New South Wales is where most journeys to Australia begin. Home to Sydney and about a third of all Australians, it packs a harbour city, world-famous beaches, the blue haze of the mountains and a long coast of surf towns into a state larger than France, with snowy peaks inland.
Sydney Harbour
Sydney is the state capital and the country's largest city, spread around one of the finest natural harbours in the world, with ferries criss-crossing between beaches, bays and bushland headlands. Long before the city, this was the Country of the Gadigal and other Aboriginal peoples, and in 1788 the First Fleet arrived here to found Britain's first colony in Australia. Walk the sandstone lanes of The Rocks to see where the modern story began.
The Sydney Opera House, designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973, is World Heritage-listed and best seen from the water or from the Royal Botanic Garden next door. Across Circular Quay rises the Sydney Harbour Bridge, opened in 1932. You can walk across it for free, or join BridgeClimb up the steel arch to the summit, 134 metres above the harbour. Book the climb and Opera House tours ahead, especially in summer.
Bondi and the eastern beaches
Bondi Beach is the one most people picture when they think of Sydney: a golden curve of sand, a busy surf club and a crowd of swimmers, surfers and joggers from dawn. At its southern end, the ocean pool of Bondi Icebergs is one of the most photographed swimming spots in Australia, with waves washing over its walls.
From Bondi the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk follows the cliffs for about 6 kilometres, taking two to three hours past Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordons Bay, with ocean pools and cafes along the way. In winter, look out to sea for humpback whales. Swim only between the red and yellow flags, where lifesavers keep watch.
The Northern Beaches
Half an hour by ferry from Circular Quay, Manly opens a long string of beaches that runs all the way north to Palm Beach. The Northern Beaches are a world of surf clubs, rock pools, coastal walks and relaxed villages. Surfing here goes back to 1914, when Duke Kahanamoku rode a board at Freshwater, and the stretch from Freshwater to Shelly Beach is now a World Surfing Reserve.
Shelly Beach, in the sheltered no-take Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, is one of the best places in Sydney to snorkel, with large blue gropers that drift past swimmers. At the far end, a steep walk climbs Barrenjoey Head to an 1881 lighthouse, with views over Pittwater and Broken Bay. Lifesavers patrol the main beaches, mostly in the warmer months.
The Blue Mountains and beyond
Within about two hours' drive of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are a World Heritage-listed plateau of sandstone cliffs and deep valleys, coloured blue by the fine haze of eucalyptus oil. From Echo Point in Katoomba you look out over the Three Sisters rock formation and the Jamison Valley, and well-marked tracks lead down to waterfalls and rainforest. The trains from Sydney run all the way up.
Two hours north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region, famous for semillon and shiraz, with over 150 cellar doors. Far up the coast, Byron Bay is a surf town with a laid-back reputation. Its lighthouse stands on Cape Byron, the easternmost point of the Australian mainland, and the walking track there is one of the best places to watch whales and dolphins.
Getting around
Almost every visitor arrives at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD). Central Sydney is easy without a car, using trains, ferries, buses and light rail, and you can tap on with a contactless card. To explore the Blue Mountains a train is enough, but for the Hunter Valley and the coast a rental car gives you the most freedom.
When to go
Sydney is mild all year, with summer days usually in the mid-20s °C and winter days around 17°C. Summer, from December to February, is the beach season and the busiest time. Winter is cool but often sunny, with humpback whales passing along the coast from about May to November. Prices peak during Australian school holidays.