The best time to see wildflowers in NSW is generally spring, with many species flowering from August to November. However, flowering times vary significantly by region, altitude and seasonal conditions, with some wildflowers blooming earlier or continuing into summer.

You can see spectacular wildflowers within a 90-minute drive of Sydney CBD at Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, Royal National Park, Muogamarra Nature Reserve, Bouddi National Park and Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area.

The best national parks for wildflowers in NSW include:

• Royal National Park
• Bouddi National Park
• Blue Mountains National Park
• Booderee National Park
• Morton National Park
• Myall Lakes National Park
• Barrington Tops National Park
• Crowdy Bay National Park
•  Kosciuszko National Park
• Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Most national parks and reserves offer self-guided wildflower routes, some of the best include:

• East Rim and Wildflower walking tracks at Morton National Park
• Metcalfes Walking Track at Crowdy Bay National Park
• Flannel Flower Walking Track at Bouddi National Park
• Warrego Floodplain walking track at Toorale National Park
• Lockleys Pylon walking track at Blue Mountains National Park
• Polblue Swamp track at Barrington Top National Park

There are several guided wildflower walks in NSW including Elixir Journeys' Bouddi Wildflower Walk. You can also book a guided ranger-led tour at Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden and Muogamarra Nature Reserve offers guided wildflower tours when it opens for six weeks in August, though it can sell out quickly.

Canola's are typically in season from August to October; however peak season varies by rainfall and region with September often being the best month to see them. The Riverina region can differ slightly in time from the Hilltops so be sure to check local tourism information before travelling.

The best places in New South Wales to see canola fields include:

• Cowra: a charming town with wartime history.
• Young: a gold rush town famous for its fruit.
• Harden-Murrumburrah: full of historic landmarks and surrounded by the vineyards of the Hilltops wine region.
• Temora: home to one of the finest collections of flying vintage warplanes in the world and fields of canola.
• Ariah Park: a heritage-listed village that was the first place in rural Australia to load wheat for rail travel.
• Ardlethan: best known as the “home of the Kelpie dog”.
• Coolamon: found in the Riverina region and full of country charm.
• Junee: a pretty country town with heritage streetscapes and a railway museum.
• Wagga Wagga: the largest inland city in NSW, it sits on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River in the heart of the Riverina.
• Jugiong: this riverside village is a gateway to the Hilltops Region.

The Canola Trail is best explored over several days as it takes more than four hours to reach Cowra by car and there are large distances between towns in the Riverina. If you want to see multiple fields, explore the Riverina and Hilltops wine region and stop in at all the small towns in our guide, then you'll need more than one day.

Yes, there are several tours that offer a closer look at the canola trail and allow visitors to wander through the fields and take pictures. If you want an up-close look at the canola fields beyond a self-drive trail, book a two-hour guided canola tour in Cowra with Eucalypt Tours. You can also see fields of yellow from sky high on a hot air balloon flight with Goldrush Ballooning, or on a scenic flight.