Stretching from Port Stephens to the Queensland border the New South Wales Holiday Coast (North Coast) provides anything and everything you could desire from an all year round summer holiday. The region stretches from the ranges to the beaches covering twelve national parks and an unimaginable number of pristine golden beaches.

The Holiday Coast is impossible to visit without stepping foot on one of the golden beaches. The most well known beach towns along the coast include Foster, Old Bar, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Ballina and Byron Bay. There are also many more remote coves, inlets and beaches along the coast, which are even more spectacular if you have the time to spend looking for them.

The holiday Coast is not just about these magical beaches sprawled along the coast line, there is also a number of delightful and fascinating towns found off the coast line and through out the regional parts of this area. The well known towns found inland include Taree, Grafton, Dorrigo, Kempsey and Lismore as well as many smaller towns which all hold there own attractions and history that intrigue anyone who visits.

The centre of the holiday coast is Coffs Harbour, which is located about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. Coffs Harbour is famous for being the home of the Big Banana and also for its spectacular beaches. The tropical climate supports bananas, macadamia nuts, avocados and other fruit plantations. Nearby Dorrigo National Park is a haven for bushwalking and bird-life with many spectacular walks and views.

The surfside resort of Port Macquarie has a string of beautiful beaches and is also situated on the mouth of the Hastings River. This surfside town is a great stopping point when making a journey up or down the coast. Whether you stay an hour or a week there is always something to see or do that will make your stay a memorable one.

Taree is the perfect place for exploring the Manning River, which includes the highest waterfall in Australia. Nearby, Myall Lakes, Tea Gardens offers fantastic boating opportunities and is a natural refuge for pelicans, sea eagles, kangaroos and koalas.

Byron Bay is a very popular stop just south of the Queensland border. It is a casual and relaxed sea side destination popular with the young at heart. Its main attractions are the surf beaches, which are a favourite with young families. Byron also boasts a lighthouse, which is the most eastern point of Australia.

Ballina is located on the Richmond River. The town is most popular with tourists for its sailing and fishing and like anywhere else on the Coast, for its beaches.

Amongst the rugged headlands, wild rivers, golden beaches and untouched national parks you will find many small towns with stylish cafés, tasty restaurants, inviting pubs and warm friendly people. This region is truly a spectacular part of Australia and will leave all of its visitors with great memories.

New South Wales lies in the temperate zone and the climate is generally free from extremes of heat and cold. The greatest heat is usually experienced in the north west and out back regions of NSW. The coldest region is the Snowy Mountains, where winter frosts and snow are experienced over long periods. Rainfall varies widely over the state, gradually diminishing to an annual average of 180 mm in the far north west.

The climate along the coast is temperate and slightly humid in NSW and the temperatures get cooler the further south you travel along the coast. The deserts of the outback regions experience hot days and cold nights. Irregular floods and droughts occur in the north and western regions, some times due to the El Nino effect.