New South Wales attractions

The tall ships of Sydney Harbour offer a traditional way to see the iconic sights of the Harbour City. The ships, which are characterized by their billowing sails and wooden helms, let you escape the crowds on land and give you unobstructed views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Fort Denison, and the Sydney Opera House.

Part of Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Botany Bay holds great historical significance for Sydney—it was where Captain James Cook first stepped onto Australia after exploring New Zealand in 1770. The heritage-listed spot is now home to a monument marking the meeting of European and Aboriginal cultures here.

Whether you call it CBD or simply "the City," Sydney Central Business District is at the heart of the action in Australia's trendiest city. Home to the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Rocks, plus bars, restaurants, museums, galleries, and malls, it's almost impossible to visit Sydney without swinging by.

A collaboration between the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, the Australian Museum, and Sydney Living Museums, the Museums Discovery Centre is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. There are hundreds of displays to explore and plenty of opportunities to learn about museum collecting, conservation, and research practices.

Just south of the popular coastal town of Batemans Bay, the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden displays plants that grow naturally in this region of southeastern New South Wales. Along with admiring the flora, visitors can explore walking paths, relax at the café, and spot a range of Australian birds and animals, including kangaroos, bandicoots, and echidnas.

Tobruk Sheep Station is a scenic 50-acre working sheep farm about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Sydney. Visitors to the farm get a peek into what life is like for an Australian sheep farmer. From “mustering” (herding) sheep with the help of some hard-working dogs to enjoying an authentic outback BBQ lunch with can-brewed “Billy Tea,” visitors can observe and take part in all aspects of life on the farm.

Garrison Church isn’t the largest church in Sydney—nor its most popular or famous—but it's significant to the city’s military families. Established back in 1840, Garrison Church (officially known as Holy Trinity Church) was the first military church in Australia. Today, it hosts Sunday services and houses a small museum displaying early Australian military and historical items.

If you have eclectic tastes, Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum is for you. It spans arts, design, science, and technology. With around half a million objects in its collection, the Powerhouse Museum is Australia's largest group of museums. There are four venues—Powerhouse Ultimo, Parramatta, Castle Hill, and the Sydney Observatory—with Ultimo being the main branch most commonly associated with the Powerhouse Museum.

Located on the south side of Darling Harbor, Cockle Bay is home to Cockle Bay Wharf, a popular waterfront entertainment complex full of lively cafés, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Experience Sydney’s iconic harbor while enjoying stunning views, whimsical sculptures, and alfresco fine dining and entertainment.

With its powder-white beaches lapped by turquoise water and framed by jagged coastal cliffs, Crowdy Bay National Park is a dramatically beautiful coastal getaway near Port Macquarie. With endless opportunities for hiking, fishing, and wildlife spotting, the park is a New South Wales gem that, despite its name, is typically crowd free.

One of only four 19th-century barques that can still sail the open ocean, the Tall Ship James Craig dates back to 1874 and boasts an impressive 21 sails. The iron ship is Sydney’s only 19th-century square rigger and took almost 40 years and A$30 million to restore. It can hold up to 80 passengers when it goes to sea.

The Barrington Tops National Park is part of Australia’s UNESCO-listed Gondwana Rainforest area, the largest expanse of subtropical rainforest in the world. Come to hike, camp, fish, or simply enjoy a relaxed picnic in the forested mountains. Covering 205,000 acres (83,000 hectares) of wilderness, Barrington Tops is home to many Australian wildlife species.

Shoalhaven Zoo is home to Australia's most iconic animals and wildlife and an attraction for entire families. You’ll find koalas, dingoes, wallabies, llamas, crocodiles, and more in one accessible area. Learn about animal habits from zookeepers, go on a bush hike, and play with cuddly koalas on your visit to Shoalhaven Zoo.

Tallavera Grove is a winery in the town of Cessnock, within the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. Vines flourish across the 70 acres (28 hectares) of terra rossa clay loam, providing lovely views across the grove. Visitors can sample wines of the Carillion Wines brand at the cellar door tasting room or enjoy a meal at Molines Bistro.

Looming over the hinterlands north-west of Byron Bay, the 3,792-foot (1156-meter) peak of Wollumbin (Mount Warning) is not only the region’s highest peak but also, due to its proximity to Australia’s easterly point, the first area of the mainland to receive sunlight. The chance to be the first to see the sunrise has long enticed hikers to scale its summit, and the 5.6-mile (9 km), four-hour round-trip hike is a scenic route, weaving through subtropical rainforest and offering spectacular views out over the coast and the surrounding Wollumbin National Park. Wollumbin (Mount Warning) also has a long historic significance, named by Captain James Cook to warn approaching seamen of the coastal reefs at Point Danger, and boasting a rich Aboriginal heritage, home to the indigenous Bundjalung people.

Perched at the top of Sydney Tower, 88 stories above the streets of the Central Business District (CBD), the rotating restaurant 360 Bar and Dining ensures that every corner of the city is visible right from your table. It takes exceptional food to draw your attention away from the view, but the chefs have mastered the challenge.

While you may need to jostle for space among other tourists at many of the Blue Mountains National Park’s lookouts, Pulpit Rock Lookout is not one of those places. The multi-tiered lookout perched on a blade of rock will test your tolerance for heights, but it offers almost 360-degree views across the forest-covered Grose Valley and Govetts Leap.

One of Australia’s most beautiful gardens, this private 5-acre (2-hectare) respite in the Blue Mountains National Park offers a secluded world of cool-climate plants and flowers. Follow the walkways around the dewy lawns, relax by the cascading ponds, and admire the parterre and other artistic features.