Greater Sydney Guides Attractions Events in New South Wales

This historic town named after the village of Appin in Scotland, dates back to 1811 and was the fifth village in the colony. In 1824, explorers, Hume and Hovell commenced their expedition to Port Phillip from this district and a monument stands on the road from Campbelltown commemorating the commencement of that journey.

The rugged beauty of Wollondilly is a feature of the drive between Appin and Douglas Park, through Broughtons Pass and crossing the Cataract River. Two coal mines, which also operate an innovative, methane powered, electricity generating system, have been an important factor in the town's growth.

Balmain is one of Sydney’s oldest working-class suburbs, and the place where most of Sydney’s ferries were built.

Balmain is now a colourful and artistic suburb, home to some of Australia’s best-known writers, actors, film directors, musicians and artists. Stylish cafés, bistros, pubs and restaurants burst with creative energy. Its pulsating nightlife is a magnet for a cosmopolitan crowd.

Browse up and down Darling Street for your fill of retail therapy – galleries, bookshops, flowers, homewares, delis, children’s wear and toy shops.

Explore back streets and spot the different architectural styles typical of the 1800s and early 1900s, from wrought-iron and sandstone to timber workers’ cottages.

Party on at one of the many great hotels, such as the Unity Hall, Cat and Fiddle and Royal Oak – DJs, jazz, bands and live theatre.

In Bargo, settlers first recorded sightings of the koala, lyrebird and wombat. Ex-convict, John Wilson, noted the tree animals in his diary describing the lyrebird as a pheasant, hence the name Pheasants Nest, and recorded the koala as being known to the Aboriginal people as Cullawine.

The area boasts two sanctuaries. Wirrimbirra Sanctuary is preserved as a remnant of the original Bargo Brush. The property includes excellent bushwalking tracks, commercial native plant nursery, wildlife enclosures and cabin accommodation. The unique Dingo Sanctuary is located in a natural setting for Australia's native dog and is a great learning experience.

Berowra Waters is located approximately 30 kilometres north of Sydney in the Shire of Hornsby.

The original inhabitants of the Berowra Waters area were the Darug people. The Darug were the custodians of the majority of what is now the Greater Sydney region. They were divided into a number of different 'clans', whose quick demise upon European settlement has sadly resulted in very little information remaining on how they utilised the local area.

Berowra Waters was originally known by European settlers as Berowra Creek. The area was first used by settlers for felling timber, which pushed settlement into the upper reaches of the creek. In 1902 a punt was built to transport goods across the creek from the Dural ‘food-bowl’, ready for transport via railway to Sydney. During the Second World War the Berowra Waters Road was rigged with explosives so as it could be destroyed in the event of invasion.

The atmosphere of Berowra Waters hasn’t changed dramatically since it original settlement, and now represents a tranquil escape from the city. The marina is a base for a plethora of pleasure craft and several cruise boats depart from here. Many restaurants overlook the water in the shadows of the giant bush covered mountains. A seaplane service from Sydney City also lands here

Berowra Waters Ferry operates 24 hours 7 days a week.

Towns surrounding Berowra Waters include: Berowra, Berrilee and Cowan.

Inhabited by backpackers, billionaires, board riders and the body beautiful, Bondi is one of Sydney’s most eclectic and exciting precincts. A walk along its promenade gives you the chance to experience its carefree sun-drenched lifestyle.

The main thoroughfare of Campbell Parade has surf wear shops, takeaway food outlets, souvenirs, cafés, restaurants, bars and fish and chip shops. Hall Street has cool fashion and designer labels while Curlewis Street has numerous art galleries. To discover other stunning beaches nearby, take the trail to Tamarama (also known as Glamarama), Bronte and Coogee via a scenic boardwalk.

Inhabited by backpackers, billionaires, board riders and the body beautiful, Bondi is one of Sydney's most eclectic and exciting precincts. A walk along its promenade gives you the chance to experience its carefree sun-drenched lifestyle. The main thoroughfare of Campbell Parade offers a wealth of surf shops, takeaway outlets, souvenir sellers, cafés, restaurants, bars and fish and chip shops. To discover some of Sydney's other stunning beaches, follow the boardwalk to Tamarama (also known as Glamarama), Bronte and Coogee.

