Places to visit in NSW
Early morning sounds of kookaburras laughing, cockatoos screeching and lorikeets chirping as the sun rises in NSW. Sadly, blue skies don’t emerge. Instead they remain heavy with smoke as over 100 fires rage throughout Australia…
Having lived in Australia for 18 months it has become a destination close to my heart. Returning annually gives me the opportunity to add more recommended places to visit in NSW. These include flights, accommodation, activities and restaurants for those travelling solo. All reviews to date can be found on my AUSTRALIA page, however, here are some others from my recent trip…
Recommended restaurants from latest trip
Food and drink in Sydney is consistently high quality. Attention is paid to serving delicious, healthy dishes to be enjoyed in the restaurant or as a take away. Some favourites from my recent trip include visits to…
1. Momo Bar, Manly
Momo Bar specialises in Nepalese dumplings in a steaming broth and super healthy ‘build your own’ poke bowls. Dining is in a casual setting serving soft drinks with a ‘bring your own’ alcohol option.
2. Acai Bros, Manly
Açai Bros, in spite of the queues, is well worth a visit, their bowls are very tasty. Açai, a nutritious, Brazilian super fruit, is blended with banana to create the base. Toppings of your choice are then added to create your own personal bowl of goodness.
3. Manly Thai Gourmet
A superb Thai restaurant in a tucked away position, popular with both locals and visitors to the area. Ingredients are carefully selected from food markets and Thai outlets daily, explaining the fresh tasting dishes.
4. Daniel San, Manly
Daniel San is a lively beachfront restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating areas. A mix of exciting Japanese fusion dishes as well as classic pub favourites! At the moment for every katsu curry ordered, they will donate $1 to charity, helping to fight the bushfires in Australia.
5. Showbox, Manly
A wonderful, cosy cafe popular with locals serving a delicious range of breakfasts, some quite unique… such as the banana bread with espresso butter and macadamia toast.
Where to get a good coffee
To be honest, it is difficult to get a bad coffee in Sydney. It is by far the best I have had anywhere in the world. This trip, a couple of places stood out. Firstly, Hemingways in Manly. Although the cups were unexpectedly small for $5, the coffee was nonetheless incredibly good. My personal favourite came from The Greenhouse. The coffee was smooth and perfectly presented with a love heart on top. Both outlets have outdoor and indoor seating areas and overlook Manly Beach.
Lake Jindabyne
One of the best places to visit in NSW if you fancy a break from the beach and city is a trip to Jindabyne. Jindabyne is a 5-6 hour drive South of Sydney with a large lake, close to the Snowy Mountains.
Discovery Parks in Jindabyne is an ideal resort to stay at for those who like an active holiday. Local activities include fishing, walking, canoeing, kayaking and horse riding. During the winter months, bobsled and ski-ing are popular in nearby Kosciuszko National Park. Unfortunately due to nearby bushfire activity, the Discovery Parks resort and Kosciuszko National Park are currently closed.
Kosciuszko National Park
The entrance to Kosciuszko National Park is approximately 20 minutes drive from Jindabyne. Entrance costs $42 which includes a cable car ride part way up the mountain. The views are breathtaking. From here, a steady walk leads you to the top of Mount Kosciuszko which is mainland Australia’s highest mountain. The walk takes between 2-3 hours each way. Australia’s highest restaurant is also located within the National Park.
Blog post on Jindabyne and Mount Kosciuszko to follow soon.