YOUR GUIDE TO REGIONAL NSW MAY – DECEMBER 2014 REGIONAL NSW THE BEST OF NEW SOUTH WALES An exciting season of events, thrilling adventures, and standout food and wine experiences await you in NSW. From May to December, you’ll also find some of Australia’s very best short break experiences right here. With five World Heritage areas, 14 official wine regions, 867 national parks and reserves, and a coastline of stunning beaches, there’s a long list of possibilities for fun, adventure and relaxation. Bar Beach, Newcastle CONNECT WITH REGIONAL NSW CONTENTS facebook.com/visitnsw The Best of NSW 3 Northern Rivers 23 twitter.com/nswtips @visitnsw New South Wales Regions 4 South Coast 24 #NewSouthWales Did You Know...? 5 Southern Highlands and Tablelands 25 plus.google.com/+visitnsw Food & Wine 6 -7 Mid North Coast 26 visitnsw.com FLAVOURS OF NSW EATING OUT IN NSW HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES Oyster Trails 8 The Murray 27 Get some insider tips on the food and Discover where to find the State’s best Whether you’re keen to know more about CONNECT WITH SYDNEY Farm Gates & Picnics 9 New England North West 28 wine that NSW is really famous for, find craft brews, pubs serving great food, wine varieties, cheese-making, where to facebook.com/seesydney out about the best paddock-to-plate luxury escapes along the coast, country learn about rainforests or marine life, Country Pubs 10 Central Coast 29 experiences, farmers markets and dining at its best and cooking schools NSW has the right experience for you. twitter.com/sydney_sider much, much more. for all ages. @sydney Restaurants 11 The Hunter 30 #ilovesydney Taste & Learn 12 Snowy Mountains 32 plus.google.com/+sydney National Parks & Family Fun 13 Central NSW 33 sydney.com Adventure Awaits! 14 The Riverina 34 CONNECT WITH VIVID SYDNEY Regional NSW Event Highlights 16 -18 Outback NSW 35 facebook.com/vividsydney twitter.com/vividsydney It’s ON! in 2015 19 Lord Howe Island 36 @vividsydney Plan. Book. Share! 20 Spotlight on Sydney 37 #vividsydney Blue Mountains 22 Vivid 2014 Highlights 38 plus.google.com/+vividsydney youtube.com/vividsydney Proudly Presented by facebook.com/vividideas WHAT’S ON IN NSW EXPLORE THE REGIONS WHAT’S ON IN SYDNEY twitter.com/vivid_ideas Travelling film festivals, picnic races, The State’s stunning natural environment Check out what’s coming up in Sydney instagram.com/vivid_ideas food and wine events and music provides the right backdrop for any during Winter. A highlight is the #vividideas showcases…NSW regions have plenty number of action and adventure activities, ever-popular Vivid Sydney which lights Destination NSW acknowledges and appreciates all the images supplied by photographers and event owners for use in this of community festivals and seasonal family fun plus food and wine experiences. up the city. vividsydney.com magazine. Events and other information are subject to change without notice. For full disclaimer, please see back cover. celebrations coming up in 2014. 2 / IT'S ON VISITNSW.COM PLAN YOUR REGIONAL NSW SHORT BREAK / 3 REGIONAL NSW REGIONAL NSW NEW SOUTH WALES DID YOU KNOW…? REGIONS THE NSW COASTLINE HAS THAT’S 2228 Tweed Heads visitnsw.com/visitor-information-centres Murwillumbah THE HEIGHT IN METRES OF Byron Bay Lismore MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO, Ballina 990 877 Tenterfield KILOMETRES OF BEAUTIFUL OCEAN AND BAY BEACHES AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST Lightning Ridge Moree Grafton SANDY BEACHES. IN NEW SOUTH WALES. MOUNTAIN. Glen Innes Inverell Bourke Narrabri Coffs Harbour HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSES CAN BE FOUND ALONG THE Bellingen THE NUMBER Armidale NSW COASTLINE; MOSTLY BUILT IN THE 19TH CENTURY, White Cliffs Macksville Tamworth OF NATIONAL Kempsey THEY STRETCH FROM CAPE BYRON AT THE STATE’S Coonabarabran Cobar Port Macquarie 867 PARKS AND NORTHERN TIP, TO GREEN CAPE ON THE SOUTH COAST. Wingham Lord Howe 10 Broken Hill Gloucester Taree Island RESERVES Muswellbrook Narromine Dubbo Great Lakes Mudgee IN NSW Wellington Pokolbin Port Stephens Cessnock Parkes Newcastle Lake Macquarie Forbes Orange Lithgow Gosford The Entrance Bathurst Terrigal THE HIGHEST WATERFALLS THE NUMBER OF Blackheath Grenfell Cowra Oberon Katoomba SYDNEY IN AUSTRALIA ARE THE UNESCO WORLD Wentworth Griffith 5 Young Balranald Temora Bowral Wollongong WOLLOMOMBI FALLS IN OXLEY HERITAGE AREAS Mildura Hay Shellharbour Kiama Goulburn Nowra Gundagai Yass Jervis Bay WILD RIVERS NATIONAL PARK IN REGIONAL NSW Wagga Wagga Ulladulla Deniliquin Tumut Mulwala Batemans Bay Albury Tumbarumba Moruya Moama Cooma Narooma SURFERS LOVE NSW NSW IS HOME Jindabyne Thredbo Bega THERE ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE SURF BEACHES TO AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST Merimbula CONTINUOUS WINE REGION Eden THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AUSTRALIA (HUNTER VALLEY) AND THE NEWEST (NEW ENGLAND). BLUE MOUNTAINSN THE MURRAY CENTRAL NSW STRA R AT THE AU LIA IVE 25 M IS ’S R 08 NEW ENGLAND URRAY LONGEST KM NORTHERN RIVERS THE RIVERINA NORTH WEST SOUTH COAST1213-269 Revised May 2013 CENTRAL COAST OUTBACK NSW FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS NSW IS HOME TO BIG BANANA BIG MERINO BIG GUITAR BIG TROUT THE HUNTER LORD HOWE ISLAND AND TABLELANDS MID NORTH COAST SNOWY MOUNTAINS SYDNEY BIG THINGS... Coffs Harbour Goulburn Narrandera Adaminaby Destination NSW advises that the map above illustrates the NSW tourism regional boundaries, towns and cities for the purpose of this magazine only and is not a definitive travel guide of the State’s towns and cities. 