Helpful Travel Information - New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's most populated state and the site of the nation's first permanent European settlement. There is stacks to see and do in NSW: from cosmopolitan Sydney which boasts one of the world's most beautiful natural harbours - to the spectacular Blue Mountains, the stunning coastal route south to Melbourne, the vast Aussie Outback and the popular backpacker trail north to QLD.

With so many diverse towns and cities and stunning natural attractions, make sure you don't get stuck in Sydney for months at a time...get out and see the rest of state!

SAFARI PETE'S 'DON'T MISS' LIST

Cruise Sydney Harbour:

The best way to see Sydney is by cruising on the beautiful Sydney Harbour. There's a wide range of relatively inexpensive cruises to choose from or simply take the ferry over to Manly, seeing all of Sydney's sights along the way.

Walk in the Blue Mountains:

Walk amongst the gum trees and spectacular cliffs of the Blue Mountains National Park. The magnificent Blue Mountains begin 65 kilometres inland from Sydney.

Spend the day at one of Sydney's famous beaches

: Australia's Bondi Beach is an Aussie institution and an absolute must see. Palm Beach is one of the great northern beaches and a visit is worth its hour journey from Sydney. If you're lucky you might see some of the stars from the Aussie TV show Home and Away - or if soapie spotting isn't your thing - just kick back and have a feed of fish and chips wrapped in paper.

Catch a wave at Byron Bay:

A surfing mecca and hot spot for backpackers, 'Byron' has an amazing collection of beaches. If you've never surfed before, heaps of operators offer cheap lessons.

SAFARI PETE'S QUICK FACTS

Size:

801 457 sq km.

Telephone Area Code:

Time:

GMT plus 10 hours. New South Wales operates on Eastern Standard Time (EMT) and has Daylight Savings from October to March (clocks go forward an hour).

Population:

6 642 900

Capital City:

Sydney is the capital city of NSW with a population of about four million.

Climate:

NSW has a temperate climate. Summer in Sydney is hot and averages around 25 degrees celcius, often with high humidity. Winters are mild and range from 10 to 20 degrees. Generally the further west you go, the drier and further north the hotter!

GETTING ABOUT

Getting to New South Wales

Train/Coach: Buses arrive in Sydney from other Australian capital cities, regional centres and major tourist precincts. All the major bus lines run services into and out of Sydney Central Station, as do interstate and regional trains (The YHA is right next door!) Interstate trains can be faster than buses and you can often arrange free stopovers on economy and discounted tickets.
Plane: Domestic and international flights arrive at Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney. The cheapest way to get from the airport into the city is the yellow and green airport bus which takes you from the airport to right outside the Sydney Central YHA (next door to the central station). There's also a rail link between the airport and the city and an Airport Express bus.

Getting Around New South Wales:

There are numerous options for getting around NSW ranging from driving yourself to catching buses or trains. Regional trains run from Sydney Central Station, and will take you to cities and towns throughout NSW. CountryLink has the most comprehensive service. All the major bus lines run services around NSW (with most offering discounts for students) and there are a number of specialised bus tours running out of Sydney. McCaffertys offer a good value Aussie Pass. If you're driving, major roads from Sydney go south to Melbourne, Canberra and Wollongong, west to the Blue Mountains and north to Newcastle.