Fun Group Activities in New South Wales, Australia

NSW view

 

The southeastern Australian state of New South Wales is well known for its national parks, coastal cities, and rugged coastlines. Visitors travel hundreds of miles to explore the Blue Mountains, various surf beaches, and even dozens of wineries within The Hunter Valley region. 

As familiar as you might be with the offerings of NSW, discovering group activities can be a little harder. If you’re about to set off on an Australian adventure, here are some not-to-be-missed experiences for you and your loved ones. 

 

Wine Tours

Travelers exploring north of Sydney in NSW may end up in one of Australia’s most significant wine regions. Consider the Hunter Valley wine tours as a fun, educational group activity that teaches you about some of the finest wines in Australia. 

The Hunter Valley has made a name for itself with Shiraz and Semillon wine varieties, and many family-run and world-renowned wine brands call this region home. 

 

National Parks

While pleasing everyone on a group trip is not always easy you won’t find too many people saying no to an adventure through one of New South Wales’ many national parks. 

Explore the world’s oldest cave systems within the Blue Mountains National Park, and conquer your fears with a ride through the mountains on the Scenic World cable car. There is also an abundance of hiking and bushwalking activities, such as the Sea Acres walk in Sea Acres National Park and the White Sands Walk in Jervis Bay National Park. 

 

Culture, Arts, and Heritage

Even if you’ve explored the world and have already seen your fair share of culture, your travel group will likely be amazed at the offerings in New South Wales. An eclectic mix of European and Aboriginal history is on display in the many museums, art galleries, and festivals across the state. 

Check out Aboriginal rock art in the national parks, explore gold rush towns looking for precious gems, or even pay a visit to various filming locations. New South Wales has provided the backdrop for many famous movies, including Planet of the Apes and Mission Impossible. 

If your group is in the mood to experience more local produce after going on a wine tour, you may even be just in time for one of the state’s many famous beer and wine festivals, cultural festivals, and food festivals. 

 

Wildlife and Nature

What better way to spend your vacation than getting up close and personal with Australian wildlife and nature. New South Wales offers many different wildlife activities, such as whale watching, zoos, and sanctuaries. If you’ve never seen a koala or kangaroo, there are plenty of opportunities to get quite close to them and grab that first glimpse.

While you’re outside in nature, you could also be exploring some of the most famous waterfalls, such as Winifred Falls in the Royal National Park, and Belmore Falls in Kangaroo Valley. Travelers heading along the NSW Coast may even decide to take a break in one of over 100 ocean pools from Yamba to Bermagui. 

 

Winter Activities

Groups planning trips away from home often find that some of the most competitive rates are in winter. While the weather may not be easy to predict, you can at least be ready for winter activities. NSW is home to many standout ski resorts – even some of the largest in the southern hemisphere. Get your skis ready for over 60 miles of cross country trails at Perisher, or visit the highest ski field in Australia, Charlotte Pass. 

Life is all about making memories, and there’s no better way to do that than with your closest friends and family. While you’re planning your next group adventure in Australia, consider making the journey to New South Wales where wine tours, ski trips, cultural experiences, and more await your attention. 

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A Spectacular Las Vegas and Grand Canyon Road Trip

Las Vegas Grand Canyon Road Trip view

 

Every now and then while traveling, there comes a week when everything magically falls into place, with one remarkable experience after another. Some moments might have been planned, others spontaneous and several completely unexpected, but together, the result is almost hard to believe, in the best way possible.

That was my past week, while on a spectacular Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip.

It all began with…

 

The Las Vegas Experience

Despite the 118F (48C) temperatures, we roamed up and down The Strip each day, wandered in and out of the hotels and casinos and spent some time in the Arts District and at the Fremont Street Experience. We went to the wacky and trippy Meow Wolf Omega Mart art installation as well and paid a visit to Gorilla Sushi where we partook in their awesome all-you-can-eat sushi deal.

And we stayed at the renovated Flamingo Hotel & Casino, right in the center of the strip. The rooms were large, very comfortable and the location was perfect. During the week it was only $40 per night.

We also ended up in a helicopter thanks to Georgiana. One afternoon she had the random idea to take a sunset helicopter ride over the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and over The Strip. I think it went from being an idea to us being in a helicopter flying over Vegas in about 4 hours. And it was absolutely one of the best decisions we made as the views are brilliant to say the least! (We went with 5 Star Helicopter Tours. They were great and they offer cheap deals through Groupon.)

Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip helicopter

 

Next up on the Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip….

 

The Grand Canyon Experience

We rented a car, and left Vegas. First stop – the massive Hoover Dam. It was pretty interesting to walk across it but the heat was brutal and we didn’t stay long. A couple of hours later we took a fika break in the town of Kingman, Arizona. By sheer luck, we stumbled upon the absolute cutest little bakery (Cupcakes by Jan) run by the absolute cutest and most welcoming elderly woman, who happens to also bake some outstanding cupcakes. This was an excellent find.

