World Country Guide

Sport & Activities

Watersports
The coastline of New South Wales, stretching for over 2000km (1250 miles) to the north and south of Sydney, has excellent conditions for all kinds of watersports including surfing, windsurfing, sea kayaking and scuba-diving. In the Sydney area, the surf beaches of Bronte and Coogee to the south and Collaroy and Palm Beach to the north are particularly popular. Byron Bay, 800km (496 miles) north of Sydney, has outstanding surf conditions. Sydney Harbour has facilities for all kinds of maritime sports and there is an annual yacht race from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania, starting on 26 December each year, covering over 2000km (1250 miles). The best beaches within easy reach of Sydney are at Bondi and Manly. Along the coast on the Pacific Highway, Port Stephens, some 200km (125 miles) north of Sydney, offers safe swimming beaches and a range of water-based activities. Further north still, the Great Lakes district and its most popular resort, Port Macquarie, is particularly well known for fishing, windsurfing and houseboat holidays (exploring the Great Lakes). A further 250km (150 miles) along the coastline is Coffs Harbour, a tropical resort town, famous for its fishing, sailing and swimming facilities, and adventure sports like sky-diving and scuba-diving. Kayaking and whitewater rafting enthusiasts may head to the Gwydir and Nymbodia rivers in the north west region or the streams of the Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains (see below). Numerous companies offer scuba-diving or snorkelling trips on purpose-built boats to a choice of destinations along the New South Wales coast and as far as the famous Great Barrier Reef in the neighbouring State of Queensland. Good dive sites can be found at Jervis Bay, Byron Bay, Lord Howe Islands and Coffs Harbour. Specialist charters also provide whale- and dolphin-watching trips as well as great white shark encounters and reef education tours. The best time to see dolphins and whales is from May to December. Port Stephens is known for the bottlenose dolpins which live and play in the bay all year round. Most dolphin cruises depart from the region’s largest township, Nelson Bay. Migrating whales can be spotted from Cape Byron between May and October.

Mountain sports
South of Sydney are the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, home to Australia’s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko (2230m/7314ft). The Snowy Mountains, 526km (329 miles) south-west of Sydney, are a major destination for skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. The season generally runs from June to October. In the summer, activities such as mountain biking, riding, fishing and canoeing are available. About 104km (65 miles) west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains consist of a landscape of forests, valleys, canyons, waterfalls and cliffs. Popular activities in this region include abseiling, scenic flights, canyoning, climbing as well as bushwalking, with many hidden trails for walkers to explore.

Urban climbing
It is possible to climb the Harbour Bridge in Sydney via a network of archways, catwalks and ladders. The resulting view of the harbour is spectacular. The whole climb takes around 3 hours and is open to those aged over 12. Climbs require special clothing and are in guided groups of 10 climbers. Further information is available from Bridgeclimb (website: www.bridgeclimb.com) or the tourist board (see Contact Addresses section).

Golf
The state has many international standard courses, including two of Australia’s best-known golf courses – Riverside Oaks and The Lakes – are located in New South Wales. Tour operators can organise golfing trips to the province’s best courses. For further information, contact Tourism New South Wales (see Contact Addresses section).