New South Wales (NSW)

NSW is the home state of Australia’s most well known and most populated city of Sydney. The city received international attention when it hosted the Olympic Games in 2000. The city has some of the country’s most famous landmarks such as Darling Harbour, the Opera House and the Centre Point Tower.

The only Theme Park in Sydney is Luna Park; it was first opened in 1935 and is located in Milsons Point, on the Northern Shore of Sydney Harbour. It is opened all year long and has 14 rides. It is free to enter and explore Luna Park with the option of paying for rides once you are inside. It has stunning views and at night the whole park lights up.

The Powerhouse Museum and the Sydney Observatory are both managed by the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney. The Museum is located in the inner west city of Ultimo and the Observatory is found in The Rocks.
Taronga Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world with over 340 different species of animals spread over 21 hectares. The zoo is divided into geographic regions to make it easier to navigate around. There is a cable car ride that takes you from one side of the zoo to the other.  The zoo is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour, in the suburb of Mosman. The zoo has a ferry service that allows visitors to take in the great views of the harbour while travelling to or from the zoo. Alternatively, you can also catch a public bus to the zoo.

Australia is famed for its beaches and the most famous of them all is Bondi beach. It can get very crowded during the summer season and is also the ending point of the ‘city to surf’ fun run that is held every year in August. The beach has an infamous rip current nicknamed ‘the Backpackers Express’, it is important to stay between the red and yellow flags while swimming in the water. Other popular beaches include Coogee, Manly and Palm Beach. Palm Beach is where Australia’s soap opera ‘Home and Away’ is filmed.

Around 50 kilometres west is where the Blue Mountains region is located. It is home to the famous ‘Three Sisters’ sandstone formations, the Greater Blue Mountains Area which is listed as a World Heritage Site and the Jenolan Caves, the oldest open caves, estimated to be around 340 million years old, in the world. More than 250,000 tourists visit the caves every year.