With the school year nearing its mid-year mark, Winter school holidays are just around the corner. From snow filled adventures in the Snowy Mountains to charming local festivals and family friendly activities, NSW has something for everyone these school holidays.
30 June 2017Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said, “School holidays can be a hectic time for parents and carers to ensure the kids are kept entertained and engaged. A winter short break and exploring new destinations is the ideal way to keep everyone happy, and the cooler winter months are the perfect time to uncover the fantastic attractions and experiences our state has to offer.”
Destination NSW offers some school holiday suggestions for the upcoming winter break:
REGIONAL NSW WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY IDEAS
- Festival fun in Bathurst: The Bathurst Winter Festival celebrates all that is great about winter in the historic Central West city. Running from 1 – 16 July, highlights of the festival include an open-air ice rink, a winter playground, and two festival nights Ignite the Night on 1 July and Brew and Bite on 8 July. While in town, it’s worth paying a visit to the impressive Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum as well
- Let it snow: The Hunter Valley’s favourite winter festival Snow Time in the Garden is back for another year of fun. Held at the Hunter Valley Gardens from 24 June – 16 July, friends and families will love the giant ice skating rink, ice toboggan, rides, ice sculpting and Snow Play Zone where you can build a snowman in the man-made snow
- Tour and taste the Tweed: Head to Northern NSW for warmer climes and outdoor winter adventures in the Tweed. With gorgeous beaches, farm gates, charming villages and World Heritage rainforest, the area is perfect for a nature based family holiday. The kids will love exploring Tropical Fruit World, crab catching on the Tweed river and exploring the 35km of beaches and coastline, while parents will enjoy world-class Tweed Regional Gallery and leading boutique hotel Halcyon House
- Real life Monopoly: The charming city of Orange has long been one of Australia’s favourite hidden gems, with Monopoly recently giving the city a coveted place on the new Australia version of the board game. Play the board game in real life by visiting Orange this winter to experience Orange Winter Wonderland, or take the family to the architecturally designed Orange Regional Museum to explore the city on a Heritage Adventure trail
- Snowy Mountains family fun: NSW is home to Australia’s five highest peaks including Mt Kosciuszko, and four Snowy Mountains resorts. With most NSW ski fields now open, the winter school holidays are the perfect time to make the most of the ski season. The ski fields offer a broad range of accommodation from indulgent winter getaways to budget-friendly weekend escapes for alpine first-timers.
SYDNEY WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY IDEAS
- Sydney staycation: A staycation is the perfect way to have a mini break in your own city and see Sydney through the eyes of a tourist. For a unique overnight stay, why not try the new Capsule Hotel or the world’s first astronomy hotel at The Ultimo, where you can enjoy a private consultation with leading Astrologer Damian Rocks. The Old Clare Hotel and The Tank Stream are also offering special discounted rates for Sunday night stays during winter
- Have a singalong atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge: You may have done a BridgeClimb before, but have you ever tried a winter sunset session climb? Perfect timing for the school holidays, BridgeClimb has launched ‘Sunset Sessions’, a weekend Twilight climb which includes a live performance from artists including Son of Ra and Taryn La Fauci. Winter sunsets are spectacular in Sydney, and even more so from atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, so get the family together and your climbing shoes on!
- Sweet dreams are made of this: For a little indulgence for the mini-Masterchef’s in your family, take the kids to the Shangri-La Hotel on 14 July for the dessert festival of all dessert festivals – Sweet Street. The brainchild of award winning Pastry Chef Anna Polyviou, the festival will showcase the very best sweet treats in Sydney with LuxBite, Andy Bowdy with Pie Country, Cow and The Moon and many more all on show. Cake eating competitions, magicians and prizes will complete the festive mood. Tickets are available here
- Whale spotting: Each year from May to November the coast of NSW is home to a beautiful phenomenon, the annual whale migration, where an estimated 20,000 whales travel thousands of kilometres north along the NSW coastline. From aptly named Whale Beach to Bondi, there’s no need to leave the city to spot these gentle giants – with lookouts, foreshores, national parks and whale watching tours offering the perfect vantage points for whale watching in Sydney this winter
- Winter wonderland: For a true winter wonderland experience right in the heart of the city, then don’t miss open-air ice skating against the backdrop of St Mary’s Cathedral. With igloos, toboggan slides, mulled wine and delicious food from Pimp My Donut, Turkish Gozleme and more – the Skating at Sydney festival runs from 23 June – 16 July.
Share your favourite winter school holiday experiences with Destination NSW #ILoveSydney and #NewSouthWales. For more School Holidays inspiration go to visitnsw.com
ENDS
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Florence Rocca
Destination NSW
M: 0427 639 134 E: florence.rocca@dnsw.com.au
