Blue mountains can be seen westward from any high location in the City. Stretching across from Penrith towards inner NSW covering an area of 11,400 sq. km, this is one of the most popular locations to visit if you are visiting Sydney for a couple of days.
One of the most popular coastal regions of NSW, Jervis Bay is located 200 km south of Sydney. A 3- hour drive along the Princes Highway takes you through the beautiful rolling landscapes of Illawarra and Shoalhaven Regions.
Lake Burrill is approximately 300km south of Sydney. August is a great time of the year to explore southern highlands as the weather is quite cold at night and days are warm and sunny at this time of the year. The roads are not very crowded and it is quite easy to find accommodation along the coast. Lake Burrill and surrounding regions are popular for fishing all year round.
The Snowy Mountains Region is home to premier skiing resorts in NSW, Australia. Easily accessible from Canberra (1.5-hour drive) and Sydney (4.5-hour drive), the region attracts large crowds from around the country. The ski season begins around mid-June and lasts till mid-September. Early snow is sure to bring hordes of skiers and tours to this region and accommodation at Thredbo and Persihers is quickly taken up.
Total Diving Distance: 300 km Loop
Areas covered: Sydney to Mittagong, Kangaroo Valley, Berry, Kiama, Wollongong and Sydney
A one or two-day trip is ideal for exploring the southern highlands in NSW. From Sydney drive on M5 towards Canberra. M5 merges into Hume Highway. Exit for Mittagong from Hume Highway. Mittagong is a beautiful town with a couple of nice cafes and restaurants in the main shopping areas. This place gets quite crowded on the weekends as it attracts visitors from nearby areas.
Mittagong has some nice wineries including Artemis Wines, Bou-Saada Wines and Howards Lane Vineyard. A man-made Lake Alexandra feeds into the nearby Nattai river. You can explore a couple of lookouts to have a bird's eye view of the Southern Highlands. Some of the popular spots are Mount Gibraltar Lookout and Bowral Lookout.