Experience Bundeena - untouched beaches, forests, cultural and historical walks, a thriving art scene and unforgettable dive sites. Bundeena is a unique weekend getaway located only 55 kilometres south of the Sydney Central Business District.

Get there by car or drive to Cronulla and catch the ferry.

Must-dos in Bundeena:
• On the first Sunday of each month experience the Bundeena Art Trail where you can purchase works from some 27 local artists. The artists include the Australian-Chinese painter Jiawei Shen who was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to paint Crown Princess Mary.
• Take a guided tour with Bundeena Sea Kayaks. The two and a half hour tours are available for all levels of kayaking ability.
• Dine with the locals at Café Manna or Passionfruit Café; or enjoy a picnic at one of the most picturesque spots in Sydney, the Bonnie Vale picnic ground.

Buxton, one of the pleasant village communities of the Wollondilly region of New South Wales, is named after a town in Derbyshire, England. Buxton is a regular destination for the popular steam train rides that are offered by the Rail Heritage Centre at Thirlmere.

Buxton is above sea level 380 metres.

A day trip to South East Asia

With Vietnamese soup shops, Chinese grocery stores and Thai herb shops, Cabramatta gives you a unique slice of South East Asian life. It is an excellent place to learn about the exotic fruits, vegetables, meat and the special ingredients used in authentic Asian cooking as there are over a dozen types of South East Asian cuisine represented amongst the area's food shops. Cabramatta's restaurants are equally diverse.

The focal point for Cabramatta is Freedom Plaza where local families congregate, women sell herbs and old men play cards. The Plaza contains a myriad of specialty shops, soup stands and take-away food stalls.

Campbelltown, steeped in history, is a city set in a rural background. Experience the heritage through one of the many Heritage and Cultural guided group tours. Campbelltown's premier festival is the Fisher's Ghost Festival, held throughout the first two weeks in November, it includes entertainment, a street parade, fun run, art show, carnival, street fair and fireworks.

At Campbelltown, you can get close to nature, see a koala and native flora and fauna while bushwalking along the Georges River Gorge. While in the area visit The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The cultural precinct of Campbelltown includes the Campbelltown Arts Centre, Japanese Gardens, Sculptor Gardens, The CUBE Entertainment Centre and Campbelltown Visitor Information Centre.

Collect your free brochures on Campbelltown from the award winning Campbelltown Visitor Information Centre. Available are brochures on weekend markets, accommodation, attractions, activities and events.

Castle Hill is located approximately 30 kilometres north west of Sydney in the Shire of Baulkham Hills.

Castle Hill is a vibrant hub for Sydney's north west. It offers visitors a selection of attractions including the annual Castle Hill Show and Orange Blossom Festival along with a huge variety of restaurants, diverse shopping opportunities, accommodation and leisure activities including; movies, ice skating, tenpin bowling, rock climbing and major sporting facilities.

Circular Quay is part of The Rocks precinct - the historic site of Sydney’s first European settlement. Bursting with a colourful history dating back to convict days, The Rocks is a maze of sandstone lanes, cul-de-sacs and courtyards, jam-packed with shops, warehouses and terraces that were built in the early 19th century.

While The Rocks was once home to Sydney’s dockworkers and stevedores, it’s now a magnet for international visitors, who flock to its many shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants.

The heart of Sydney, the central business district, is home to major shopping centres, hotels and entertainment venues, and many important financial and business institutions.

Much of Sydney’s commercial history is reflected in the buildings – from imposing banks and historic structures, such as Victorian shopping arcades and the old GPO in Martin Place, to ultra modern high-rises. Some of Sydney’s oldest structures are here, such as the 1819 Hyde Park Barracks and 1822 St James Church.

Indeed, the City Centre is a fascinating place to live, work, shop and visit.

Coogee beach's bay-like tranquillity is popular with families, couples and travellers alike. Coogee is characterised by a refusal to take itself too seriously.

Go on an invigorating coastal walk along sandstone platforms, checking out Maroubra Beach in the south and Clovelly, Bronte and Bondi Beach in the north. If you fancy conquering the waves a surf school operates from Maroubra Beach. Or swim in the protected marine reserve of Gordons Bay, just north of Coogee Beach, a haven for snorkelling and scuba diving. Coogee Bay Road boasts smart restaurants alongside hip cafes and fish and chip shops.

