The NSW coast isn’t just for summer – you’ll return here no matter the season.
The towns scattered along NSW’s coastline beckon for return visits year-round. Nudge the nose of your car out of the driveway in spring to find the air filled with the fragrance of blooming wattle and glossy foliage everywhere. The sun is warm enough for boardies in Australia well before the summer holidays hit – and with fewer crowds, you can really get a feel for the rhythm of some of our laid-back communities. There’s the produce, too: farm stalls stacked with buckets of broad beans and blueberries, and seafood best enjoyed by the ocean.
Iconic views await on the NSW coast. (Credit: Destination NSW)
This is the version of the coast that inspires second, third and fourth visits, not just a hot lap in January. Stay in a retro motel in Merimbula. Catch a gig at Wombarra Bowlo. Ride a wave near Coffs. Whichever adventure you choose, these are the destinations that make for repeat weekenders.
Thirroul & Greater Wollongong
Grab a board and hit the waves. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The days start slow and stay that way in the vibey village of Thirroul, found at the base of Bulli Pass on the Illawarra coast. Kick off with a few lazy laps in Thirroul Pool before treating yourself to a salted chocolate caramel cloud at Bread, Espresso &, a surrogate living space for sea-changers.
On weekends, enjoy a seafood lunch at South Sailor or find out why Rosie’s Fish & Chips in Coledale has a cult following. The Wombarra Bowlo always has a good line-up or see what’s playing at Anita’s Theatre, the picture palace with a storied history that dates back to 1913.
Treat yourself to a salted chocolate caramel cloud at Thirroul’s Bread, Expresso &. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Bóveda serves up tasty tequila and Mexican bites. (Credit: Lumiere Creative)
The boutique stay Surfside 22.
Inside you’ll find retro touches and modern comforts.
For date night, book Bóveda, the tequila bar housed in Thirroul’s former Commonwealth Bank (which was also the neighbourhood post office). Follow the road further south to find Wollongong Botanic Garden and Wollongong Art Gallery. When it’s time to turn in, head to Surfside 22, the city’s Palm Springs-inspired motel.
For more off-the-beaten-path appeal in NSW’s Illawarra region, visit Shell Cove – be sure to head to Waterfront Tavern for a standout seafood platter while staring at the horizon, which draws a thin black line between sea and sky.
Merimbula
Take an oyster tour on Merimbula Lake. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Days blur beautifully when your Sapphire Coast holiday rituals revolve around Merimbula’s dynamic dining scene. Daily practice begins with a dawn surf, followed by coffee at The Eddy. If the surf’s flat, hire a stand-up paddleboard from Mitchies Jetty, or join a cruise up the estuary to enjoy oysters pulled straight from the leases with Merimbula Oyster Tours. Alternatively, take a guided hike with Sapphire Coast Guiding Co, or lure your mates to Metro Merimbula for a brew with a view.
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Farm tours offer the
freshest oysters. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Merimbula Aquarium & Wharf Restaurant serves fresh seafood by the water. (Credit: Destination NSW)
End the evening with cocktails at Dulcie’s Cottage before retreating to your room at the retro-chic Hillcrest Merimbula. This is undeniably one of the best spots on the coast to settle in for a long weekend escape – just don’t forget to grab a cheeky dozen oysters at Wheelers Seafood Restaurant as you head out of town.
Yamba
Settle in for lazy beach days.
Water views at The
Surf Yamba. (Credit: Elise Hassey)
Check into The Surf Yamba. (Credit: Elise Hassey)
Perched on Yamba’s famous headland, overlooking Main Beach, The Surf Yamba offers a relaxed coastal-chic Australian vibe, with a unique curved exterior, plunge pool and rooftop terraces. The newly built 12-room hideaway has a neutral colour palette offset with natural timber and terrazzo, as well as bespoke handmade furniture from Scandinavian-inspired Muuto.
Dine at Yum Yum Angourie Cafe & General Store. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Paddle on the Clarence River with Kayak Yamba. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Take a tour of the mighty Clarence River with Yamba Kayak, explore the town by bike or catch a wave in Angourie, where the swell wraps in clean lines around the point. Cap off your coastal escape with a meal at Muse, Beachwood Cafe, Paradiso or El Ocaso.
Ballina
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Ballina’s nine-metre Big Prawn. (Credit: Elise Hassey)
The Coastal
Recreation Path winds
its way from Ballina to
Lennox Head. (Credit: Ballina Shire Council)
Grab dinner at Shaws
Bay Hotel. (Credit: Elise Hassey)
Ballina boasts a nine-metre-high prawn that’s emblematic of the region’s laid-back Aussie charm. Consider the roadside ‘big thing’ as your cue to pick up a bucket of prawns from Northern Rivers Seafood to enjoy after a walk along the Coastal Recreation Path between Ballina and Lennox Head. The water beckons from the boardwalk: paddleboard in Shaws Bay or swim in the tannin-rich, cola-coloured waters of Lennox’s Lake Ainsworth.
Inland, hike to Killen Falls near Tintenbar; it’s just a 330-metre stroll and rocky downhill scramble from the car park. While in the hinterland, explore the trendy village of Alstonville to browse shops, such as Buckley’s Chance, and pick up a pretty pastry from HOME, before visiting the iconic Federal Hotel.
