Whether you have a couple of days of during the week or have a weekend, there is so much to explore within a few hours on Sydney CBD.
In this blog, I’ll give you some ideas for 3 weekend adventures from Sydney…
#1 Blue Mountains
Around a 90 minute drive or 2 hour train journey from Sydney CBD is the Blue Mountain National Park. You’ll probably want to visit (or stay) in Katoomba which is within walking distance from some of the best views in the national park. From the train station, you can walk down to Echo Point to check out the Three Sisters rock formation. From there you can walk the track to Scenic World and Katoomba Falls.
If you do decide to stay in Katoomba, I’ve stayed at Blue Mountains YHA. It was affordable, cosy and comfortable. The atmosphere was very chilled out. The Blue Mountains were significantly colder than the city so it was nice that there was a fire in the common room of the hostel. There’s a kitchen there too if you want to cook for yourself, if not, there are plenty of restuarants and cafes around.
If you are in the Blue Mountains for a couple of days, I would recommend you do the Wentworth Falls hike. The hike from the car park to the falls is approximately 1.5km and takes about 1 hour. On the way back to the car park, we took the Undercliff Track (the full Overcliff-Undercliff loop is approx. 3.5km and takes 1-2 hours). Both hikes are grade 3. The whole of our hike, including numerous stops for photos, took around 3.5-4 hours and was around 5-6km. If you have the whole day, you can hike right to the bottom of the falls – just remember to check the weather and conditions before setting off on your hike.
#2 Port Stephens and Nelson Bay
Just a couple of hours away from Sydney, is Port Stephens and Nelson Bay. You could arrive in the afternoon/evening and spend a couple of days exploring.
Wake up for sunrise on One Mile Beach then, head to Nelson Bay and hike to the summit of Mount Tomaree. The hike is approx. 2.2km return, 161m elevation (the hike feels almost vertical) and is a grade 5 hike. The views from the summit are fantastic and well worth the breathtaking hike. Then rest on the beach for a while to recover and swim.
I recommend you visit the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. The sanctuary aims to rehabilitate and release rescued koalas and other wildlife. Any koalas that cannot be rehabilitated due to injury or illness, live their life in luxury at the sanctuary.
To finish the day, watch the sunset at Soldier’s Point. It’s a long day but it feels pretty cool to see both sunrise and sunset on the same day. If you are not too exhausted after your long day, you should go sit on One Mile Beach and admire the stars – I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars.
We stayed at Melaleuca Surfside Backpackers in Port Stephens. A very surfy place, home to however many possums, and in the middle of nowhere (but minutes from the beach). Loved it!
#3 Jervis Bay
En route to Jervis Bay, you can stop off at several places. The first stop is Royal National Park. Take a little walk around the national park to check out the waterfall. Next up is the Stanwell Tops Lookout on the Grand Pacific Drive which looks out to the famous Sea Cliff Bridge, you can then drive across the bridge.
If you have longer than a weekend or wanted to visit on multiple weekends, you could become a real Aussie and go to Surf Camp in Gerringong.
Finally you’ll arrive in Jervis Bay. Year round, you can go on a dolphin watching cruise but this would be even more special if you go during the Humpback Whale migration which occurs from May until around November. Also in Jervis Bay are the most amazing beaches with some of the whitest sand in the world. I’d recommend heading to either Hyam Beach or Greenfield Beach.
To treat yourself to a bit of luxury, why not go wine tasting at the Coolangatta Estate. We tried several different wines, my favourite was the Rose Frizzante 2019. The Estate only sell wine from their own vineyard and do not import from elsewhere.
So, there we have it, 3 fantastic weekend adventure ideas leaving from Sydney. These trips are within driving distance of the city but of course, there are plenty of options for weekend trips further afield.
Comments