Traditionally, both Australian and overseas visitors haven’t strayed far from the coast when vacationing in New South Wales. With untold miles of beaches and everything from remote campsites to mega-resorts to choose from, there’s something for everything along the coast of New South Wales.
Maybe it’s a case of trying harder to get some appreciation for what they have to offer and some much needed tourist dollars, but noticeable change has been occurring: visitors to NSW are now turning their eyes westward and exploring inland New South Wales. These are a few of the inland hot spots in New South Wales.
Dubbo
Dubbo has often been dubbed as being on the wrong side of the Blue Mountains. The largest town in the Orana district, with a population of just over 30,000, in the past, agriculture and sheep were the lifeblood of Dubbo. Also these are still at the top of the list, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo has become one of the world’s most renowned zoos, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year.
What’s so special about Western Plains Zoo? Well, it’s vast, for one thing. For another it’s set up so that instead of seeing animals kept in tiny enclosures, many of them are allowed plenty of space to wander in. Seeing the giraffes, for instance, can be almost like seeing them in the wild. Take the whole family and be sure and book a Dubbo accommodation, because when you get there, you’ll want to stay at least an extra day.
Warrumbungle National Park
Situated in inland far north NSW, the Warrumbungles have traditionally been too far off the beaten track for many tourists, but as word has gotten out about this spectacular part of the country and its amazingly well maintained trails and camping facilities, it is catching on fast.
True, it doesn’t rival Byron Bay for tourist numbers, but the ‘bungles get their fair share. If you want to get away from it all in style, visit Warrumbungle National Park.
The Long Paddock
The long paddock is the name given to the Cobb Highway, which stretches from the Victorian border to the outback NSW towns of Bourke, Broken Hill and White Cliffs. If you’ve ever heard the expression, “Out the back of Bourke,” you can get an idea of how far out back the Long Paddock takes you, since the expression means, “miles from anywhere.” Always an object of fascination, the outback has also induced fear – and not without reason.
However, now that the roads and facilities have been improved, even the back of Bourke is being discovered. While Australians don’t take their summer vacations here, during the cooler months, the long paddock is becoming one of the country’s favorite touring roads.
Bathurst
Bathurst, about 100 miles west of Sydney, is Australia’s oldest inland settlement, with a history going back to 1815. First used as pastoral lands, gold was discovered in 1851 and Bathurst quickly became not only Australia’s largest inland city, but one of its wealthiest as well. More recently, Bathurst’s main tourist drawcard has been the Bathurst Mount Panorama 1000 racing event.
Although it’s been renamed a few times, this is Australia’s most famous stock car race, with Fords and Holdens going head to head for supremacy. Once visitors discover Bathurst, though, they like to return in quieter times of the year to take in the magnificent architecture and lovely country feeling of the town.
Bowral
Often called the best town in the Southern Highlands (even by non-locals), Bowral used to be overlooked by travelers along the coastal route through Kiama and other towns on the beautiful south coast of NSW. That’s not the case anymore, though, as just about everybody seems to be taking the turnoff to Bowral for a taste of the best of country NSW.
What’s so special about Bowral? It’s probably a combination of factors. It’s in a beautiful, verdant part of the state, for one thing, but so are a lot of other country towns. It has that “country feeling” city dwellers so often long to return to, but that doesn’t make it stand out from the crowd. It’s annual Tulip Time festival helps lift its profile, but Bowral’s real drawcard is its people.
An educated, artistic lot, they add a certain flair to the town that makes it particularly appealing. It’s said that Bowral has more bookshops per capita than any other city in the state and its café culture takes itself seriously, with some of the finest café style eateries you’ll find anywhere. Bowral is just a pleasure to visit. Go there and see for yourself.
Author bio : Mike enjoys the Rural Side of New South Wales. If you are planning a trip to Australia you will find travel tips and a great range of accommodation on Book it Now. With thousands of accommodation options, guest reviews and interactive maps you are sure to find the right accommodation for your trip to Australia.
