Nature & sports
Sport
Australia is a leader in the Asia Pacific for access to quality sporting and recreational facilities.
There are many excellent local and indoor sporting facilities in every town and in most areas of NSW. You'll find general sporting club information at www.sportnet.com.au and information on the range of activities available in NSW at http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating
For information on golf courses in NSW visit www.ausgolf.com.au which has course reviews, rankings, listings and information on golf resorts and tours around the State.
The most popular spectator sports in NSW include Rugby League, Australian Football (or Aussie Rules) and Rugby Union.
Information on NSW soccer clubs is at Soccer NSW. All football codes have amateur leagues and the playing season runs from February to September.
In the Australian summer, cricket and tennis are popular. For information on NSW cricket facilities and clubs go to the Cricket NSW site. The Tennis NSW site provides information on upcoming competitions and sporting news.
The most popular women's sport in Australia is netball – 1.2 million women participate in this game during the winter months. For information go to www.netball.asn.au.
NSW is a bushwalker's paradise. The Sydney Bushwalkers website suggests where to go and what to take with you.
The Snowy Mountains offer excellent skiing for three months of the year. You can find more information at the Snowy Mountains tourism site.
Watersports
Water activities of every kind are very popular in NSW and the coastal areas of NSW have some of the best swimming and surfing beaches you'll find anywhere in the world with clean, sparkling blue water. NSW's coastal waters are warm enough to swim in from September to May. For detailed information visit Coastalwatch or Surf It Australia.
There are many inland lakes and rivers for swimming, kayaking and waterskiing. Sailing is also popular and there are many yacht charter companies along the coast and on the State's waterways. The Yachting Association of NSW website has comprehensive information on clubs and organisations, sailing events and weather updates.
Travel and holidays
NSW encapsulates a wide range of holiday experiences within its borders; this is because the landscape across the State is dramatically varied. This variety of holiday experiences makes it easy to get away to somewhere interesting for a weekend.
Accommodation options are diverse enough to fit any budget – you can stay in luxurious resorts, child-friendly hotels, holiday apartments, private retreats, modest motels or just camp in the wilderness.
The most popular destinations in Sydney are:
- The Rocks
- Darling Harbour
- Bondi Beach
- Manly
- Glebe/Newtown
- Kings Cross
- Paddington
The most visited regions in NSW are:
- Blue Mountains
- Hunter Valley
- Central Coast
- Coffs Harbour
- Canberra
- Southern Highlands
The following sites show the diversity of NSW holiday destinations as well as all the attractions of Sydney.
- Visit NSW
- City of Sydney
- National Roads & Motorists' Association
- Australian Travel Guide
- The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website lists national parks by region of NSW and tells you where to find bushwalking tracks and camping facilities, and what fees, if any, need to be paid.