6 Weekend Breaks from Sydney for the Ultimate Nature Escape

New South Wales offers a lovely mix of trendy places with all creature comforts and, at the same time, charming country side and unique nature with ancient histories. Sydney, on the East Coast of Australia, is in itself one of the great cities of our planet. But one of the reasons I love Sydney is that it offers an ideal base for some excellent day trips.

Some of the loveliest weekend breaks from Sydney include visits to nearby beach destinations, with an almost endless supply of water and wildlife adventures. If you journey a bit inland, you’ll find charming villages, full of Australian history and bush culture. Better yet, New South Wales is known for superb wine regions as well as really wonderful restaurants and hospitality industry.

A weekend getaway from Sydney can easily combine both the exceptional culinary experiences of regional Australia with a deep-dive into Australia’s unique landscapes.

1. Newcastle & Hunter Valley

Although Sydney itself has some amazing beaches, I consider it a must to explore all the fabulous, often vast and white beaches outside of the large metropolitan area. One favorite destination for surfers and beach goers is Newcastle, about 2.5 hours north from Sydney.

On a weekend trip, I find the best way to reach Newcastle from Sydney is by train. The journey takes just under three hours, and the trains are comfortable. You can admire lovely landscapes along the way; lakes, gum forests, rocky outcrops, and more. New South Wales really is quite beautiful, landscape-wise.

Enjoy history, culture, and nature at Newcastle

The city has its fair share of culture and entertainment opportunities. For example, Fort Scratchley historical museum is fascinating, and Civic Theatre regularly has amazing live music and comedy performances.

Nevertheless, the city truly is best known for its amazing beaches, waterside walkways, and nature areas. I highly recommend popping down to Nobby’s Beach while you’re in Newcastle.

For dining, I recommend Rustica‘s Mediterranean-style meals, or Scratchleys for really wonderful seafood and views of the water. At the end of Nobby’s Beach is Nobby’s Lighthouse, and Nobby’s breakwater – both fun places to hang out at or have a picnic. You can follow a long walking trail along the beach that takes you past the amazing Bogey Hole ocean bath to Merewhether Beach and a stunning Glenrock State Conservation Area beyond. Otherwise, Hunter Wetlands is a stunning place for learning about local wildlife and plant life.

Explore Hunter Valley wine region

From Newcastle, you’ll want to join a wine tour, ideally one led by local experts, to explore some of the Hunter Valley region. Hunter Valley is famed for its great amount of quality vineyards, such as Tulloch or McGuigan wineries, both family-owned businesses operating for more than a hundred years. While touring the vineyards you can also further take in the stunning country side landscapes of the fertile Hunter Valley region.

If you can, while visiting Hunter Valley, I’d also recommend making a stop at Wollombi. This historical small town is a charismatic place, and the nearby Yengo National Park has lovely hiking trails and wildlife to spot, as well as some Aboriginal cultural heritage sites. Otherwise, Cessnock and Maitland are slightly larger towns worth visiting while exploring the Hunter Valley wine region.

Newcastle and the Hunter Valley are also major spots on our 2 Week East Coast Australia itinerary.

2. Oyster Farm and Brisbane Water

An oyster farm trip is one of the top things to do as a short trip from Sydney. By visiting the Broken Bay Oyster Farm, you can enjoy a highly unique oyster lunch experience by Hawkesbury River. This family-run operation has made it possible for guests to join a tour from Sydney which involves a boat ride up the river. You’ll learn how to open oysters, and certainly taste them as well. Some tour options allow you to enjoy oysters in the water – not something you get to experience just anywhere.

If you like oysters, this is definitely one trip out of Sydney you need to do.

However, the area close to the oyster farm also makes for one of the greatest weekend breaks from Sydney, so you might wish to stay longer than a day.

Woy Woy nearby, for example, is a small, charming coastal location. I love its many pleasant, shallow beaches, all along the Brisbane Water estuary here. You can go canoeing or paddle boarding in many places. There are also beautiful nature areas nearby. For example, Brisbane Water National Park is stunning, with gentle hills, small creeks and lakes, and wildlife such as koalas. The park is also home to some Aboriginal rock engravings. One great place to stay at overnight is the fabulous Mantra hotel, at nearby Ettalong Beach – itself a worthy trip destination.

3. Bowral

Bowral is a larger city in the Southern Highlands part of New South Wales. It is located about two hours from Sydney. Although you can get here by public transport, you might also wish to hire a car and enjoy the sights of the Southern Highlands along the way. This region draws visitors due to its lush landscapes and the number of charming, small villages and towns with special character. Bowral is one of these towns, surrounded by stunning country side. I find it makes for a lovely, rural weekend getaway destination from Sydney.

The reasons why I like Bowral are its general character, deep heritage, and all the fun things to do in and around Bowral itself. One of the fascinating historical places to visit in Bowral is Bradman Oval, a traditional cricket field – something quite Australian, indeed. Bowral city centre is full of stunning arrays of tulips and other flowers, especially in the spring months. For viewing the flowers, I suggest heading to Corbett Gardens, which is particularly beautiful. And, I like to climb to Mount Gibraltar, from where you have stunning views over Bowral and the surrounding Southern Highlands. Finally, there are lots of wineries around Bowral that are worth visiting. I’d recommend at least Centennial Vineyards for some wine tasting and truly wonderful food.

If you stay for the weekend, Berida Hotel is a great option in terms of accommodation. It is but one of the many truly wonderful, classy, yet comfortable places to stay over at that I can recommend.

