Nature and parks

The Royal Botanic Garden is a great place to spot birds and butterflies. There’s a free tour, daily at 10.30am, except on public holidays. Visit Taronga Zoo by ferry from Circular Quay. From the city centre, walk to Darling Harbour for the WILD LIFE zoo and SEA LIFE aquarium.

Two hours from Sydney by train is the pretty town of Bowral, which attracts garden lovers to its tulip festival. Visit the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Farther afield, in outback NSW, is the World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park, where many important archaeological discoveries have been made, including 40,000-year-old remains of Mungo Lady.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Darling Harbour
Lookout, Blue Mountains

Natural wonders in Sydney and NSW

Wander through the Royal Botanic Garden and spot the dinosaur tree, a nickname for the Wollemi pine, whose evolutionary lineage dates back at least 90 million years. It was discovered in 1994.

Beyond Sydney, in regional NSW, are remarkable World Heritage wilderness areas waiting to be explored. The Blue Mountains are two hours by train from Sydney; join a guided tour for an introduction to the mountains’ unique flora and fauna.

The dinosaur tree was found in a deep canyon in the rugged Wollemi National Park, part of the vast Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. To see Wollemi pines in the region, visit the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah.

The Gondwana Rainforests, in northeast NSW, are also World Heritage listed. They contain many animal and plant species that are little changed over millions of years. In outback NSW is Mungo National Park, a World Heritage wilderness.

By train or bus you can get to many exciting destinations in regional NSW. Bus tours also leave from Sydney. Renting a car is a great option so you can explore NSW at your leisure. Some of the best natural attractions are near regional airports serviced by airlines from Sydney Airport.

Fragrant gardens and leafy parks in Sydney attract fruit bats, butterflies and native birds such as rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras and sulphur-crested cockatoos. On coastal trails, from May to November, watch whales on their annual migration. Walk in enchanting eucalypt forest on Sydney Harbour foreshore.

There are many attractions in Sydney and the NSW regions where you can see Australia’s native animals, such as kangaroos, koalas, platypus and echidnas. Popular destinations in Sydney are Taronga Zoo and Darling Harbour’s WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

C​oastal walk from Coogee to Bondi, Bondi in distance

Walks

Enjoy one of Sydney’s great walks, taking in the city's most iconic sites and locations, such as the Sydney Opera House and the beautiful beaches along the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. There are also many stunning trails in NSW's national parks for beginners and experienced walkers.
H​umpback Whale, Merimbula on the NSW South Coast

Whale watching

Whales migrate in their thousands along the NSW coast, which stretches more than 2,000km. During whale­watching season, you'll see these majestic mammals from many headlands in Sydney and at destinations from Byron Bay in the north to Eden in the south.

Family at Oakvale Farm and Fauna World, Port Stephens

Zoos and wildlife

Zoos and aquariums in Sydney are among the city's most popular attractions, for adults and children. In NSW wildlife parks, you may also spot kangaroos, wallabies and koalas in their natural setting. There are guided tours in national and marine parks throughout NSW.
  6. Echo Point Lookout

    Echo Point Lookout

    Echo Point lookout in Katoomba is on the traditional land of the Gundungurra and Darug people. Perched on the edge of the escarpment, it has panoramic views of the Jamison Valley and the iconic Three Sisters.