Away from the beach, try your luck at nearby Royal Randwick Racecourse on a race day. Or watch up and coming stars at a public performance at NIDA, the National Institute of Dramatic Art where many of Australia's fine film actors have studied.

One can only speculate on the origin of Couridjah's Aboriginal name meaning "Home of the white ants". Located on the old Loop Line railway, it's hard to believe that this sleepy little hamlet once served as the major railhead for local produce from as far as Bargo. The little railway station is famous for its appearance in television advertising and film.

Cronulla is the only Sydney beach served by a direct railway link from Central Station - the train takes about 45 minutes and practically plonks you on the water's edge.

A 200 metre walk the other side of Cronulla railway line leads to the quiet inlet of Gunnamatta Bay and from here, a ferry takes you across the Port Hacking River to Bundeena and the Royal National Park.

The Esplanade walk starts at South Cronulla beach and loops the Cronulla Peninsula. Darook Park is favoured by families seeking a sheltered swim. The Bass and Flinders memorial on the southern tip of the Cronulla Peninsula has views over Port Hacking River to the Royal National Park.

Accommodation can be found in Cronulla and surrounding areas and ranges from restful Bed and Breakfasts to hotels and serviced apartments.

Alive with activity day and night Darling Harbour is hugely popular with visitors to Sydney. It has developed into one of the city's largest dining, shopping and entertainment precincts.

King Street Wharf is five minutes walk from the city centre and presents a broad range of casual dining and entertainment options.

Cockle Bay Wharf, on the eastern side of Darling Harbour, offers three levels of terraces, waterfront promenades, al fresco cafes and five star restaurants.

Across the water lies Harbourside Shopping Centre, offering a fresh and dynamic mix of shops, restaurants and food outlets with stunning views of the city skyline.

Darling Harbour is home to Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National Maritime Museum, the IMAX theatre, the Outback Centre, the Chinese Garden of Friendship and nearby Powerhouse Museum. Darling Harbour can be navigated by foot or above ground on the famous monorail.

Just east of the city centre, Darlinghurst starts near Hyde Park at Oxford Street and extends towards Kings Cross at William Street. Darlinghurst and Paddington, two suburbs with contrasting personalities, share different ends of Oxford Street with the Darlinghurst section (roughly up to Taylor Square) coming alive at the glitzy annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. By day alternative fashion, homewares and music stores attract a crowd. Yet night time is when Darlinghurst comes into its own with theatres, gay-friendly bars, live music, clubs and other late night entertainment available all week.

Darlo, as it is known by locals, has a number of popular breakfast and late night dining spots. The area's cafes have huge people-watching potential, in particular in Victoria Street where casual dining options abound.

This harbourside precinct with its cosmopolitan café society is home to a number of designer boutiques, making it perfect for those with a penchant for upmarket fashions. It has the benefit of a down to earth side too - the Wheatsheaf pub hosts live bands and attract young crowds to its courtyard.

To the east is Rose Bay, where you can fly via seaplane over Sydney Harbour to the Northern Beaches. Or watch the seaplanes taking off and landing from Rose Bay's Steyne Park next to the ferry wharf, a great spot for a picnic. In between Double Bay and Rose Bay is Redleaf Pool where you can join locals for a dip in the harbour. Double Bay is easy to get to by bus and train or car. Or go via ferry from Circular Quay and sail past some of Sydney Harbour's most exclusive suburbs on your way.

The village of Douglas Park is a fine example of what living in Wollondilly is all about: So close to the city yet far enough away to retain a rural atmosphere. The town is named after Dr HG Douglass, an eminent man in his time, serving as clerk of the Legislative Council and later as an elected member. The rugged beauty of the district is a feature of the drive between Douglas Park and Appin. The drive will take you over the Nepean River causeway, a popular local swimming and canoeing spot.

From Wilberforce, turn right from the Singleton Road and visit Australia's oldest church at Ebenezer - established in 1809. If you continue further down the road, you can taste some of the local wine at the Tizzana Winery - a touch of Tuscany on the banks of the Hawkesbury River.

Replenish your soul with alternative food and therapies.