4. Mudgee – one of the most charming weekend breaks from Sydney

This is another inland option among the greatest weekend breaks from Sydney. Mudgee is about three hours northwest from Sydney, in the Cudgegong River Valley. The fertile lands here mean that Mudgee is immersed in a productive, picturesque country side, home to some of the best wineries, restaurants, and farmer’s markets in the whole New South Wales. Furthermore, just the drive from Sydney to Mudgee is stunning, making this an even more worth-wile destination for a weekend adventure.

Mudgee town

I can really recommend just walking around Mudgee. There are lots of stunning heritage buildings here, such as the post office and the town hall. Many of the town’s streets are lined with maples, which makes the town beautiful to behold during the autumn months. There are many charming cafés, restaurants, and boutique shops at Mudgee. I’d recommend stopping at Mudgee Brewing Co; you can enjoy excellent craft beer here, as well as pub style meals.

If you like markets, the Mudgee Farmers Market, every third Saturday of the month, is amazing. You’ll find lovely local produce here. As to places to stay, Perry Street Hotel, located in a a historic building, is a great option if you’d like to stay in town. Otherwise, Glenayr Farm a bit outside of Mudgee has some of the greatest glamping I’ve ever seen.

Vineyards and nature around Mudgee

There is much to enjoy also if you venture a little outside of Mudgee. The town is surrounded by tens of fantastic wineries, many of which are highly esteemed family owned businesses. You can see some of our best recommendations for wineries around Mudgee in this article. Apart from wine tasting, I can also recommend making time for nature during your visit. At Wollemi National Park, you can enjoy dramatic scenery of red stone cliffs and green forests, as well as visit glowworms or go canoeing.

Travel tip: Whilst you’re spending the weekend at Mudgee, you might enjoy a small trip to the tiny, historic village of Sofala. It is thought to be the oldest surviving gold mining town in Australia.

5. Jervis Bay & Kangaroo Valley

New South Wales has some pretty amazing beaches. Actually, the whole of Australia’s East Coast is a treasure chest for beach goers, as you can read more about in our East Coast Australia article. As far as beaches near Sydney go, Jervis Bay is one of the best ones. It takes under three hours to get here by car from Sydney.

The coastal village of Jervis Bay is known for its aquamarine waters and white sands. Being located on a southern headland of the Jervis Bay water body, the village is a fantastic base for doing all sorts of water sports. I can especially recommend dolphin watching and snorkeling in the clear waters. Because Jervis Bay is surrounded by a marine protected area, you can often spot marine life here, including dolphins, fur seals, and little penguins. But of course you can also enjoy swimming, paddle boarding, and canoeing here, as well as a range of other water-based activities.

On land, I can recommend visiting the Aboriginal-owned Booderee National Park. You can often observe kangaroos here, and the park has some beautiful, tranquil beach and forest trails for visitors to enjoy. As to dining, I can highly recommend enjoying a meal at Gunyah Paperbark Camp. They offer not only accommodation, but also the special experience of dining on an atmospheric verandah under the trees. There are also lots of other fantastic places to stay at in or around Jervis Bay.

Nature and history at Kangaroo Valley

Whilst visiting Jervis Bay, I also highly recommend taking a drive inland to visit Kangaroo Valley. The river there, Kangaroo River, flows through a region of lush rainforests and beautiful countryside. There are some marvelous walks to do here, and nature places to visit. For example, at Fitzroy Falls you can observe an 80-metre tall waterfall along with the surrounding rainforest it flows down to.

At Kangaroo Valley, I also love kayaking on the river. It allows you a special viewpoint to the rainforest as well as to the historic Hampden Bridge with its brick towers. Yet another great place to visit is Pioneer Valley Museum. They have interesting displays about the life of the early pioneers here, and some buildings are originals from one or two hundred years ago. As to refreshments, I can recommend having a drink or a meal at the rustic, historic Friendly Inn pub and hotel.

6. Blue Mountains – ancient nature and charming village life

This iconic national park is just an hour outside of Sydney, and yet it feels like you’re worlds away from the city life when visiting here. Blue Mountains is one of my favorite places in the whole world. There’s something wild and mystical about its hazy horizons, table-top mountains, and the vast, giant eucalyptus covered valley floors.

One of the reasons for the park’s name is, actually, the blue-ish, fragrant mist that at times hovers over the valley floors. It is caused by the oils released by the gum trees that sunlight then reflects off in a special way. Apart from nature’s beauty, though, the Blue Mountains also attract visitors due to the characterful villages scattered around the area, inviting people to unwind and appreciate a simpler life.

Diverse nature and hikes

A hiker as I am, for me the best thing to do at Blue Mountains is walk. You can do shorter trails or even multi-day trails at this biodiverse park. Many of the trails have in-built staircases or boardwalks built on sections of them, making them more accessible to people. Walking here is phenomenal; you can hear so many unique birds, including the mimicking master lyrebird, or see wombats, fruit bats, and frogs, among many other species. The valley floors contain clear, babbling brooks and ancient tree ferns.

However, if you just want to admire the view, you can very well do so from the various lookout points near Katoomba village. Or, you can enjoy a cable car ride that rises hundreds of metres above the valley floor and allows you to take in the views from the air. You’ll see the surrounding mountains, dense forests below, and for example the most famous landmark of the Blue Mountains, the Three Sisters rock formation.

Katoomba village

At Katoomba, you can explore little shops or enjoy food at various restaurants. For fine dining, I can recommend Tempus Katoomba with their seasonally inspired dishes. You can find the best pastries and sourdough breads at Black Cockatoo bakery. Furthermore, one of my favorite places to stock up on essentials at is the Blue Mountains Food Co-op. They have an amazing selection of organic and local products and ecological living essentials.

And as to places to stay, Echoes Hotel & Restaurant is one of the loveliest options, I find. Theirs is one of the several hotels at the Blue Mountains where you can enjoy views over the national park.

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