If you want to see the NSW country at its best, travel when it’s framed by the colours and cool air of autumn. Set your base at a holiday park – whether it’s flash and decked out with activities, or just a base for your tent or caravan – and explore challenging alpine peaks, river scenery dotted with colonial memories and towns with as much character in their history as their people.
Snow makes the name and the region’s reputation but the Snowy Mountains delivers diverse experiences in the snow, grass and water. Stay at the base of the mountains with Discovery Parks Jindabyne, the peaceful centre of a wide spider web-like network of activities. Sitting on the edge of Lake Jindabyne (not a bad spot to luxuriate in the park’s spa and sauna), and just outside town, the park gives you have access to scenic hikes, bike tracks, fly fishing adventures, and the bracing cold brews of Wildbrumby Distillery and Jindabyne Brewing. And just 25 minutes away are the sights and thrills of Mount Kosciusko where Illawong Walk and Mount Kosciuszko Summit walk are some of the best alpine hikes in the country.
At the opposite end of the region is Talbingo Tourist Park, where your holiday home rests beside a peaceful river teeming with fish. Enjoy a little-known stretch of snowy beauty without the crowds, unless you visit on a Monday night for the park’s wholesome pizza night. Just an hour further into the bush from there, find out what it was like for early pioneers and musterers with an Australian Saddle Safaris journey, which welcomes all experience levels.
A holiday in The Murray region can be as tranquil or charged as the famous river’s waters. Bindaree Holiday Park lies on a peaceful stretch of the river and invites you to picnic, swim (in the river or at the pool back at camp) and hunt for some of the biggest freshwater crayfish in the world. In town, find out why Corowa was fundamental in the founding of Australia or stay in the present with a pair of crab tacos and a flight of whisky. For a thrilling pace, 30 minutes down the road there’s water sport and fishing hub Lake Mulwala (the historic P.S Cumberoona paddleboat ensures a calm tour of the lake).
If serenity drives your calendar planning, the Moama Riverside Holiday Park is located on the edge of the river, with only red gums between park’s cabins and the water. Watch the heritage paddleboats glide by (the twin towns of Echuca and Moama once hosted one of the busiest river ports in the country), see the colours of the native birdlife and head over to the city centre to find a small town with a little-known 180-year history. There’s also a famed, third-generation winery just over the bridge. If you’re less into serenity and more into action, the two-day Edward River canoe and kayak trail is nearby, as is the mountain thrills (suiting beginner to veteran levels) of the Moama Five Mile Mountain Bike Trail.
You’ve probably heard of the zoo, one of the best in the country, but what many don’t know about Dubbo is the natural riches and stories of the region: tales of prison breaks, the cosmos and rural heroics. Set your camp up at Wellington Riverside Caravan Park, a picturesque, riverside park (a dream for RV-owners) just 10 minutes’ drive from the famous cave network by the same name, or Gulgong Tourist Park, a stylish and shady stay on the edge of a historic town lined with heritage-listed gold rush era architecture.
From your new basecamp, it’s just a quick trip to Dubbo, a rural hub brimming with energy and character. Where else can you get a combination of these things: a view of the cosmos (courtesy of the Dubbo Observatory), a theatrical telling of an eerie and cruel part of history (thanks to the Old Dubbo Gaol) and a look into one of the most beloved and heroic country services (at the Royal Flying Doctor Service Experience). And then it’s a two-hour road trip to an astounding patch of nature, Warrumbungle National Park. When we say astounding, we mean rock formations that look like battle-damaged castles and the spines of colossal monsters, hikes through prehistoric-looking landscapes and a night sky so renowned for its clarity it’s internationally recognised.
Imagine an area with an old-fashioned feel, where wool and beef run the show, country music reigns and every year people gather to see brilliant crimson and yellow as autumn paints the towns. On top of this, New England produces fine wine, cool climates, dramatic scenery and surprising holidays. Reflections Wilderlux at Lake Keepit is where to stay if you appreciate the more luxurious of those offerings. Less family adventure and more lakeside retreat (see the age limit), it offers a boutique but energetic array of experiences – take an ebike or mountain bike during the day (they can pack a picnic for you), learn farmhouse cheese-making and let virtual Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters tell you a story under the night sky.
Your other option is Fossickers’ Tourist Park in the quaint town of Nundle. Any cabin, caravan or campsite is a close walk to the calm waters of the Peel River and between swimming hole discovery, you can hit the tennis court or fire up your next meal on the barbecue. A short drive up north takes you to an afternoon hangout spot you’d only find in the country – Dungowan Brewery, a restaurant and stylish brewery set in the middle of a working cattle station. Before you order head over for your first drink, visit the tiny, 300-resident town’s rare attraction, a working wool mill. Just over two decades old, the relatively new operation relies on recovered and restored equipment from dormant mills. Don’t just go there to watch; take some wool home to make your own project.
Tamworth, the region’s capital, is located between the two parks. It’s famed for hosting one of the world’s biggest country music festivals. If you’re not there during the January festival, its spirit of lives on at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame and at the 12m tall tribute to the country’s great country musicians, The Big Golden Guitar (one of NSW’s many big attractions).
