New South Wales is blessed with a combination of
history (it is Australia’s oldest state),
natural beauty (snow-capped mountains, forests and miles of spectacular coastline) and
urban glitz (Sydney). The echo of Australian settlement rings through
graceful sandstone edifices while historic pubs are sprinkled around the countryside. Large tracts of
pristine bushland are protected in a series of state and national parks that virtually surround the capital city and make for wonderful exploration.
The coastline delivers miles of
white sandy beaches and pounding surf.
Sydney is one of the few Australian cities to have a bounty of quality beaches on its doorstep, including the world-famous
Bondi Beach. Sydney itself is the dynamic hub of the southern hemisphere, and one of the most stunning cities in the world. It’s full of iconic symbols such as
Sydney Harbour and its remarkable
Opera House, whose architecture looks like sails full of wind, celebrating the city’s nautical connections and also emphasising the sense of energy that permeates this city.
It is unlikely that Captain Cook could have foreseen Sydney’s rapid ascent into a world-premier city when he first docked at what is now Sydney Harbour in 1770, claiming the state for the British and proclaiming it New South Wales.
GeographyThe landscape ranges from the subtropical north to the Snowy Mountains in the south, which contain Australia’s highest point, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m/7,310ft). There are over 1,300km (800 miles) of coastline with golden beaches and picturesque waterways and rivers, including the Murray River.
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