Let's start with shows or festivals. The city of Sydney is in constant evolution, it is home to the Sydney Opera House, considered one of the most famous buildings in the world, and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 for its remarkable architecture. It was built between 1958 and 1973 ►
Let's start with shows or festivals. The city of Sydney is in constant evolution, it is home to the Sydney Opera House, considered one of the most famous buildings in the world, and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 for its remarkable architecture. It was built between 1958 and 1973 by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and inaugurated in 1973. You can see pieces by Beethoven such as the Ninth Symphony or War and Peace by Sergei Prokofiev. You can also attend the Vivid Sydney Festival at Darling Harbour. Concerts in the middle of vineyards? Head to Hunter Valley, one of Australia's leading wine-producing regions with a history dating back to the nineteenth century. This region has vineyards belonging to international companies but also makes taste their wine made from Syrah and Sémillon and pick fruit. The Hunter Valley Gardens offers live music surrounded by vineyards, and the Hunter Valley Balloon Fiesta lets you watch the area in a hot air balloon while admiring dawn and dusk. In Wollongong, a city south of Sydney, Illawarra Performing Arts welcomes you with its incredible musical, theatrical and comedy performances.
As for museums, in the city of Newcastle, there is the Public Art Museum, the Newcastle Art Gallery and the Newcastle Museum. The first museum was founded in 1945 and has a collection of 7,000 works dating from colonial to contemporary times and the second in 1988 offers several exhibitions. Port Macquarie has three, Port Macquarie Museum tells the local history of the city through its 20,000 objects, 10,000 archives and 100,000 photos. The Douglas Vales Historic Homestead & Vineyard Historical Museum illustrates the lives of four generations of the same family who lived there, and the Mid-North Coast Maritime Museum, which makes you live a legacy of more than 100 years with its various exhibitions. The other popular place to visit is Wollongong with its famous Australian MotorLife Museum making you discover the cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and technologies dating back to the 19th century that were used to innovate these vehicles. In addition, the museum houses three collections: Paul Butler Collection, Wayne Gardner Collection and NRMA Heritage.
If you are interested in historical sites or monuments, go to Fort Scratchley, located in the suburbs of Newcastle East. It is a former military defense facility. Indeed, this former military site was built in 1882 in preparation for a Russian invasion but was officially used during World War II in 1942. In addition, going to see the Cathedral Church of Christ the King would be a plus. In Wollongong, there is the famous Flagstaff Point (Wollongong Head) Lighthouse, built in 1936 and with a height of 25.3 meters, is the new first lighthouse in New South Wales since 1903, and Breakwater Lighthouse, known as the Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a lighthouse built in 1971 and measuring 12.8 meters. There are also art exhibitions to contemplate at Wollongong Art Gallery and a Buddhist temple such as Nam Tien. In Coffs Harbour, you can go to the miniature village of Clog Barn, making you live the experience of being in a Dutch town and, in Port Macquarie the Astronomical Observatory is not to be missed, it allows you to discover astronomy with presentations and watch planets and stars and witness astronomical phenomena with its large telescope.
Knowing that New South Wales is located on the coast allows the opportunity to surf, relax and swim. The best-recommended places are Bondi Beach in Sydney, Tallow Beach in Byron Bay, and sea bathing, an activity that consists of taking baths in the sea for a few minutes. Newcastle is known for this with Ocean Baths and the Merewether Baths, two sea bathing pools inaugurated in 1922 and 1935 respectively. The state is the ideal place to observe dolphins, the migration of whales and other marine animals, for this, you have to go to Cape Byron, the easternmost point of Australia and Julian Rocks by scuba diving with sea turtles and sharks in Byron Bay. In Newcastle, the cliff of King Edward Park offers this opportunity.
On the nature side, Sydney offers you its Royal Botanic Gardens with a sublime landscape, experience the beauty of the nature reserve of Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve and North Coast Regional Botanic Garden in Coffs Harbour. Immerse yourself in nature with Wollongong Botanic Garden and Illawarra Rhododendron & Rainforest Garden, an internationally renowned place to enjoy all types of rhododendrons such as azaleas and camellias. Newcastle offers several parks including Blackbutt Reserve, National Park, Nesca Park, Empire Park, King Edward Park, Sea Acres Rainforest and Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park.
If you are looking for spots for sports or entertainment activities, Lake Macquarie is made for skydiving in addition to paddleboard or kayak excursions. It is the great salt lake of Australia and is adjacent to the city of Newcastle. If you have children, it would be fun to go to the Big Banana Fun Park amusement park to do the inevitable slides, laser games and many others. Kooloonbung offers an escape game with Facade Escape Room, the first only indoor escape game and sports like golf or rock climbing, at Holey Moley Golf Club and the climbing center of Hangdog Climbing Gym.
Grab your sneakers and bike, and explore the Coffs Creek Walk & Cycle-way, a path that lets you admire nature and the Coffs Creek Land Art Trail. Lord Howe Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Island and a two-hour flight from Sydney. There are plenty of activities: boat trips, fishing, bird watching, diving, hiking and yoga sessions.
For fine dining, Newcastle feasts on local dishes at Darby Street, King Street, Beaumont Street and Marketown Shopping Centre, but your best bet is to try lamington, a traditional cake. Finally, Sydney Tower Eye or Centrepoint not only allows you to visualize and admire and take with you an image of the city in all its glory. ◄
