Luxury Holidays In New South Wales

Australia is home to some of the world’s best beaches and New South Wales is no exception. As Australians spend much of their time enjoying water sports, barbecues and relaxing on the sand, the beach is the place to go for a slice of authentic Australia. From the deserted white sand vistas of Green Patch in Jervis Bay to vibrant Bondi, there’s an astonishing variety on offer.

New World wines are rightly celebrated today. The Hunter Valley, located just outside of Sydney, boasts some of Australia’s best wine producers – from large traditional concerns to small biodynamic start-ups. The region is particularly famous for its Sémillon – a dry, citrusy variety that’s perfectly paired with long lazy summer afternoons. Once you’ve explored the vineyards, there are some superb fine dining restaurants in the area.

To the west of Sydney, you’ll find the Blue Mountains – a looming range of sandstone cliffs and canyons set in lush eucalyptus forest. The sunsets here are truly extraordinary. Take your pick from hundreds of trails, including the classic 44 km Six Foot Track and the considerably more relaxed 1.8 km Princes Rock Walk – which offers a breath taking view over Mount Solitary.

The world-famous new year's fireworks in Sydney Harbour is an unforgettable spectacle that attracts people from all over the globe. Pack up a picnic and pitch up at one of the many viewpoints around the city and see in the new year in style.

The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is a vibrant, colourful event provides two weeks of theatre, music and art, as well as incredible parties and of course the main parade. An event like no other – prepare to have your boundaries pushed and your mind opened wide.

Vivid Sydney is an annual festival of light, music and ideas, held in Sydney. It includes outdoor immersive light installations and projections, performances by local and international musicians, and an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates with leading creative thinkers.

There’s no better time to take in the delights of New South Wales’s premium wine-growing region than the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival. From May to June you can enjoy live music, incredible gourmet dinners at award-winning restaurants to vineyard tours, winemaking masterclasses, hands-on cooking classes and cosy evenings beside an open fire with friends.

Bluesfest Byron Bay is New South Wales's biggest contemporary blues and roots music festival, showcasing over 200 artists over a long weekend in April. Welcoming over 100,000 people to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just north of Byron Bay, Bluesfest is a weekend filled with music, fun and games for all the family.

You can’t go to Australia without throwing a shrimp on the barbie, so pack up a picnic and head down to the beach where you’ll find public BBQ’s available for everyone to use. Why not try some kangaroo or make yourself a sausage sanger? A typical Aussie barbecue mainly consists of meat, fish and a few stubbies (that’s beer to the non-Australians).

From buckets of tiger prawns to creamy oysters, succulent Moreton Bay bugs and freshly grilled barramundi, foodies are spoilt for choice when it comes to seafood in New South Wales. Visit Sydney’s fish market, the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere and choose from a huge selection of fresh-off-the-boat seafood.

There is no better way to cool off in the hot sun than to treat yourself to a delicious ice-cream. One of the most popular gelato spots in New South Wales is Messina where they offer a huge range of unique flavours such as ‘Tim Tam’ and ‘Milk chocolate with peanut fudge’. Messina invites you to try before you buy, which means you can explore all the different flavours and pick a favourite (or two).

A selection of freshly brewed teas, coffee and handmade cakes, sandwiches and pastries. There are many incredible High Tea establishments across NSW. The village of Katoomba is a very popular pit stop for a delicious high tea when visiting the Blue Mountains.