The Great Outdoors Around Sydney

As a huge country with a small population, Australia is famous for its many natural attractions spread out across the entire continent. You can enjoy some excellent outdoor attractions within the Sydney area itself.

Excursions in the Hunter Valley

The Australian wine industry has come of age in recent years, and Australian production now accounts for 7 percent of the world market, and Australia ranks as the fourth largest exporter.

It all began at Hunter Valley in the 1820’s. Located about 75 miles north of Sydney, the area is divided between the Lower Hunter and the Upper Hunter, which was developed more recently.  Apart from the wines produced here, the region is also noted for the beautiful scenery provided by the Brokenback Mountain Range. The distinct climate differences between the two Hunter Valleys — tropical and humid in the Lower Hunter, dry in the Upper Hunter — lead to contrasting wine flavours between the two.

Katoomba and other attractions in the Blue Mountains

Canyoning consists of gliding down ropes into deep canyons and jumping into waterfall pools. If you are game for it, guides will bring you through bush-covered paths to well-hidden starting points, and from there on, it is downhill all the way. You dress in a wetsuit to protect yourself from the wet cold. There is a variety of experiences when you go on a hike. You may have to abseil into deep, dark tunnels, slide down smooth waterways cut into stone by streams over centuries and make a jump into freezing water pools.

Sydney’s outdoors are not necessarily inland. The ocean just outside Sydney also offers unique experiences. You can try the “Shark Dive” at Magic Point, where you will get an opportunity to see Grey Nurse Sharks in a cave. You do not need to be a certified diver but you must know how to swim I order to participate. The Nurse Shark is a native species that has been wiped out from most of the area due to fishing, and this is one of the last locations where they are known to live in the Sydney area. The sharks are harmless as long as they are not harassed and divers will be safe provided they follow instructions. All equipment will be provided and basic scuba instruction will be available for non-certified divers.

If you want a more laid back way to take in everything, perhaps you can try a helicopter tour that will take you to all of the landmarks in a day. Starting from as low as AUS$ 200, the trips range from quick tours of major Sydney city landmarks to trips further afield to the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley.

Book Sydney Hotels here

Article Information

Published in the HolidayCity Flash Issue of 5 November 2003. This article is free for personal and commercial reproduction, with the following terms and conditions.