Glebe is a popular residential area renowned for its New Age vibe. It's architecturally interesting with its charming mix of workers' cottages and grand 19th century abodes inhabited by a colourful mix of residents including artists, old time locals and students of Sydney University.

The area is renowned for its array of alternative therapy outlets and quality bookshops and has a good selection of restaurants and cafes. Whilst there is an admirable range of upmarket dining options, the wholesome menus of the cheerful cafés more accurately reflect the essence of the Glebe experience. The Saturday market provides an outlet for local craftspeople to sell their work as well as a mix of bric a brac, clothes and New Age essentials.

Goat Island, west of the Harbour Bridge, was once the fledgling colony's gunpowder store and the source of the sandstone used in some of Sydney's finest buildings. This 13 hectare island was also the headquarters for the Sydney Water Police who kept an eye out for smugglers and escaped convicts.

Quarried by convict labour, the stone was also used in the island's own structures, including the superb magazine with walls so thick the temperature inside remains steady, whatever the season. Grisly relics of Goat Island's convict origins remain, including a seat carved out of stone by Charles Anderson, who was sentenced to be tied to the rock for two years. Scratching’s made in the guardhouse by bored sentries are also in excellent conditions.

The Hawkesbury Gateway boasts the natural beauty of the Hills and the Hawkesbury River. Antique and craft shops nestle amongst boutique galleries where you can chat with the artist at work in the historically rich hamlets of Galston and Dural.

Please your green thumbs further in The Hills district, which is considered to be the Bonsai capital of Australia. And while its the site of the country's first rebellion in 1804, nowadays it is a cosmopolitan centre with a smorgasbord of quality restaurants and cafes to be enjoyed.

The Hawkesbury River meanders through Brooklyn where you can tour an oyster farm, to picturesque Wiseman's Ferry where you can try water-skiing. Spend days exploring the Hawkesbury Gateway from your own luxury houseboat or hide-away in a bed and breakfast and you're sure to return home with your energies replenished.

Capturing the colour and excitement of Asian streetlife, Chinatown and Haymarket offer an exciting mix of restaurants, food halls, noodle bars and quirky gift shops. Bargain-shops and Asian supermarkets also bring many visitors to the area, especially on weekends.

Haymarket has become a late-night entertainment precinct, with bars, theatres and cinemas pulsating into the night. The lively Spanish Quarter, an 80 metre stretch of pizzaz, is close by.

Also known as Kurrajong Village, this quaint town is located in the Hawkesbury Highlands just off Bells Line of Road.

Here you will find the perfect spot for a day's drive or a special weekend away. Discover antiques at Village Emporium. An assortment of unique cafes to suit different tastes such as Sassafras Creek Cafe, Kurrajong Kurries and Wrapt Cafe & Gifts. Enjoy the boutique shopping at Carey & Co or relax at Blissful Hair & Beauty. You can also stay the night and enjoy you're own private peace of Kurrajong Village at Alexanders B&B.

"To those who would soothe their shattered nerves, revive their jaded spirits, regain their vibrant health and vigorous appetite, to all who would seek the tonic of pure air and the exhilaration of beautiful scenery, the call of Kurrajong is simply irresistible." W.S. Arnold, Superintendant of Soldier Settlement Scheme.

La Perouse is an historical haven that blends Aboriginal, French and Colonial traditions. Named after the navigator Jean-Francois de Galaup de La Perouse, the first Frenchman to arrive in Australia in 1788, this treasure is resplendent with beaches, bays and bushland. La Perouse’s museum contains original maps, antique scientific instruments and intriguing relics recovered from the wrecks of La Perouse’s frigates Boussole and Astrolabe. The museum is also the starting point of a walking trail ending at Endeavour Lighthouse where you’re rewarded with spectacular views across the bay to the site of Captain Cook’s landing place.

Worth exploring and accessible via a bridge from La Perouse is the tiny Bare Island, the site of a fort completed in 1885 to strengthen Sydney’s coastal defence. On weekends there are Aboriginal artefacts, all of which are for sale, on display at the park.

Lake Parramatta Reserve is a 60 hectare bushland and parkland reserve located within two kilometres of the Parramatta Central Business District. It is the largest bushland remnant surviving in the Parramatta Local Government Area. It is also recognised as one of the most significant and beautiful bushland remnants in Western Sydney.

