly known worldwide for it’s sunny beaches, waterways, heritage walks and nature reserves. Abode of the annual International Manly Jazz Festival, the Manly Food and Wine Festival, and a stunning array of Art Galleries, Museums, regular Art & Craft exhibits, and international sporting events. Manly is as equally tempting for family holidays, as it is for discerning businesses demanding international standard convention and conference facilities and professional retreats.

Penrith

Penrith is situated west of Sydney on the banks of the Nepean River at the foothills of the majestic Blue Mountains. A magnet for those who love watersports is also the home of the International Regatta Centre; here you can learn whitewater rafting. In Penrith there is a fascinating and diverse range of cultural and heritage museums, galleries and markets. Breathtaking wilderness areas adjoining several national parks surround the city. You will find a diverse range of theatre, music and dance performances to enjoy in the cities strong performing arts culture.

Albury Wodonga

A perfect destination for Conventions, featuring a professional convention bureau developed to ensure the success of your next business meeting. This only one of its kind area is built on the crossroads of one of Australia’s largest inland river systems and the countries busiest highway. In the heart of the country there’s nothing provincial about the shopping here. Built on themes of heritage and culture, nature and environment, food and wine, golf and sport, the annual calendar is packed with entertainment and activities.

Sydney Hills

Sydney Hills, Australia’s bible belt also is the home of the Orange Blossom Festival, This flourishing and rapidly developing region in Sydney’s North West has become a hub of entertainment, sport, recreational, conference and family attractions. Featuring natural bush and waterways amongst a bustling suburban metropolis, the Hills has an abundance of picnic spots and lookouts, gardens, nurseries and bushwalking environments, river cruises and water activities, and an enormous variety of activities in this extraordinarily multi-cultural region.

NSW OutBack

Culgoa National Park

This park sprawls over 22,006 hectares and is located on the upper Cugoa Floodplain, north of Brewarrina and Bourke on the Qeensland boarder.

Cobar Regional Museum

A visit to this museum will take you on a trip back in time to the very beginning of Aboriginal history in Australia through to the European settlement of Australia.

Broken Hill Heritage Trail

This is a two-hour walking tour passing many outstanding historical buildings.

Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps

Brewarrina is famous for the 40,000-year-old Aboriginal fishtraps that are located just below the falls in the Brewarrina Township on the Barwon/ Darling River. This complex network of rock weirs and pools stretches for around half a kilometre along the Barwon Riverbed as built by the Ngemba people to catch fish as they swam upstream.

The fisheries are still luring fish today as they did 40,000 years ago and the area is still an important place for Aboriginal people.

Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum

Situated at a Dreamtime site, this museum offers you the chance to understanding Aboriginal Culture first hand in the very spot where the local tribes have
gathered for thousands of years.

Afghan Mosque

The Mosque is located on the site of the former ‘Camel Camp’ where Afghan and Indian Camel drivers loaded and unloaded their camel teams, from the earliest days of Broken Hill. It was built around 1891 as a place of worship for the followers of the Prophet Mohammed (or Mahomet) and is the only surviving Mosque in Australia, which was built by early cameleers. The Mosque’s alcove points toward Mecca, prayer rugs have been left by worshippers in appreciation of the Mosque.

Central New South Wales

Abercrombie Caves

The doorway to the Abercrombie Caves is through the majestic Archway. Solid masses of marble decorate the walls of the caves highlighted by the soft natural light coming in from each end.

More than a hundred years ago gold miners built a stage for dances in one of the main galleries. Today the historic dance floor is used as a stage for underground concerts, weddings and Christmas carols.

The bushrangers cave once was the hideaway of the famous Ribbon Gang, that was led by the ill-fated Ralph Entwistle, who started life on the run after being caught swimming nude in the Macquarie River at Bathurst.

The caves are encircled by native bush on a 1400 hectare Nature Reserve. There are swimming holes in the creek as well as a public prospecting area within the camping area. At the southern end of the Abercrombie Caves Nature Reserve are the Grove Creek Falls, which plummets spectacularly some 70 metres. An all weather track; leads to the viewing platform.

Ben Chifley Dam

The dam is Bathurst’s water supply and recreation area. Visitors to the region can do power boating, water skiing and sailing. The lake is good for fishing. Cabin accommodation, barbecue and picnic facilities are available. Camping is not allowed.

North Coast NSW

Corindi Beach

Corindi Beach is a perfect area for surfing, swimming and snorkelling enthusiasts. There are also delightful little rock pools for the little ones to have a puddle. The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Corporation operates an arts centre, bush tucker walk and community meeting facility. For the walking enthusiasts, Yuraygir National Park has an abundance of coastal tracks and beach walks north 8kms to Red Rock River and 14kms to Station Creek. A beautiful boardwalk extends through the rainforest to the northern end of Corindi Beach and is accessible from the beach or the sports oval.

Bulahdelah Mountain Park

The park is an ideal place for daytime picnics also has a network of scenic walking trails.

Bruxner Park Flora Reserve

From up here you can have spectacular coastal views and an overall view of the city of Coffs Harbour.  

Booti Booti National Park

Covering an area of 1,567 hectares the Booti Booti National Park is located 140 km north of Newcastle and 10km south of Forster.

Bongil Bongil National Park

Pristine beaches, littoral rainforest and fascinating estuaries offer a perfect
setting for family activities. Canoeing is the best way to explore Bonville
and Pine Creeks, from the Sawtell boat ramp. You can enjoy an
easy walk from Tuckers Rocks. Nearby Sawtell offers lodging and camping
in a bush setting, at Sawtell Reserve.