The state of New South Wales is located on the south-east corner of the Australian continent.

It is the most densely populated and heavily industrialised state on the Australian continent and is home to Australia’s largest city, Sydney which is also the state capital of New South Wales. It is also Australia’s oldest European settlement. Sydney is an extremely cosmopolitan Australian city with more than 100 different nationalities represented.

It has Australia’s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko and one the most famous beaches in the world, Bondi. The area has a wide variety of climate from tropical in the north to cooler in the south. New South Wales has everything from ski resorts to beach resorts.

There is more than 600 National Parks in New South Wales and these account for over seven per cent of the total area of the state.

The two main tourist attractions in Sydney are Sydney Harbour Bridge, and The Sydney Opera House.

It was in the New South Wales state capital, Sydney that the 2000 Olympic Games were held.

Climate of New South Wales
New South Wales is completely in the temperate zone. The climate is mainly mild, calm and does not usually experience extremes of heat and cold. However, very high temperatures can occur in the northwest and very cold temperatures on the Southern Tablelands.

In the east of New South Wales, The Great Dividing Range runs roughly from north to south impacts on the climate, in the four distinct climate zones. These are the coastal strip the western slopes, the highlands and the flatter country in the west.

The warmer waters of the Tasman Sea have an effect on the climate of the coastal strip by protecting it from experiencing extremes of temperature and give it increased rainfall with annual average ranging from 750mm in the south to 2000mm in the north.

Mount Kosciuszko in the Great Dividing Range has a height of 2228 metres and a few other mountains which reach heights of more than 1500 metres. The Tableland regions of New South Wales can experience snowfalls during the winter months.

Climate changes in New South Wales are reflected by dramatic changes in plant life , which range from subtropical rainforests in the northeast to the delicate alpine heath lands in the southern Alps.

Winter snows in the southern Alps make this a perfect playground for winter sports activities including skiing and snowboarding.

Pasturelands and dry forests in the midwest give way to the dry plains of the northwest of New South Wales. >> Places to see >>