New South Wales
By no means the largest state in Australia, New South Wales is however the most populated. With the largest and oldest city in Australia, Sydney, at over 4.2 million people as well as the state’s capital, NSW is the most influential state in the country. From the northern border with Queensland to the southern border with Victoria the coastline is dotted with a number of main cities, and many smaller country towns. This coastal plain area as it is called is the most densely populated area of Australia. This is an area of beautiful beaches, and coastal rivers, and is generally quite flat. The northern coast is more famous for tropical fruit, macadamia nuts and coffee, whereas the southern coast is known for wonderful cheeses and dairy products. The Coastal Eastern Rainforest Reserve is World Heritage listed. The northern coastal area has a subtropical climate, whereas the southern coastal region has a cooler climate.
About 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the coast, you have the Great Dividing Range. Though not high compared to other countries of the world, this region is the highest in Australia and to the south of the state is the home to Mt Kosciusko, Australia’s highest mountain. Also in this region is the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains. Not so sparsely populated due to the terrain, there are a number of smaller country towns through the whole area. Due to the higher elevation, the temperatures are cooler and you can get snow in some of the areas during the winter, especially the southern section. To the west of the Great Dividing Range are the western slopes. This is the area of New South Wales with the most crop production and animal grazing. Even though less rain than the coastal areas, the temperatures are conducive to farming, and properties are spread out over large areas. This area has started to become a major wine producing region competing with the Hunter Valley.
To the west of this area is the desert area, (or beginning of the Outback) which is the largest area of New South Wales. With many of the areas devoid of rain, and extremely hot temperatures, there is not a lot that can survive out here. Cattle stations are huge, and towns are very sparse with large distances in between. The main town of Broken Hill, originally a mining town, is becoming a very trendy local art and crafts town. A train ride from Sydney, it is becoming very popular for east coasters to come for a visit, explore the many galleries and buy artwork.
The first area of Australia to be settled was Sydney Cove. This became home to the convicts from the First Fleet and subsequent transport ships from England, as well as officers and others needed to start a colony. Even though they endured many hardships, they managed to survive and Sydney became an important port city. Most of the convicts were given land when their terms were up, and eventually areas out of the main part of the then town were developed as these people moved to areas where they could grow crops or live off the land. They tended to move north or south, until the first explorers ventured over the Great Diving Range to find expansive areas of land suitable for farming. Not much happened with the desert areas for many years, until minerals were discovered and areas like Broken Hill opened up for mining. Overall it was a very harsh environment and these early settlers and convicts deserve credit for what they survived and what they achieved.
Over the past 200 years since being settled by the English, Sydney and the state have changed dramatically. Even though the most populated state and most influential, both Melbourne and Brisbane have been growing and developing and starting to give Sydney some competition. It is felt that Melbourne will overtake Sydney in population over the next 15 – 20 years. It is very rare that a traveler goes to Australia without visiting Sydney or a part of NSW, but with marketing/advertising and the Internet as well as better flight and train schedules there is now a lot of interest to go to other parts of Australia. However Sydney is the most convenient to get to, with the most flights and hotel rooms, and with the addition of more infrastructure, thanks in part to the 2000 Olympic Games, it is easy for travelers to get out of the city driving, and explore the other areas of the state. With the overall population of Australia increasing, especially due to immigration, people are finding more opportunities in other states that were not available before. However it will be a long time before Sydney and New South Wales lose the status and influence that they have.
Climate and Weather
The climate of New South Wales is temperate, characterized by hot and dry summers and cold and wet winters. Along the coast the most rainy months are between January and June, the average annual rainfall in this area is 900-1200 mm. Cold is the area of the Snowy Mountains, where during the winter (June to August) the mountains often cover of snow. The hottest area of the state is the north-west area, which is also the dry area with an average annual rainfall of only 180 mm.
The city of Sydney has a mild climate, with rains that are concentrated between January and June, with an annual average of 1,200 mm of rain. The average maximum temperature in Sydney, ranging between 26°C in January and 16°C in July, while the average minimum temperatures vary between 18°C in January and 8°C in July.
The best time for a trip to Sydney and New South Wales are the spring and summer months between September and December.