Then we continued driving, eventually arriving at the wonderful Grand Hotel in the town of Tusayan, near the entrance to the one and only Grand Canyon National Park. The very next morning, off we went into the park…and I’m not sure what to say about it apart from ‘go there if you haven’t been!‘. The Grand Canyon is mesmerizingly beautiful to the point of absurdity.

We spent that night in the very pleasant little town of Williams, Arizona (there’s a wide range of accommodation here), located on famous Route 66. Here we walked along the main street, checking out the historic shops, saloons and eateries, many of which seem to be left unchanged from a hundred years ago.

Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip

 

After a solid sleep…

 

The Death Valley Experience

This day was surreal as well and not an original part of our Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip. As we were driving through Bullhead City on our way back to Las Vegas, we suddenly decided to go full force and continue on to Death Valley National Park. So, from Arizona to Nevada to California we went, and despite the driving time, we managed to arrive in the early afternoon.

Inside the park we visited Zabriskie Point (unique mountains and mud formations), Artists Palette (mountains full of colorful mineral deposits), Badwater Basin (lowest point in North America) and the Mesquite Sand Dunes (huge, silky desert sand dunes) as well as driving through a ton of other gorgeous landscapes.

The temperature did reach a ridiculous 130F (55C) though, so it was somewhat impossible to be outside the car for more than a few minutes at a time. But it also seemed to keep people away as we only encountered a handful of others during our entire time in the park, making the experience even more special.

Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley

 

So yes, this park is AMAZING. I had been to part of this park before but I honestly forgot that the landscapes were so damn otherworldly and mind-blowing. Again, AMAZING!

Finally, late that night, we pulled back into Las Vegas, promptly passed out in our hotel room and woke up the next day ready to fly back to Florida. And back in Florida is where I am now after that crazy, insanely memorable, ‘this is why I travel’, too-good-to-be-true kind of travel week!

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Britain’s Travel Industry Turns Out to Protest Government Restrictions

Jason Clampet  / Skift

The travel industry gathered at Westminster in London to protest on June 23. Jason Clampet / Skift

Skift Take: A united front came together for a “Travel Day of Action” — but it’ll take an extremely loud voice to convince policy makers to fast forward the proposed July 19 reopening date and pry open wallets for more cash handouts.

— Matthew Parsons

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Switzerland Hopes Europeans Can Fill Gap Left by Absent Asian Tourists

Manuel Hodel  / Unsplash

The Alpine region, known for the Matterhorn mountain, expects to welcome 15 percent more Germans and 20 percent more French guests this year. Manuel Hodel / Unsplash

Skift Take: The pandemic has been a wake-up call for the Alpine region, which now needs to rethink future marketing strategies to attract a broader base of visitors.

— Matthew Parsons

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British Tourists Return to Magaluf Despite the Caution of Locals

Chris  / Flickr

A Magaluf resort. The addition of the area to the UK’s travel green list means tourists from the area’s largest market are returning to the island. Chris / Flickr

Skift Take: Throughout the coronavirus lockdowns industry leaders asked the question “how will this crisis change travel habits?” For tourism-reliant destinations such as the Balearics, the answer is likely “not much.”

— Jason Clampet

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Meet New York City’s Director of Nightlife — Yes, That’s a Job

mehmet canli  / Flickr

The lights of the Big Apple are shining a little brighter these days with the prospect of a lot of tourist night owls returning. It’s Ariel Palitz’s job to ensure New York remains a nightlife capital of the world. mehmet canli / Flickr

Skift Take: New York City’s nightlife industry has always had a tough reputation filled with liabilities. Through the city’s official Office of Nightlife, Ariel Palitz is helping navigate the department through a viral pandemic and building the sector’s future by preserving its past.

— Dana Givens

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Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Branding Serves as Model for the Americas

Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada  / Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

Canada’s hard-hit indigenous tourism sector is looking to Canadian travelers this summer to help businesses recover. Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada / Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

Skift Take: At a time when travel demand for inclusion is on the rise — not to mention a global reckoning on racial equity — the Canadian government’s neglect of its once-robust indigenous tourism sector is clearly short-sighted. Will a new campaign find Canadians heeding a different call instead this summer?

— Lebawit Lily Girma

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Ryanair to Fight Italy’s ‘Illegal Aid’ to Alitalia Successor

Ralph Orlowski  / Reuters

A Ryanair aircraft stands on the tarmac at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport Germany, September 12, 2018. The airline will mount a fight to block Italian government funding of the airline poised to succeed Alitalia. Ralph Orlowski / Reuters

Skift Take: In a spat with parallels to U.S. airlines several years ago objecting to governmental aid to Gulf carriers, Ryanair will face the uphill fight of trying to block the Italian government’s funding of a new airline, Italia Trasporto Aereo.

— Dennis Schaal

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Airlines Double Down on Push for UK-U.S. Travel Corridor

hildgrim  / Wikimedia

Airlines are pushing the UK and U.S. governments to reopen travel this summer. hildgrim / Wikimedia

Skift Take: Faced with the prospect of a second lost summer across the North Atlantic, major airlines are doubling down on their push for the U.S. government to reopen transatlantic travel. First up is a renewed effort for the much talked about UK-U.S. travel corridor.

— Edward Russell

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