10 weekend adventures: Sydney

Your ultimate weekend adventure guide, in New South Wales.

1. Shoalhaven Cliffs, Nowra

2 hrs/140 km south
Activity: Climbing.
The Drawcard: The sandstone cliffs along the Shoalhaven River are sport climbing central for NSW. Most of the routes are single-pitch, grunty sport climbs graded 18 or harder. The best starting crag is Thompson’s Point. There’s also plenty of what Climbing Australia calls “desperate bouldering”, most notably at Cheesedale and Lot 33. And just 30 minutes away there’s world-class trad climbing on the sea cliffs at Point Perpendicular.
Fuelstop: Berry, just 14 km north of Nowra, is tea and cake central.

2. Jervis Bay

2.5 hrs/180 km south
Activity: Sea kayaking.
The Drawcard: Launch yourself from one of the whitest beaches in the world, paddle around a bay big enough to swallow a weekend – in the company of dolphins, seals, pelicans and penguins – cruise past some of the highest sea cliffs on the Australian mainland, and maybe end with a swim or snorkel in aquamarine water. Sea kayaking doesn’t get much more idyllic than this.
Fuelstop: The Husky Pub, right on the beach in Huskisson, is the place to go for a post-paddle brew and tucker.
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3. Blue Mountains

1.5 hrs/120 km west
Activity: Canyoning.
The Drawcard: The Blue Mountains is a canyoning mecca, with more than 400 canyons to choose from. There are easy canyons like the Grand Canyon in the Grose Valley, which has an optional 15 m abseil and only takes about 45 minutes; popular canyons like Empress, which can get pretty busy; and classics like Claustral, which includes a three-abseil descent through a narrow slot.
Fuelstop: There’s no shortage of delectable pit-stops in the mountains. Try the Altitude café in Blackheath, The Elephant Bean in Katoomba, and Loaves and the Dishes in Leura.
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4. Ourimbah State Forest

1.5 hrs/83 km north
Activity: Mountain biking.
The Drawcard: The forests of Ourimbah are home to some of the sweetest flowing single track you will roll a knobbly tyre down. The cross-country loop is 13 km of trails taking in smooth switch-back climbs, fast tight turns through rainforested gullies and a ripping descent aptly named the ‘Rollercoaster’. The trail rolls straight out of the carpark and apart from about 200m of fire track is single track all the way, with options to take the full loop (13 km) or shorter laps of 8-10 km.
Fuelstop: Drop into the Tall Timbers Hotel in the Ourimbah township (just south of the train station) for pub grub and cold beers.
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5. GerRoa

2.5 hrs/130 km south
Activity: Stand-up Paddle Surfing.
The Drawcard: The best thing about stand-up paddle surfing is that you can do it almost anywhere; a lake or bay (for fitness), the sea (for coastal exploring) and of course the beach (for surfing). Gerroa, on the south coast, has all these options covered. Seven Mile Beach, situated within its own national park, is a great place to learn and get your balance; paddle around the headland for some coastal exploration; and paddle surf your heart out at nearby Gerringong.
Fuelstop: Gerringong Deli Café roasts its own coffee and has all sorts of post-surf delicacies served in a spacious country-style dining room.
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6. Royal National Park

1 hr/32 km south
Activity: Coastal walking.
The Drawcard: Australia’s oldest national park has one of the best coast-hugging hikes in the world; the two-day, 26 km Royal National Park Coast Track from Bundeena to Otford. Highlights include sea cliffs, mazes of coastal heath, barefoot beach walking, dense palm jungle, skinny-dipping at clothes-optional Werrong Beach, and sleeping under the stars at North Era campground.
Fuelstop: It’s BYO all the way, though there are kiosks at Wattamolla and Garie Beach. Reward yourself with a slice of ceremonial end-of-walk apple pie with ice cream, on the grass outside at the Otford Bakery.
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7. Hawks Nest

2.5 hrs/222 km north
Activity: Kitesurfing.
The Drawcard: A sleepy holiday town on the northern arm of Port Stephens, Hawks Nest has both kinds of water frontage; flat water at Jimmys Beach (where dolphins often frolic), and waves at its main surf beach. Jimmys is best for kiting in northwest to southwest winds (westerlies are best), while the surf beach is good in northeast winds. Beware of 4WDs when launching at Jimmys. There’s also a mildly challenging walk up Yacaaba Head at the entrance to Port Stephens, with great views.
Fuelstop: Hawks Nest Chinese Restaurant, or a cuppa in nearby Tea Gardens.
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8. Seal Rocks

3 hrs/310 km north
Activity: Surfing.
The Drawcard: Authenticity rules here. Seal Rocks is one of the last bastions of unspoilt coastal living on the east coast. And for surfers, there’s loads of choice; One Mile for fast-breaking close-outs, the point for longboards and whenever there’s a big southerly swell; Treachery and Lighthouse Beach when the wind’s northeast; not to mention a few worthy secret spots.
Fuelstop: The general, and only, store under the Norfolk pine tree has all the essentials: bait, milk, bread, ice-creams. BYO everything else. For creature comforts under a big, bright light, stay at the Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse.
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9. Gloucester River

3.5 hrs/270 km north-west
Activity: Whitewater canoeing.
The Drawcard: When the snowmelt and rain flow down off the 1500 m World Heritage-listed Barrington Tops plateau, it creates a Grade 1-3 whitewater wonderland for canoes and kayaks. The most popular rivers are the Barrington, Manning and Gloucester. The 47 km stretch from Barrington to Bundook on the Gloucester River, for example, takes a day and a half and offers a cool wilderness experience. BYO river sense, especially after heavy rain.
Fuelstop: Books and Beans, Gloucester. What more do you need than good coffee and a good book?
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10. Penrith

1 hr/55 km west
Activity: Rafting.
The Drawcard: Penrith Whitewater Stadium has an awesome 320 m Grade 3 white water course, which pumps enough water to fill a 50 m Olympic pool in 55.7 seconds! There’s guided and self-guided rafting on offer on its U-shaped course; when you reach the end, hitch a ride on the conveyor belt back to the start and do it all over again. The stadium is open year-round and the water’s always flowing – how many rivers can say that, especially these days?
Fuelstop: Café Whitewater, on site, has views of the Blue Mountains, a nearby lake and of course all that foaming, furious whitewater action, plus delicious all-day breakfasts.
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