What’s new in New South Wales /

Regional New South Wales can be tough, luxurious, authentic and even a little playful. Discover all the variety the state has to offer through one of the country’s leading wine bars, architecturally and naturally stunning lodging, and animal encounters that let you see alpacas and koalas up close.

New food and drink

Unpretentious but exquisite: Bar Heather is now open

Bar Heather, one of Australia’s most anticipated wine bars of the year, has opened its doors in Byron Bay. Expect a wine list that brings together quirks, characters and the exceptional from both Australia and other coasts, paired with a creative yet unpretentious menu from a chef who previously worked at Sydney award winners Sixpenny and Ester. But above all, expect a good time.

Taste the coastline in a gin

Port Macquarie Distillery is the Mid North Coast’s newest small batch distillery. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a novice gin drinker, Master Distiller Ray Barth and the team will ensure an experience to suit you. Maybe that’s a cocktail or two at the bar with your friends, or maybe it’s a full gin tasting that ends in a takeaway bottle of their signature dry gin, Lighthouse, modeled after the smell and feel of the city’s coastline.

Literally paddock to board

This is the experience at The Artisan Farmer in Nabiac, just inland from Foster. You can see the vegetables and herbs that you eat in the café growing next to the beehives. The beef for your burger comes from the adjacent paddock. The bread you are going to eat was baked just this morning. And that coffee you might order to take away, it’s also made with beans roasted right here. Many people claim to be paddock-to-plate, but The Arustab Farmer’s bakery, cafe and butcher are the real deal.

New accommodation

Hand-built in the wilderness

A wooden cabin in an old cattle ranch that is being converted into real South Coast bushland – the Sugar Rock Ranch is a dream for a couple looking to get away from it all and get away from it all. Take a fishing rod to shore and return to barbecue your catch in the outdoor fire pit. Drink your morning coffee on the terrace overlooking the dam. Or take a forest walk in the adjacent Beowa National Park.

Somnium at Bingie: pristine luxury on a coastal head

As soon as you get to the end of the driveway you feel like the whole world is just you, your family, the lake in front of you, the trees around you and the rose outside your front door. Inside it’s just as spectacular, Somnium at Bingie’s two architecturally unique buildings (by Sydney architects Eoghan Lewis) make you feel like you’ve fallen into the pages of a magazine. It’s not all awe either, lean on your adventurous side during the day and get to grips with the property’s mountain bikes, kayaks and fire pit.

Sleeping among the koalas

Be lulled to sleep by the scents of the Worimi bush and the sounds of the local koala mob in the recently updated hotel rooms at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Your stay among the gum trees in the endangered species’ natural habitat also includes access to a swimming pool, outdoor BBQs and spa. While you’re in the area, it’s only a ten minute drive to the dunes and waves of Stockton Beach.

New experiences

What is it like to be an alpaca farmer?

A two-hour exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at Murrumbateman’s Blackwattle Alpaca Farm introduces you to the farm’s friendliest alpacas – feed them out of your hand, cuddle and take a selfie with your favourite. Then, discover how their shaggy coats turn into silky fabric and hear a story about how on earth someone started an alpaca farm in rural NSW.

Aboriginal Art in the Hunter

Between wines, adventure and sunshine, you will find a connection to the land and the great cultural heritage of our country along the [email protected] Aboriginal art exhibition and trail. Curated by Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation, the art exhibition is open again after two years. Find local Aboriginal art at locations across the Hunter Valley: Crowne Plaza, Drayton’s Family Wines, Hunter Valley Resort in Polkobin, and the Hunter Valley Gardens at the Mercure Polkobin.

Pedal, drink, eat, repeat

Enjoy 25km of the beauty of the Murrumbateman wine region on two wheels with Canberra Wine Region E-Bike Tours, stopping only to try both drops and bites from the region’s famous vineyards via the comfort of a Lekker Jordaan e-bike . The new unique off the beaten track tour includes a guide to not only introduce you to the countryside and winemakers, but also help you adjust your bike.