Australia is full of wonders, from icons to the lesser known. Here, we’ve curated 16 wonders from our 100 list that NSW gets to call its very own.
This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.
1. Sydney Harbour
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
This sparkling natural harbour needs no introduction, so instantly recognisable is its steel arch bridge and white-sailed Opera House. Book a BridgeClimb and jump aboard a ferry to see the beauty and bustle from above and on the water, wander through the historic cobbled streets of The Rocks (book a walking tour with Dreamtime Southern X to learn about it from a First Nations perspective), stroll the Royal Botanic Gardens and take a dip at beaches such as Camp Cove in Watsons Bay or Milk Beach in Vaucluse, with views back towards the famous skyline.
2. Hunter Valley
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
Vignerons in Australia’s oldest wine region have been cultivating grapes since the early 19th century. Dotted among rolling green hills that stretch to the Great Dividing Range are more than 150 wineries with a medley of cellar doors, from sleek and modern (think Vamp by Lisa McGuigan) to charming and boutique (Krinklewood Organic & Biodynamic Estate) and plenty of places to sip vino among the vines, such as Hope Estate.
Semillon is the hero, but chardonnay and shiraz also reap worldwide attention; add to that a slew of hatted restaurants (Muse, Bistro Molines and more) and the Hunter Valley is a satiating destination for oenophiles and gourmands alike.
3. Kiama Blowhole
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
When the tide is right, the whoosh of water that blasts out of Kiama Blowhole splits the silence open. In fact, when the vertical blowhole on the NSW South Coast hits its peak at more than 30 metres, it is so loud that it drowns out the delighted squeals of the thousands of visitors who congregate here each year. The foundation for this geological wonder – the largest blowhole in the world – was laid from volcanic lava more than 260 million years ago. And while the nearby Little Blowhole is not as flamboyant, it’s also a wonderful place to watch the water wash in.
4. Waterfall Way
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Waterfall Way provides nature-lovers with a multitude of reasons to celebrate NSW’s Mid North Coast wilderness. The 185-kilometre-long road trip stretches from the New England highlands all the way to the Coffs Coast through rolling farmland and five national parks.
You’ll find nature doing her thing everywhere from the well-known Wollomombi Falls, the highest in NSW, to scenic Ebor Falls, which cascades over tiered columns of granite into a rugged gorge.
The more secluded Tristania Falls in Dorrigo National Park is another waterfall worth chasing.
5. The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
Bob Hawke was simultaneously an everyman and an Aussie legend. He holds the highest public approval rating of any Australian prime minister ever due to his social reforms, environmental policies and – perhaps most of all – his ability to down a beer in mere seconds.
The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville in Sydney’s Inner West is a fitting tribute to a man who was a quintessential larrikin: rowdy, free-spirited, but above all, good-hearted. The interior is a time capsule of 1980s Australiana, from the Chinese-Australian bistro (the sesame-sprinkled prawn toast is a highlight) to the decor steeped in nostalgia.
The beer is award-winning, crisp and as golden as the era the establishment pines for. All in all, it’s a watering hole that’s tried and true blue.
6. Newcastle’s food scene
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
Newcastle’s culinary roots are firmly planted in pub culture, with classic watering holes such as The Great Northern and The Beach Hotel given a shake-up in recent years by clever tastemakers who elevate the humble schnitty and schooner experience.
But it’s a new eclectic roll call of sophisticated eateries that is capturing the attention of cultured palates. Think pan-Asian flavours at pastel-pretty Light Years; fresh and sustainable seafood at local institution Scottie’s; Mediterranean fare with Euro beach club vibes at Blanca; and the ultimate coming together of wine and pasta at one-hatted diner Humbug. Adding to its résumé of beachside beauty a few klicks from wine country, Newcastle can lay claim to being a hot culinary destination, too.
7. Tokyo Lamington
Travelling with: Jo Stewart
Putting a Japanese spin on a nostalgic Aussie bakery treat is a risky move, but Sydney’s Tokyo Lamington nails it. Located on the aptly named Australia Street in Newtown, this pocket-sized shop sprung to fame for reinventing the humble lamington.
Interesting flavour combos such as yuzu meringue, pandan tiramisu and fairy bread popcorn prove that nothing is sacred – and you can indeed improve on the classics. Purists will be pleased to know that there’s also an OG lamington with raspberry jam and vanilla cream in the mix, too. Onigiri, miso mushroom pies and matcha lattes bring an added touch of Japan to the menu.
8. Bilpin cideries
Travelling with: Taylah Darnell
The small town of Bilpin on the lesser-traversed side of the Blue Mountains has a generous sprinkling of some of the best cideries in Australia. The cold-winter, mild-summer climate of the region is perfect for growing apples, with a handful of orchards and cideries calling the town home. Head to dog-friendly Hillbilly Cider , a favourite among locals and tourists, for the ultimate Bilpin experience: a small but gorgeous orchard, live music on the weekend, delicious ciders and woodfired pizza year-round.
9. Sydney Fish Market
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The brand-new Sydney Fish Market is taking shape at Blackwattle Bay where the original storied structure sat for some 70 years. In addition to capitalising on the expansive new 1.9-hectare site, this $750 million iteration will, like the original working market, go beyond the sale and distribution of fish.
