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National parks

Must do

The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains
Pro Dive at Lord Howe Island

National parks in NSW

With close to 900 national parks, forests and reserves, New South Wales has some of the most diverse nature experiences in Australia with plenty of things to see and do. Sub-tropical rainforests, pristine marine parks, outback landscapes, mountain ranges and UNESCO World Heritage-listed areas are located across the State.

Key places to go

Crystal Shower Falls, Dorrio National Park
There are many extraordinary features that make nature  experiences in New South Wales truly remarkable, from a vast and shimmering lake system, The Great Lakes, holding  more water than Sydney Harbour; the highest mountain in mainland Australia, Mount Kosciuszko part of Kosciuszko National Park to the world's oldest known ceremonial burial site in Mungo National Park.

Lord Howe Island is one of just four island groups in the world possessing World Heritage status. It is distinguished by remarkable volcanic geology, exceptional ecosystems, a rare collection of plants, birds and marine life and the world's southernmost coral reef. Dorrigo National Park in the state's north (part of Gondwana Rainforest Reserves of Australia, selected as World Heritage sites for their exceptional biodiversity or rarity) offers wondrous waterfalls. National parks around Nimbin in the State's far north, including Nightcap National Park and Mebbin National Park, enjoy high rainfall and spectacular waterfalls.

A recent addition to the National Parks stable is Capertee National Park, about 50km north of Lithgow, a popular stop for visitors heading to Country NSW. Capertee is a breeding and  feeding site for the nationally endangered regent honeyeater, a distinctive black-and-yellow bird with a sturdy, curved bill. Other great parks include Mutawintji National Park, with its ancient Aboriginal rock art and engravings, the Blue Mountains National Park, featuring the stunning Three Sisters, and Sydney's Royal National Park, Australia's oldest national park.

For more information about national parks, activities and events visit the Wild Wild World website.

Sands of Time

Although six times bigger in volume and four times bigger in area than Sydney Harbour, Jervis Bay remains a hidden treasure. Its beautiful beaches include Hyams Beach, which has the whitest sand in the world, according to Guinness World Records.

Jervis Bay beach

Loop the loop

Enjoy the tranquility of scenic loop roads, stopping for a walk through forests dappled with sunlight or an invigorating swim in a creek fed by waterfalls. Rainforest Way is a series of drives through World Heritage-listed rainforests and national parks in northern NSW.

Near Protestors Falls, Nightcap NP

Thar she blows

A day trip to Kiama’s Blowhole offers a chance to admire one of nature’s most endearing oddities. Gasp with awe as the ocean forces a fountain of spray through the rock shelf, the noise as dramatic as the tower of water.

Rough waters of the Kiama coastline

Shelf life

In the summer months, take a guided walk along the rock shelf near Ulladulla. It once formed the coast of the supercontinent Gondwana, and fossils dating back 296 million years to the Permean period can be found there.

One Track for All Walk, Ulladulla

Star performers

For an unbeatable view of the night sky, head to the Siding Spring Observatory in the Warrumbungle National Park, where clear weather, little ambient light and low humidity create the best conditions in the country for star-gazing

Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran

Scrub it

The Pilliga Scrubland west of Dubbo constitutes the largest semi-arid woodland in NSW. The landscape is as eerie as it is intriguing, with hot artesian bores and salt caves scattered throughout the ghostly, spindly forest.

pilliga-sculpture-country.jpg

Into the blue

To witness Australia’s flora at its most magnificent, head to The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mt Tomah, the premier cool-climate botanic garden in Australia with over 5,000 species from all around the world.

Mount Tomah

Solid rocks

It may be officially called Sawn Rocks but this spectacular natural feature in the Mount Kaputar National Park near Narrabri is more reminiscent of a massive set of towering cathedral organ pipes and a reminder of the park’s volcanic past.

Sawn rocks Mount Kaputar National Park.jpg
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Don't miss things to do

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