Stock up on fresh food at The Ballina Farmers & Producers Market. (Credit: Ballina Shire Council)
The region is known as a hub for creatives, so get hands-on in a class with potter Brooke Clunie at Red Door Studio. Afterwards, check out the Ballina Farmers & Producers Market and pick up provisions for a picnic at Pop Denison Park.
Explore by horseback with HWH Stables. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Connect further with Country on a stand-up paddleboard tour with Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours, or explore the estuaries by kayak with C-Change Adventures. For breathtaking coastal views, stroll Look At Me Now Headland at Emerald Beach; you might even catch the tail end of the humpback migration (you can also try your luck whale-spotting on a Jetty Dive Centre cruise).
Stef & Co sits on The Promenade in Coffs Harbour. (Credit: Destination NSW)
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Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
Who says a healthy holiday always has to mean meditative silence?
Sitting on the balcony wrapped in a bathrobe, you warm your cold hands around a green tea as steam rises from the mug. The lorikeets haven’t come out yet, but the sunrise hot-air balloons have. Below, scrubby bushland gives way to rows of vines, where, in a few hours, the Hunter Valley’s cellar doors will begin pouring Semillon.
You might have booked the new Avani Cypress Lakes for a reset – but that doesn’t mean retreating from everything around you. Here’s how the Hunter Valley’s new resort is doing wellness without shutting the world out.
Location
Take in 360-degree views from Meditation Hill.
The brand-new Avani Cypress Lakes Resort is spread across 340 acres in Australia’s oldest wine-growing region. Rebranding in October 2026, it brings the former Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and neighbouring Elysia Wellness Retreat together under the Avani name. It will also become Avani’s largest property in Australasia.
A long lunch among the vines is a siren song, but it might be even more of a temptation to spend the whole holiday at the resort. If you’re eager for the whole picture as soon as you get there, start your stay with a tramp up Meditation Hill for 360-degree views across the land, before discovering the rest of the resort.
Style and character
Make use of a private balcony in each villa.
Once you enter, be whisked (ever so gently) away to one of the resort’s 204 rooms and suites. Bedrooms come dressed in plush white linen, textured cushions and sleek upholstered headboards, with a palette that takes its cues from the outside, bringing in eucalyptus green and rich ochre that offset the creams, beiges and warm taupes.
For those group getaways, choose from one-, two- or three-bedroom villas, each with a private balcony, separate living areas and kitchen facilities. The one- and two-bedroom villas come with kitchenettes, while the three-bedroomers have full kitchens for those planning to make themselves properly at home with Hunter Valley cheeses and local wine bottles, and the Premier Villa offers a serious upgrade.
If a wellness retreat is already whispering your name between the gentle chimes of Tibetan bells, the Wellness Suites come with private balconies and put AvaniWell’s saunas, pools and day spa experiences right on the doorstep for the 16-plus crowd.
It’s all part of the resort’s balance between switching off and being social when the mood strikes.
AvaniWell
AvaniWell is set to become Australia’s largest integrated resort wellness precinct. And with 26 treatment rooms and more than 50 day-spa treatments and therapies, there’s plenty to tempt you away from the golf green and into that fluffy spa robe.
If the existing Elysia treatments are anything to go by, heated volcanic stones, gua sha face massages, Hawaiian Kahuna massages, Himalayan salt scrubs, remedial massages and even Watsu therapy are all on the menu. The Watsu takes place in a purpose-built magnesium pool heated to body temperature, where floats support you as a practitioner guides you through delicious stretches.
But relaxation doesn’t run to a schedule. You can dip in for a single treatment or make a few days of it, with a year-round calendar of activities to pick and choose from. You can also make some moves on one of the eight Pilates reformers, relax in an infrared sauna or cool off in an outdoor cold-plunge pool or unwind in the magnesium pool.
Beyond that, three pickleball courts and the golf course should tempt you out of your slippers.
Dining
Enjoy a nourishing meal at Fusion.
Avani’s story began in Sri Lanka, so it’s perfect that it’s bringing a taste of the island to Australia’s fusion-loving food scene. Enter Chakraya, the resort’s Sri Lankan-inspired restaurant. From its warm timber tones to its flavours, this high-end dining spot takes its inspiration from the island’s traditions.
After a night at Chakraya, move from warm and intimate to light and airy at Fusion restaurant. The interiors are as fresh as the food, with nourishing dishes that complement the AvaniWell vibe and are just the thing in between your sauna session and Pilates class.
Later, it’s time to get the residents of the three-bedroomer together at the Bistro & Bar (open from breakfast to dinner). Here, it’s all about the casual classics, eaten in blissed-out calm.
Other facilities
Find a golf cours, kids program and more on the property.
When there’s business to attend to, the resort has 24 meeting and event spaces for everything from conferences to weddings. But the fairway always beckons. Designed by Steve Smyers, the 18-hole championship golf course has dramatic elevation changes and fairway contours, 60 bunkers, generous greens and epic views across the vineyards to the Brokenback range. Mind it doesn’t sting your swing.
For the little ones, the AvaniKids program will keep them busy with creative activities and outdoor adventures. But if you’d rather wait it out in style while everyone else is off golfing or gallivanting, take your pick: a luxuriously long swim in one of three outdoor pools, a cabana by the upgraded pool bar or settling in for a film at the outdoor cinema right as those evening crickets start up.
