From World Heritage wilderness to gem fossicking, fascinating heritage, and wonderful festivals, Glen Innes is a captivating town only 69km from Inverell. In the beautiful New England high country of NSW, this charming rural town is dotted with more than 30 heritage-listed buildings - the main street is a picture-postcard.

Known as the Glen Innes Highlands because of the early European settlers and verdant countryside reminiscent of the Scottish highlands, Glen Innes built the intriguing Australian Standing Stones as a tribute to its pioneers. The annual Australian Celtic Festival in May is a highlight of the wonderful events calendar.

You’ll discover more gems at the Minerama Fossicking, Gem and Jewellery Show in March, the largest of its kind in NSW. Other marvellous things to do include visiting the Land of Beardies History House Museum and taking a Country Art Escapes cultural tour.

Make sure you refresh with a stop at the Super Strawberry Farm, where you can enjoy delicious ice cream, milkshakes, jam and cake – all made from plump strawberries growing in an adjacent field.

The picturesque Emmaville is 56km from Glen Innes. Visit the famous Emmaville Mining Museum and browse the collection of mining artefacts and photographs that date back to 1893. Emmaville is also famous for its annual sheep races, held in March.   

This splendid part of the New England region is home to many natural wonders, including national parks in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

You’ll find plenty of places to stay in the Glen Innes area, from campgrounds and caravan parks to cottages, classic pubs and comfortable motels.

Follow the New England Highway through Guyra, Armidale and Uralla. Uralla is home to boutique wineries, enticing cafes and pubs, vineyard restaurants and an artisan brewery and distillery.  If you have time to explore a road less travelled, take the popular Thunderbolts Way, named after the bushranger, by travelling from Glen Innes to Inverell and then to Armidale.

The greater Armidale Area also offers World Heritage national parks, Australia’s second-highest waterfall, and cool-climate wineries. You can join Armidale Heritage Tours, in the township of Armidale, and discover grand cathedrals and colonial buildings. You’ll be delighted with the many things to do and see including the wonderful New England Regional Art Museum. It contains the important Howard Hinton and Chandler Coventry collections and works by famous artists Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and James Gleeson, to name just a few.

You can admire indigenous art at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place. A short drive southwest of Armidale is Saumarez Homestead, a National Trust-listed 30-room Edwardian mansion built between 1888 and 1906. There are guided tours of this fascinating home.

Armidale enjoys a vibrant events calendar of festivals, exhibitions and the bi-monthly Armidale Farmers Market. You’ll find quality restaurants and cafes, and hip bars and classic pubs such as the Welders Dog and the Wicklow Hotel.

From gold and sapphire fossicking hip bars and art galleries  to one of Australia’s last operating spinning mills, historic Nundle sits on the banks of the Peel River, and is home to colonial heritage, lovely shops, and fishing at the Arc-en-Ciel Trout Farm and Chaffey Dam.

Pop into the Nundle Visitor Information Centre for brochures and tips on the wonderful things to do and see in this lovely area. The fantastic Gil Bennet collection of rare minerals and sparkling crystals is in the centre. You can explore the colonial gold rush at the Mount Misery Gold Mine Museum and Cafe.

Gold fever struck the district in the 1850s. Many joined the gold rush, including Chinese migrants. Today, the annual Nundle Go for Gold Chinese Easter Festival celebrates their contribution to Nundle’s heritage. Check out too the other marvellous festivals and shows in the Nundle events calendar.

You can savour delicious regional produce at the Nundle Country Picnic in March in the pretty grounds of the Nundle Woollen Mill, which spins fine merino wool. You can buy colourful knits and woollen socks at the mill’s shop. You’ll find more enticing shopping at Odgers and McClelland in a beautifully preserved 19th century village store.

Places to stay include a riverside tourist park, cottages, a sheep station, motel and the 1860-built Peel Inn, a pub with a great beer garden.

Tamworth is just under an hour from Nundle. From the world-famous Tamworth Country Music Festival in January to meeting friendly native animals, enjoying rodeo thrills and tasting delicious regional produce, Tamworth is an enticing destination at any time of the year. 

Check out the country music memorabilia at the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre. The rich cultural scene extends to the Tamworth Regional Gallery. You can visit historic towns on scenic drives in the pretty countryside and enjoy bushwalking, fishing, horseriding and paragliding in the great outdoors.

The iconic Tamworth Country Music Festival is in January and attracts star performers from around the world and tens of thousands of fans to vibrant Tamworth, the heart of the region. The largest music festival in the southern hemisphere, this events has attracted over 700 artists featured in 2,800 scheduled events across 120 venues. 