The orchards of Lakesland grow a wide range of stone fruit, including persimmons, a popular export product to Asia. The district is most famous for producing the first cherries to reach the Sydney markets each year. The property, known today as Mowbray Park, was purchased in 1876 by William Barker who successfully claimed the title Baron Mowbray.

If you are a lover of good pasta, coffee and gelato you can't go past Leichhardt, a suburb infused by years of strong Italian influence. Leichhardt's main road is Norton Street, which offers traditional Italian shops, cafes and restaurants. The best olive oils, balsamic vinegars, olives, salamis, cheeses and breads can be found at Norton Street Grocer and is a must for those in search of authentic Italian fare.

Leichhardt's streets are filled with an infectious energy, never more so than whenever the Italian soccer team are playing. The centre of Leichhardt's focus is on the Italian Forum - a huge plaza surrounded by a plethora of shops selling everything from designer labels to Italian homewares and fresh pasta. Descend the Forum's own version of Rome's Spanish Steps, a popular meeting place, and browse the menus of the outdoor cafes and restaurants most of which stay open late.

Bundeena and Maianbar are two unique idyllic villages on the southern shores of the beautiful Port Hacking.

The village of Maianbar is separated from Bundeena by a few kilometres of the Royal National Park. It can be reached by a walking trail though Bonnie Vale or by road. Maianbar is a truly unique area.

Holiday and overnight accommodation is limited in both Bundeena and Maianbar. There are no hotels or motels. There is camping at Bonnie Vale, there are cabins and camping at the Bundeena Caravan Park in Scarborough Street and a number of bed and breakfast rooms.

Maldon is a scenic area with the main southern railway winding its way to Picton and beyond and is also home to the Maldon Cement Works which creates a fairy land of lights at night. Maldon is an area for the adventurous, with the kart track, and is also home to the annual motorcross "Thumper Nats".

A visit to Manly by ferry provides you with the quintessential Sydney experience. The thirty-minute cruise across Sydney Harbour puts you in a relaxed mood to enjoy this easy-going and cosmopolitan suburb. With the famous surf beach on the Pacific Ocean side and a serene inner harbour beach on the other, Manly has the best of both waterfront worlds and is a popular place to swim, windsurf, parasail, snorkel, kayak, surf and scuba dive. The palm-tree lined Corso leads you onto the promenade, where you can bike ride or roller-blade along the front or relax and enjoy the sea breeze in one of the many cafes and restaurants.

Manly's Sydney Harbour National Park makes for ideal bushwalking with numerous routes linking the beaches with the national park. As well as inviting you to enjoy its natural wonders Manly also offers a tempting year-round calendar of diverse and appealing events.

The village of Menangle grew to service the operations of Camden Park Estate. The opening of the railway in 1863 enabled overnight milk deliveries to the Sydney Market, beating the summer heat in the days before refrigeration. Call into The Store which was built about 1904 and is still a country store selling everything from antiques to groceries and saddlery to ice creams. The railway bridge over the Nepean River is the oldest in use today.

Green oasis of Sydney's entertainment capitol.

Home to Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney Football Stadium (SFS), Entertainment Quarter and Centennial Parklands, Moore Park offers its visitors recreation options galore. Cricket legends are born at the SCG, which doubles as a venue for Australian Football. Neighbouring SFS is a rugby fan's heaven, and hosts major league and union games.

Great entertainment, shopping and dining is on offer at the Entertainment Quarter. Enjoy late night shopping at the huge range of outlets on Bent Street, grab a casual bite then catch a movie at a state-of-the-art cinema. The spacious surrounds of the whole of Moore Park provide visitors with a welcome respite from the bustle of the neighbouring Central Business District.

Positioned on the harbour and blessed with several pocket-sized harbour beaches, Mosman is one of Sydney’s most sophisticated shopping areas. You will find designer boutiques, antiques shops and hip cafés strung out along Military Road, as well as the renowned Taronga Zoo. For nature lovers, Mosman offers spectacular bushwalks through Bradley and Middle Heads, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park.

On Mosman’s eastern side is Balmoral Beach, with its winding promenade walk, where locals keep in touch while exercising themselves, their children and their dogs. There’s a strip of cafés and restaurants, enclosed harbour baths and wonderful picnic spots.

