Visit New South Wales

AUSTRALIA'S BIG SKY COUNTRY
From wine districts to gem fossicking, bushwalking to bootscooting, this stunning region really does offer something for everyone. Big Sky Country is a vast tableland of wide open spaces, dazzling horizons and rugged natural wonders, stretching along the Great Dividing Range from near Newcastle right up to the QLD border.

> Dotted throughout the region are thriving towns such as Tamworth, Armidale, Tenterfield and Moree, all rich in history and providing perfect rest-stops if you plan to spend a few days exploring. This is true pastoral country, a breath of fresh air only hours from the big city buzz.

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www.visitnsw.com.au

FAMOUS FOR...

Find your own nuggets of gold exactly the same way prospectors did 100 years ago.

Australia's mini Nashville Tamworth attracts 50,000+ fans to its annual 10-day country music festival in January. Don't miss a peek at the 12-metre high Golden Guitar.

A host of treasures You can fossick for gems at Inverell, or seek sapphires in Glen Innes, Australia's Celtic town.

The largest radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere On the edge of the Pilliga, 20kms west of Narrabri, the five satellite dishes of the Australia Telescope rise out of the scrub like a scene from a sci-fi fantasy. It's just the place to do a spot of star-gazing.

The Tenterfield Saddler Meet the man made famous in the late Peter Allen's classic song.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Sunsets in the region can be spectacular.

One of the best places to find Australia's furry friends is in Gunnedah, with its thriving population of Australia's cutest mascot, the koala. You can cuddle one at the Waterways Wildlife Park, which is also home to kangaroos, emus, possums, parrots, eagles, peacocks and lizards.
You can hire a glider and enjoy a bird's eye view of the Namoi Valley from Lake Keepit, a vast inland reservoir located midway between Tamworth and Gunnedah. Joyflights can be arranged with the Lake Keepit Soaring Club.
Pilliga Scrub, the million wild acres of bushland between Narrabri and Coonabarabran is criss-crossed with rough tracks, making it perfect for bush-bashing in a four-wheel drive.
One of the most beautiful spots in the region is Mt Kaputar, where you can wander amongst snow gums one minute and scramble over an ancient lava flow the next. The area also boasts sweeping views of both Pilliga Scrub and the silhouette of Liverpool Ranges, over 250km away.
Armidale is just next door to several spectacular World Heritage Listed National Parks, including New England and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Images

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Climate

New England has four distinct seasons, but it's recommended that you visit during Autumn or Spring, when the weather is most pleasant.

Distance from Sydney

Via the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway, Tamworth is 414km (528 miles) north of Sydney. Armidale is 576km (362 miles) north of Sydney. Domestic airlines also fly daily between Sydney and both towns.

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