In fact, the new site is destined to become even more of a draw, a landmark attraction for both Sydneysiders and visitors that will remain an integral part of the city’s fabric well into the future. The complex features a wavy timber and aluminium roof inspired by the ocean that will be utilised for potential energy production, rainwater collection and recycling. While the ground floor will include the working wholesale fish market and auction hall, the upper ground level will feature retailers, restaurants and cafes that revolve around both the land and sea.
Expect all the happy hubbub of the original market and more after its planned move in 2024.
10. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk spaghettis six kilometres along the cliffs, bays and beaches of Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
The path that follows the scalloped shoreline provides a spectacle that changes with the many moods of the sea and sky and is one that residents of the city are justifiably proud of. In fact, it’s considered one of Sydney’s greatest assets.
Bondi was named after Boondi, the Aboriginal word meaning ‘the noise made by sea waves’. And it’s those crashing waves that continue to capture the imagination of locals and tourists who drift along the winding boulevard from Bondi beholding the bird’s-eye view.
11. Ocean pools of NSW
Travelling with: Imogen Eveson
NSW’s coastline has its own architectural vernacular etched into surf-hammered rock all up and down its saw-toothed length.
Newcastle’s heritage-listed Bogey Hole is the state’s oldest ocean pool, originally built by convicts in 1819 for the personal use of Major James Morisset. Unemployment relief and funding for public works programs during the Depression resulted in a subsequent boom of ocean-pool-building in the 1920s and ’30s, as coast-dwellers embraced these safe spaces for saltwater swimming, with some 100 constructed since.
Over time, these pools have become part of the landscape – each shape and size idiosyncratic to its location, from Yamba to Forster, Bondi, Wollongong, Bermagui and Eden.
A liminal space straddling the manmade and natural that speaks not only to a part of Australia’s history but reflects the social and cultural landscape of the country at leisure.
12. Hawkesbury River
Travelling with: Imogen Eveson
Sitting on the balcony with the Hawkesbury River unspooled in front of you like molten silk, watching the colours change as the light fades over the ridges, it’s hard to imagine the centre of Sydney is little over an hour away.
The luxurious water-access-only Calabash Bay Lodge at a magnificent crook of the river provides total immersion into this other world. This is a place that slows your heart rate and enlivens your soul. You’ll find a boat and kayaks to untether and take out on the water at a most leisurely pace. And dinner cooked by a private chef to retreat back to in the evening.
Book the Ultimate Hawkesbury Pearler’s Package to experience all of this plus a private tour of Broken Bay Pearl Farm’s local oyster leases and ‘shellar door’ to learn the secrets of pearl and oyster harvesting on the river.
Famed two-hatted restaurant Berowra Waters Inn is just a few oar strokes away, too.
13. Bundanon
Travelling with: Imogen Eveson
Cradled by the soft folds of the Shoalhaven landscape, Bundanon is artist Arthur Boyd’s legacy: a wildlife sanctuary set on 1000 hectares that inspired much of his work and that he and wife Yvonne gifted to the nation in 1993. When the long-held dream of embedding an art museum in the landscape was realised in 2022, it marked the start of a new chapter.
Bundanon is many things, and best visited to be understood. Head here to see thought-provoking exhibitions, visit Arthur Boyd’s old paint-daubed studio and stately homestead, and the locavore cafe led by chef Douglas Innes-Will.
The word Bundanon means ‘deep valley’ in Dharawal and Traditional Owners are consulted on everything from land management to cultural connection.
Absorb it all thoroughly with an overnight stay at the architecturally designed Bridge, which acts as a window to this ancient and absorbing landscape.
14. Tamworth Country Music Festival
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
For more than half a century, the Tamworth Country Music Festival has been the national stage for country music, culture and heritage. Big-name artists such as Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley and Kasey Chambers are regulars at the iconic event, with performances across outdoor stages and pubs, a street parade, busking competitions and the Golden Guitar Awards. Giddy up for the 2025 fest, which runs for 10 days from 17-26 January.
15. Mad Max 2 Museum
Travelling with: Steve Madgwick
You’ll find the Mad Max 2 Museum, a temple of pure quirk and obsession, inspired by one of Ozploitation’s seminal films in the wee outpost of Silverton, north-west of Broken Hill. This ode to the ‘wasteland’ is the brainchild of Adrian and Linda Bennett, superfans who moved from the UK in 2010, driven by a fixation with Mad Max 2 (circa 1981).
George Miller’s post-apocalyptic movie was filmed nearby at epic outback locations such as Mundi Mundi Lookout. The intentionally ramshackle corrugated shack is stuffed with props (including the leather suit worn by Mel Gibson), black-and-white production stills and a stable of trademark beasty cars from the franchise.
The pilgrims will flow on, thanks to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and this year’s release of spin-off Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
16. Mungo National Park
Travelling with: Taylah Darnell
Follow Herman Ugarte of Outback Geo Adventures up the Walls of China in Mungo National Park and you’ll see that the edges of long-anhydrous Lake Mungo are still visible. Fragments of fish otoliths poke out of the hard sand, dating back some 18,000 years.
The age of things here is something to marvel at; Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, discovered in 1968 and 1974 respectively, are around 42,000 years old and some of the oldest human remains found anywhere in Australia. Turn around at the top and watch this landscape unfold before you, where emus and roos share ancient land and mallee gums shade native bush tomatoes from the blazing sun.