Nattai is a small village on the way to Burragorang Lookout and is featured in the Scenic Drives of Wollondilly brochure. Nattai is a romantic landscape of massive sandstone escarpments, such as Grant Head and Golden Moon Bluff. Yet in spite of the towering cliffs, the Nattai is one of the most accessible wilderness areas in New South Wales. Its recreation value is greatly enhanced by its accessibility and proximity to Sydney.

Oakdale is both a fruit growing and coal mining town. The service station and general store between Oakdale and Belimbla Park features an unusual dome roof.

The Burragorang Driving Tour Brochure highlights historic buildings and drives through Nattai, Oakdale, The Oaks, Belimbla Park and surrounds. The brochure is free and available from the Wollondilly Visitor Information Centre.

Orchard Hills, New South Wales, is located in the centre of the City of Penrith. Sydney Water's supply pipeline is its southern boundary line, while the suburbs of St Clair and Erskine Park border the suburb to the east. Kingswood and Claremont Meadows are northern neighbours and Glenmore Park, South Penrith and the rural areas of Wallacia and Mulgoa comprise the western boundary.

Orchard Hills has a predominately rural character with undulating hills and scenic vistas. Its landscape is mainly overlaid with orchards and grapevines with some housing development in recent years. This suburb epitomises the City of Penrith's vision of a region with a harmony of urban and rural qualities.

Known for its attractive Victorian terraces with cast-iron lace detailing, Paddington is regarded by many as the place to spot the latest trends in fashion, cuisine and design.

Bustling Oxford Street is lined with fashion and shoe salons, as well as homeware stores, cafés and restaurants. Just up the road in upmarket Woollahra is Queen Street, famous for its array of antique shops, art galleries and jewellery shops.

Palm Beach has become recognisable around the world as Summer Bay from the Australian television soap Home and Away.

Most of the beach area, apart from the small protected areas at either end, it is permanently exposed to the elements. Barrenjoey Head looms over North Palm Beach, which is unpatrolled at its furthest tip. This section of the beach is usually where you find the surfers, joggers and hikers on the Barrenjoey Lighthouse bushwalk.

The North Palm surf club, is where you will find a kiosk, car park and other facilities are located at roughly in the middle of the beach.

The southern end of Palm Beach is a more protected environment for swimming than the waves further north. Also there is a 35-metre ocean pool which sits on the rocks at the end of the beach.

Shortly after the arrival of the British First Fleet in 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip established Parramatta as a market town to supply fresh produce to the new settlement at Sydney Cove. Parramatta then outshone Sydney as a cultural and social centre for a time.

As a result Parramatta has some excellent examples of early colonial architecture including Old Government House, Elizabeth Farm, St John's Cathedral, the Lancer Barracks and the Linden House Museum. Today's Parramatta is a modern city with a range of cafes and restaurants exploring cuisines from around the globe, large shopping centres, cinemas, theatre and the Rosehill Racecourse.

Parramatta is easily accessed via a Rivercat ferry ride up the western arm of Sydney Harbour. Stroll along the Harris Park Heritage Walk that links the Rivercat with historic properties in East Parramatta. The Riverside walk features Aboriginal artwork inviting you to explore the story of the Parramatta River.

In this district the white settlers first recorded sightings of the koala, lyrebird and wombat. Ex convict, John Wilson, noted the three animals in his diary describing the lyrebird as a pheasant, hence the name Pheasants Nest, and recorded the koala as being known to the aboriginal people as Cullawine.

The administrative centre of Wollondilly Shire is Picton, which is reached, in an easy 90-minute drive from Sydney or by train. Originally known as Stonequarry, the first land grant was to Major Henry Colden Antill. His son built Jarvisfield, which, today, provides the clubhouse for the Antill Park Golf Club. Picton thrives on its past with many historic buildings in the town and surrounding areas. Its railway heritage is particularly significant and is symbolised by a unique and splendid railway viaduct.

The Picton Walking Tour brochure highlighting the towns and historic building is available from the Wollondilly Visitor Information Centre.

On top of Razorback is the panoramic lookout over Picton, Cawdor Valley, Camden and Sydney.

These areas were used in scenes and backdrops from some of Australia's earliest black and white films, "Smiley" and "Smiley Gets a Gun" with Chips Rafferty.