The kids will be thrilled getting up close to kangaroos, wallabies and other friendly animals at the Tamworth Marsupial Park and Adventure Playground. Another fun spot for the kids is the Tamworth Regional Playground, where there are flying foxes, a skywalk, a bike track and a cooling splash pad.

With green pastures and fertile soils, the Tamworth region grows bountiful produce. Treat yourself to delectable experiences, including a fine range of restaurants. The annual 10-day Taste Tamworth Festival in April celebrates the region’s fresh produce, cool-climate wines and other delights.

You can explore more historic towns such as  Werris Creek, Gunnedah and Uralla on scenic drives in the undulating countryside.

From thrilling to delicious, Jindabyne is a perfect escape at any time of the year in the NSW Snowy Mountains.  The 62km drive west from Cooma along the historic Kosciuszko Road takes you to the edge of beautiful Lake Jindabyne, where this scenic town offers outdoor adventure, gourmet delights and vibrant nightlife, and is a great base near the snowfields in colder months.

In warmer months Lake Jindabyne is popular for water sports. The waterway is teeming with fish and is part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Australia’s greatest engineering project that creates hydro-electricity. The town was relocated before the old township was flooded in 1967 to create the lake.

You can hire all kinds of equipment in Jindabyne for your adventure holiday. There are shops selling all the essentials too, from kit to fashion. You’ll find plenty of accommodation options in and around Jindabyne, from camping and caravanning to cottages, chalets, apartments, motels and eco-resorts.

Check out the exciting events calendar for festivals and shows such as the Snowtunes Music Festival in September and the Man from Snowy River Rodeo in December. Your tastebuds are in for a treat too, with casual cafes, chic restaurants and brew pubs. Just outside town is the Wildbrumby Distillery.

A short drive southwest is Lake Crackenback Resort and Spa, which offers a day pass for activities including golf, archery, mountain biking, fishing and canoeing. There are 25km of mountain bike tracks and a pump and flow track designed by mountain bike world champion Caroline Buchanan.

Winding through the spectacular forests and mountain ranges of Kosciuszko National Park, the dramatic Kosciuszko Alpine Way links Jindabyne to Khancoban, a 112km or two hour route historically used by the aboriginal people of the area.

Alpine Way takes you to the heart of the high country. As the snow melts in spring and pristine waters flow into mountain streams, the winter wonderland changes into alpine trails for bushwalking, mountain biking and horseriding. The crystal-clear rivers are perfect for fly fishing and kayaking.

One of the many memorable experiences is to walk to Australia’s highest point - an elevation of 2,228 metres - for a stunning panorama of the beautiful Australian Alps and beyond. The quickest way is Thredbo’s Kosciuszko Express Chairlift to the Kosciuszko walk, which is 13km return or four to five hours.

Thredbo’s exciting events calendar includes delightful summer festivals, such as the Thredbo Craft Beer Festival and Thredbo Blues Festival. Treat yourself to delicious experiences as well, including vibrant bars and tasty restaurants.

76km from Thredbo, Khancoban was established to house workers on the heritage-listed Snowy Mountains Scheme. On the way you can marvel at Western Fall’s wondrous peaks or picnic at Geehi Flats or at the Old Geehi Campground. Explore the mountain ranges on various walking trails, such as Major Clews Hut.

Explore further on the picturesque Khancoban to Kiandra drive, which connects Alpine Way with Snowy Mountains Highway and the Yarrangobilly Caves, or head back to Thredbo.  There are many great accommodation options in the area to explore.

Just south of Kiama is Gerroa, a delightful seaside escape at the northern end of beautiful Seven Mile Beach. Set amongst 40 hectares of landscaped gardens and parkland, the nearby Jamberoo Action Park has awesome waterslides and attractions to thrill the kids.

In the Shoalhaven region, Jervis Bay is 79km from Kiama. A natural wonderland, Jervis Bay is a perfect seaside escape. From the crystal-blue waters and resident dolphins to splendid beaches and fun water sports, this coastal paradise will delight you with many memorable experiences.

Explore two national parks bordering the Jervis Bay Marine Park, a haven for bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, little penguins, sea dragons and migrating whales. Discover spectacular views from Point Perpendicular Lighthouse on the northern tip and from Cape St George Lighthouse on the southern side.

Booderee National Park is a place of outstanding natural beauty located in Jervis Bay. Explore and enjoy a wide range of walks, surf at Cave Beach or swim amongst the fish in the tranquil waters of Green Patch Beach.

Explore scenic detours by following one of the inspiring hinterland drives to beautiful towns, enticing shops and cafes, and rejuvenating day spas. Explore the hinterland favourites of Berry, Kangaroo Valley and Milton, near Cupitt’s Winery and Brewery.

The Shoalhaven River, which flows through Nowra, and the Kangaroo River in Kangaroo Valley are popular areas for kayaking and other adventure activities.