4 / IT'S ON VISITNSW.COM PLAN YOUR REGIONAL NSW SHORT BREAK / 5 REGIONAL NSW REGIONAL NSW FROM THE PADDOCK TO THE PLATE A magnificent rural setting, historic with an Italian vibe and many great towns and a buzzing culinary culture restaurants. In the Hunter Valley, infuses Central NSW, where you’ll you’ll find cheese factories, smoked find excellent fine dining options in goods and a wide variety of different Quality produce, talented winemakers and some of Australia’s many small towns, especially around places to eat. Venture underground Mudgee and Orange. at Nine, Tower Lodge’s iconic cellar best restaurants can be found in thriving culinary hotspots across restaurant; or slow down and savour Enjoy Racine at la Colline in Orange or Regional NSW. Hip little towns, colourful growers markets and the vineyard views over a long lunch the delicious, hatted Neila in Cowra. amazing cellar doors now serve up fabulous fare. at Margan, where many dishes are In the heart of the Riverina, a region made with produce picked right from known as the ‘food bowl’ of New the restaurant’s kitchen garden and South Wales, the city of Griffith hums orchard. It doesn’t get any fresher! GRAPE ESCAPES So many roads in Regional New South Fifty-five percent of the State’s grapes Wales lead to either a well-established are grown around the flat plains and START PLANNING YOUR Graze The Factory, Junee, Riverina or emerging wine region. warm climate of the Riverina. Locals @ OWN FOODIE TRAIL NOW From the mountains to the country and boast that one in four glasses of along the coast, diverse landscapes Australian wine is made from this visitnsw.com/foodie abound, producing drops to appeal to region’s fruit! Griffith and the towns IT’S A FACT! TASTES AND TIPPLES any palate. And whether you’re sipping dotted around the area lure thousands a world-famous Hunter Valley shiraz or of visitors each year in search of } Gherkin country } The Mudgee Brewing Company semillon, or a crisp verdelho from the specialist dessert wines and unique How’s this for a claim to fame? The Sample specialty brews such volcanic soils of NSW’s South Coast, it’s food and wine events such as the Taste Riverina’s not just about wine and as the local stout, Mudgee Mud, always easy to find a wine you will love. Riverina Food Festival. gourmet produce; in fact, Big Mac or enjoy a delicious meal in the lovers will be happy to learn that brewery restaurant every gherkin served in a McDonald’s } Taste Canowindra burger comes from Griffith Check out this funky country } Beer and bushrangers restaurant serving 50 wines from If you’re looking for an original pub local boutique wineries and enjoy with tasty counter lunches and a live music on selected days cool beer, head to the Royal Hotel in } The Hunter Valley Canowindra. It’s been famous since Smelly Cheese Shop 1863 when bushranger, Ben Hall and Sample cheese varieties from his gang, took over the original inn Australia, Norway, Denmark, } Mudgee was the first... Cyprus and Spain. Then stock up area in Australia to grow chardonnay on cheese hampers, crackers, grapes and today it’s still one of the chutneys and oils region’s most popular varieties. It’s } Eastview Estate near Uralla Ballooning above vineyards in the Hunter Valley also made its mark with quality reds This New England winery has and, like Orange, is at the forefront of already branched out with home- the current cool-climate wine trend. brewed beer; now it’s producing Bimbadgen Estate, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley whisky at the onsite distillery, which FAMILY FUN is the first of its kind in the region NSW food and wine regions have lots to } Montrose House and Berry Farm, entertain the kids too. COOL-CLIMATE WINES AND MORE Sutton Forest In the Hunter, you’ll find farm stays at Pick berries and other fruits in alpaca farms and cattle properties, and season at this Southern Highlands NSW produces some beautiful and and Glen Innes pouring promising pinot day trip options such as Tinkler’s Produce farm, or make a weekend of it, very popular cool-climate wines. gris, pinot noir and chardonnay varieties. in Pokolbin, where the kids can check out staying at Montrose Cottage In Young and the Hilltops region, where a working fruit and veggie farm.