Razorback is the site for the historic Anthony Horden's Tree "While I Live I'll Grow" and was also made famous with the Truckies Blockade in the 70's where there is now a monument to the event.

Richmond is the starting point for the scenic Bells Line of Road - access to the Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Park and is one of the Hawkesbury's five Macquarie towns and 'twin' town to Windsor.

There is a magnificent park in the town centre and many historic buildings still in use today. Visit Pughs Lagoon where you can watch the beauty of the magnificent black swans and other bird life as you picnic with family and friends. Richmond is known for its restaurants and eateries with fine food and wine. Here you will find the University of Western Sydney, Polo fields and galleries.

Whilst it is know as the Richmond Air Base it is actually situated in Clarendon opposite the Visitor Information Centre. Here you can sit and watch the planes, entertain the children in the playground or visit the cafe.

Sydney Harbour is alive with ferries, yachts, launches and kayaks. Laze on a chartered yacht moored in one of the bays or unwind on a cruise vessel departing from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour.

Sydney Harbour islands – Fort Denison, Shark, Clark, Rodd, Goat and Cockatoo – have great cultural and historical significance. Some of the sites resonate with Aboriginal history, while others reflect a European past with convict-built structures and old forts.

Extending over 30 hectares, the Royal Botanic Gardens occupy one of Sydney’s most spectacular locations, right on the edge of the harbour. Sydney Harbour National Park includes most of the harbour islands and large amounts of foreshore.

Located within easy reach of the city, Sydney Olympic Park will offer you a choice of touring, sporting, cultural, historical and nature-based experiences. While most people know the Olympic Park as home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, it is a spectacular place with a fascinating history and fast evolving future.

The Rocks precinct - the historic site of Sydney’s first European settlement. Bursting with a colourful history dating back to convict days, The Rocks is a maze of sandstone lanes, cul-de-sacs and courtyards, jam-packed with shops, warehouses and terraces that were built in the early 19th century.

While The Rocks was once home to Sydney’s dockworkers and stevedores, it’s now a magnet for international visitors, who flock to its many shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants.

Circular Quay is part of The Rocks precinct - the historic site of Sydney’s first European settlement. Bursting with a colourful history dating back to convict days, The Rocks is a maze of sandstone lanes, cul-de-sacs and courtyards, jam-packed with shops, warehouses and terraces that were built in the early 19th century.

While The Rocks was once home to Sydney’s dockworkers and stevedores, it’s now a magnet for international visitors, who flock to its many shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants.

Thirlmere was named after a lake in Cumberland, England. Today it is known for the Thirlmere Rail Heritage Centre which runs Steam Train rides from March to November inclusive on the first and third Sunday of the month. In March the town celebrates the traditional start of the steam season culminating in an annual Steam Festival. Also on the third Sunday of the month is the Thirlmere Rail Craft Markets.

Thirlmere Lakes National Park offer swimming and canoeing as well as a very scenic location. These are among the last undisturbed freshwater lakes in the Sydney region.

The gateway to Sydney’s water supply, the village of Warragamba is a quiet retreat nestled by the side of Warragamba Dam. A visit to the village will reveal some quaint shops, houses, and narrow streets giving visitors insight into life during the construction of the dam. Silverdale is a fine example of urban growth containing a mix of small to medium and large residential allotments surrounded by rural outskirts.

Watsons Bay attracts visitors and locals alike thanks to its unique blend of secluded beaches, spectacular coastal walks, historic charm and waterfront restaurants.

Appreciate Watsons Bay's wonderful views and colonial connections by walking from the village to South Head. The walk takes in the Sydney Harbour National Park, passes Lady Jane Beach (clothing optional) and continues to Hornby Lighthouse. Discover Camp Cove, the spot where the First Fleet landed in Sydney Harbour and see Watsons Bay's most breathtaking vistas at The Gap - site of where Sydney's worst maritime tragedy where the Dunbar was shipwrecked in 1857.

Watsons Bay has a reputation for being the place to indulge in a long lunch and a cool beer. Naturally, seafood is a specialty of Australia's oldest fishing village, and you'll find dining options catering for a range of budgets.

Why not arrive via ferry from Circular Quay - the trip across the harbour is a treat in itself.