New South Wales in Australia

New South Wales can lay claim to having more to offer international visitors than any other state in Australia.

Though only the fifth largest state in terms of land mass, New South Wales has the largest population with more than seven million residents.

Its capital Sydney is Australia’s largest city and home to some of Australia’s leading financial, cultural  and sporting institutions.

Bordered on its northern boundary by Queensland, New South Wales is bordered by South Australia on the west, Victoria  on the south  and on the east by the Tasman Sea.

Sydney, with the world renowned Opera House and Harbour Bridge, is the gateway to Australia for many international visitors.

It has a diverse range of attractions from the world famous Byron Bay beaches in the north to the wine producing Hunter Valley region and the centre for Australia’s alpine activities, the Snowy Mountains.

Though possessing a largely temperate climate, New South Wales does experience a diverse range of climatic conditions from cool temperate areas on the far south coast to the subtropical areas near the Queensland border. The state’s west records temperatures in the high 40C during summer while areas such as the Snowy Mountains plunging to below -20C during winter.

While New South Wales experiences the whole range of climatic conditions, it also enjoys a vast array of sporting and cultural experiences for visitors.
New South Wales is the home of rugby league and rugby, and is also home to some of Australia’s leading cricket, football, basketball, Australian Rules and netball teams. The main summer sport is cricket and each year the Sydney Cricket Ground is packed for the New Year cricket test.

Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and the Olympic Stadium  is venue to major rugby league, rugby union and football matches.
The New South Wales city of Bathurst is home of the touring car series the Bathurst 1000 each year, while the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race leaves Sydney Harbour each Boxing Day.

Sydney’s famous Opera House is arguably Australia’s most recognisable building and home to Australia’s largest opera company, Opera Australia.
New South Wales has a diverse range of cultural attractions ranging from the annual Golden Guitar in Tamworth to major art galleries.

It is home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and as well as the Opera House it has several significant musical venues including the Sydney Town Hall and the City Recital Hall.
There are many major art galleries in New South Wales with the Art Gallery of New South Wales housing a collection of significant Australian art, while the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney is another major gallery.

Sydney has several important museums, including the Australian Museum, which focuses on natural history and the Powerhouse Museum, which features technology and arts-and-crafts.

For those wanting to enjoy the outdoors the options range from the beautiful beaches of Sydney,  Sapphire Coast, Central Coast, North Coast and Northern Rivers to nearly 800 national parks and reserves. These parks range from rainforests, spectacular waterfalls, and rugged bush to marine wonderlands and outback deserts, some of them listed as World Heritage areas.

Sydney is the hub for Australia’s technology and financial sectors and many of Australia’s key companies now have their headquarters in the city.

The state’s biggest export is coal, which makes up nearly 20% of all exports from New South Wales, but tourism is also a major contributor to the NSW economy.
Agricultural production is  spread through most of New South Wales State, except in arid areas out west. Cattle, sheep and pigs dominate the agriculture sector, but the state is also an important source of timber, wine, fruit and vegetables.