Best 5 day trips from Sydney

If you step out a little further, you will discover that this entire region of Australia is filled with breathtaking natural beauty, Aboriginal and colonial history, and plenty of domestic animals.

There are hidden valleys with prehistoric forests in the Blue Mountains. You can walk with water views to the south Royal National Park. Uncrowded surf beaches and inlets are found on the Central Coast. Fine wine, chocolates and cheese can be found in the Hunter Valley.

These are the best day trips in Australia.

Hike rainforests and waterfalls in the Blue Mountains

It takes 1.5-2 hours to travel by car and train.

The mist of oil that makes up the Blue Mountains' name comes from huge eucalypts. There are eight connected areas rising to 1100m with lush rainforests and epic waterfalls that can be explored on well marked hikes.

Taking a guided tour of the mountain will give you insight into the mountain's importance to its traditional Aboriginal custodians, as a country of connection and ceremony. The homelands of six aboriginal groups are here. The Red Hand Caves is one of the best places in the region to view Aboriginal rock art.

The trees here form a dense canopy across a landscape of valleys and sandstone outcrops. A tree once considered extinct was only rediscovered in a valley in 1994.

The most popular walking areas for day trippers are south of Katoomba, the Grose Valley, and the Wentworth Falls area. The Giant Stairway is one of the top choices. Bring a warm layer to these ravines because they can be surprisingly cool.

The easiest way to get to the Blue Mountains is by train. You can either walk from here or catch the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus to take a tour of the area.

Get hiking, canoeing and photographing Royal National Park 

You can travel by car, train and ferry.

A 32 km stretch of beautiful coast is protected by the Royal National Park. It is the second oldest national park in the world. The park protects a cornucopia of Australian animals including wallabies, lyrebirds, and yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

The main visitors centre is located at Audley, which is a great place to pick up park maps, have a picnic or hire a canoe.

Figure Eight Pools are located near Burning Palms Beach. It is only visible at low tide, so if you want to visit, you must arrive in the morning and only visit when it is safe to do so. You can check the National Park website for more information.

You can get to the Royal National Park by car or public transport.

See Aboriginal rock art and birdlife in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

The travel time is done by car and bus.

The river goes past honeycomb colored cliffs, historic townships and into quiet bays and inlets. The Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is one of the parks that it passes through. The original inhabitants of the area were the Guringai people. Rock paintings, middens and cave art can be seen today thanks to the preservation of hundreds of sites.

You can find information about Ku-ring-gai and walks to do in the area by visiting the information center. There is a cafe, a boardwalk and a marina here.

The town of Wisemans Ferry is located on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. It is another great spot to access the Hawkesbury, and it is also rich in bird life.

The Great North Road is part of the Australian Convicts World Heritage listing. Hire a kayak or book a boat tour to get out on the water. If you have the time, you can stay on a houseboat for longer and see more of the city.

You can explore the river by boat from the train station. You can get a ferry to the park from Church Point, which is on the other side of the city. It takes 1-2 hours to travel there.

Discover secret beaches and forests along the Central Coast

The travel time is a full day.

There are some gorgeous beaches, a national park, inlets and saltwater lagoons on the central coast. The southern part of the Central Coast can be reached by ferry from Palm Beach. Killcare Beach and Pearl Beach are on the north side of the Hawkesbury.

There are many places to stop off on a day trip north toNewcastle, including the pelican-packed town of The Entrance. Avoca or TERRIGAL are popular beaches for taking a dip.

An eclectic mix of historic architecture and beach and ocean baths can be found in the more industrial part of the city. The oldest ocean bath in Australia is on the south side of the beach. When the surf crashes over its edge, it is an atmospheric place to splash about. Two ends of the same beach further south are the most popular surfing breaks. The ocean baths of Merewether are large.

The Gosford exit of the M1 Pacific Motorway will take you to the Central Coast if you drive.

Go food and wine touring around the Hunter Valley 

Travel time is a full day.

The country drive isn't the main reason to visit. The Hunter Valley is the oldest wine region in Australia and dates back to the 1860s. Fine wine, gourmet restaurants, boutique beer, chocolate, cheese, olives, and many other things can be found here. It is a great place to go hot-air ballooning in Australia.

Semillon, shiraz and chardonnay are some of Australia's biggest names in new world wine. The valley has over 150 wineries ranging from small-scale, family-run affairs to massive commercial operations. For a small fee, most cellar door tastings are available. The Hunter Valley visitor center has a free map that you can use to find hidden producers.

If no one is volunteering to stay sober, there are plenty of guided coach tours available, ranging from mini buses that just do basic hop-on-hop-off transport between wineries to full-on gourmet adventures, some on bicycle, horse-back or chauffeured in a classic car.

You can get to the Hunter Valley if you drive north on the M1 Pacific Motorway.

The article was first published about a year ago.