NSW’s most beautiful towns: From Armidale to Uralla, the best regional destinations in the state
NSW is a state rich with such diverse landscape from the coastal paradise of Crescent Head seasonal beauty of Armidale. Here’s our pick of the towns if you visit you may never want to leave.
NSW is a state rich with such diverse landscape from the coastal paradise of Crescent Head to the vast plains of outback Hay.
No matter where you are no view is ever the same and in just a matter of hours you can go from the beach to golden canola fields and then onto rugged outback terrain.
In a world before cheap international air travel where long drives in the country ruled, The Daily Telegraph has searched high and low for NSW’s most idyllic destinations.
Armidale
It has four distinct seasons, like no other in Australia. In summer it’s hot. In winter it can snow. Spring and the flowers bloom. Autumn is described by many as being the best season as the town turns gold and orange as the leaves turn.
In 2006 it won the NSW Tourism Award for General Tourism Services — beating several entries from council-run operations, including The Rocks Visitor Centre in Sydney.
Crescent Head
What’s not to love about this tiny coastal hamlet on the Mid North Coast. The beaches are not only pristine and unpopulated but it has one of the longest right-hand point breaks in Australia. The town where the population ticks over 1000 has a six round golf course overlooking the ocean and there is an abundance of eateries as well as the Santa Surf a massive drawcard every Christmas Eve.
Bowral and Southern Highlands
It’s every bride’s dream.
There are fairy-tale gardens, quaint village churches and vintage country estates — all key ingredients and reasons for it being a popular backdrop for tying the knot.
It has also become tree-change due to its proximity to Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong.
Not only that it has growing boutique winery industry, rolling countryside, first class hat winning restaurants and superb education facilities.
Mudgee
It is an elegant and historic country town, set in the scenic, natural setting of the Cudgegong Valley, 282km northwest of Sydney.
From the fertile farmland surrounds comes great local produce available at cafes and restaurants in town, farm gate sales and gourmet food outlets.
With a continuous history of winemaking since the 1850s, Mudgee is the third largest grape-producing region in NSW where people can taste fine wines in any of the region’s cellar doors.
Eden
It has an annual whale migration that has the locals of the Sapphire Coast rubbing their hands in glee.
Thankfully these days the northern and southern migration by the giant humpback whales are closely watched by photographers and nature lovers rather than predators, although tales of those early hunting days continue to prevail in and around Eden on the NSW Far South Coast.
The whaling history is evident wherever you stroll in Eden, highlighted by an annual whale festival.
But don’t think everything centres on the giant mammal. Locals also chat about another favourite pastime — dining on fresh seafood — and among the favoured delicacies is a mouth-watering seafood pie filled with mussels, salmon and a creamy garlic sauce.
Griffith
The town’s philosophy of enjoying good wine and food with family is evident due to its strong Italian heritage.
It’s an agricultural hub which is pockmarked with vineyards, orchards, rice paddies and lush green wheat crops.
There is a dazzling array of the most popular Australian red and white wines demanded in the marketplace are produced in the district including family-owned Westend Estate and Casellas. Equipped with winemaking skills handed down from generations of grapegrowers in Italy the two big wine names are now hugely popular in the US.
Canowindra
Rise up over the tranquil country landscape and get a birds eye view of what this town is now as the balloon capital of Australia.
It has hosted the Australian National Balloon Championships luring many overseas competitors to experience good old fashion hospitality.
It is also home to The Age of the Fisheries Museum because it’s known for it’s great fossil discoveries.
Gladstone
This tiny speck on the map, just outside Kempsey, sits on the divine Macleay River.
Whether you are fishing from the banks of the river or are actually on it, this little town is worth diverting off the highway for.
It has little fruit and vegetable stands at the front gate of farms and once a month it holds an amazing artists market where you can kick back by the river with a coffee listening to music watching the world go by.
Bellingen
In Coffs Harbour’s hinterland, Bellingen has one of the most picturesque valleys in Australia and is known for its alternative lifestyle.
That’s probably why it’s been a backdrop for many music and writing festivals as well as one of the filming locations for Danny Deckchair.
Eucalyptus was set to be filmed there before it fell through.
It’s home to the likes George Negus who once said he loved Bellingen because it was not “spoiled”.
Kangaroo Valley
Some say it got its name from the Reverend W.B. Clarke who observed in the 1840s that there was an abundance of kangaroos in the region but had become extinct.
Kangaroos or no kangaroos the national-trust listed village gets a guernsey in our top 20 because it’s just beautiful.
From the river frontage to the rainforest, lush dairy country and picturesque mountains, this place is idyllic with a capital I.
The historic Hampden Bridge is also pretty impressive.
Glen Innes
You can have a slice of Scotland without ever having to leave Australia.
With one of the coldest ‘wee’ climates in Australia, it’s no surprise that Glen Innes celebrates all things Celtic with the annual Australia Celtic Festival.
It even has it’s own Standing Stones.
The town located in the picturesque New England is known for producing some of the state’s finest wool and it also draws fossickers looking for sparkly gems.
One reader says: “driving into Glen Innes from the north during Autumn is so beautiful, it’s like four seasons”.
Millthorpe
Some might say it’s NSW best kept secret.
Located near Orange, this town has all the heritage and charm of a rural town but with sophisticated style from its boutique shops, accommodation and award winning eateries like Tonic Restaurant.
It comes alive on the weekend with tourists who are drawn to its beautiful countryside and fabulous celebration of food.
Truffle tours are a growing craze luring NSW food lovers to the town who are keen to search for the delicacy; one of the most expensive on the market.
Even the chilly temperatures don’t stop enthusiasts getting out for the hunt.
Uralla
Its name means the “meeting place”, which pretty much sums it up.
The quintessential country town located in the New England region is a great place to catch up with friends as it offers up hearty grub and peaceful settings with good old fashion country hospitality.
The region is also renowned for bushranger Frederick Wordsworth Ward, known as Captain Thunderbolt the gentleman bushranger, who roamed the highways.
His remains were laid to rest in Uralla.
Hay
There is something truly peaceful about the outback and Hay’s vast flat plains that seem to go on and on for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles (no joke).
But in this isolated outback town located on the Murrumbidgee River, which was made famous by Banjo Patterson’s “Hay and Hell and Booligal’, the community spirit is alive and well.
It has a rich history from its early days of pastoralist settlement to when it was the location for internment and prisoners of war camps.
Shearers are celebrated every year with the Festival of the Blades where the cream of the crop are inducted into the Shear Outback Hall of Fame.
Lennox Head
For years it has been a sleepy surfing hamlet but it’s been violently awoken from its slumber in recent years.
Like many NSW coastal towns Lennox Head’s real estate market has exploded as people are lured to it’s idyllic beach retreat with the tourist of Byron Bay.
The population has risen from 600 three decades ago to 7000.
Byron Bay
What list would be without Byron Bay, Australia’s premier destination.
Celebrities want to be captured here, tourists want to be here and well locals want to have it to themselves.
And why wouldn’t they when everything from the beach to the hinterland is just … well idyllic.
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