The residents of Tathra, Eden, Merimbula and their bracketing hamlets tend to find themselves in the right place at the right time more than your average human. Humpbacks hug the bays here in relatively prolific numbers, particularly abundant and frisky in the September-to-October migration.

Long summer’s days in the Shoalhaven region on the NSW South Coast normally pass in a sun-drenched parade of beach visits and drowsy, relaxing afternoons. But 2019/20 was the Shoalhaven’s lost summer, when the mammoth Currowan fires burned for a total of 74 days. For the 49 towns and villages that stretch across the region, the fires were a collective tragedy: even if individual locations weren’t directly impacted by the flames, they all felt the pain. For an area that relies on the summer season to sustain businesses and the local economy through the quieter winter months, the effects were devastating. But now it’s finally time to join the Empty Esky movement and head south to shop up big.

Less than five kilometres down the road from Bondi, the beachside suburb of Coogee offers up the perfect alternative to its scenic neighbour.

Living out your wildest dreams in the middle of the city is a cinch at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s luxe eco-conscious Wildlife Retreat. Comprising 62 rooms, the retreat, owned and operated by the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, offers privileged access to the zoo’s inhabitants, while promoting an agenda that leans satisfyingly towards education, conservation and sustainability.

Spend a weekend in Newcastle and find a city in the midst of a renaissance.

Byron Bay is fixed in most people’s imaginations as a laid-back coastal idyll. Sun, sea and surf in endless supply. But Byron Shire boasts more than just beaches. Heading inland from the coast to Byron’s lush hinterland will deposit you in any number of quaint villages and towns that are definitely worth exploration.

Considering what the town went through just a few days prior to Christmas 2019, when the vicious Grose Valley Fire threatened to engulf this tiny hamlet of roughly 665. Now is the perfect time to rediscover Bilpin, which is renowned for its apple and fruit orchards.

Located in the NSW Central Tablelands, less than three hours’ drive from Sydney, Bathurst has much more to recommend it than just fast cars.

With a main street lined with lovely heritage Federation-era buildings that hint at a prosperous past courtesy of the local banana and sugarcane industries, the town of roughly 9500 inhabitants is now attracting visitors with the strength of its coffee and the reputation of its regional art gallery.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, in NSW’s World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains region, had no choice but to close temporarily due to surrounding bushfires late last year but its reopening brought with it a renewed sense of purpose. As Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resort, Wolgan Valley prides itself on its symbiosis with, and respect for, nature and the environment.

The Central West city of Orange has many attributes: a boutique wine region, a long-established reputation as the food bowl of NSW, elegant Edwardian architecture and deciduous trees with riotous autumn leaves; it’s also the birthplace of Banjo Paterson. But now, an influx of tree changers and returning residents have also shaken up the city’s hospitality landscape, redefining Orange as a foodie destination not to be missed.

The Yass Valley presents the perfect long weekend escape to the country, complete with quaint towns, impressive cellar doors and quality cafes and restaurants using the abundant local produce.

Mudgee might just be the perfect country town – a place that balances old-school charm with plenty to satisfy the 21st-century palate. The NSW town is surrounded by rolling hills studded with vineyards that serve epicurean fare alongside their award-winning drops.

Halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, NSW’s Mid North Coast is the perfect road trip destination for families wanting to make classic summer holiday memories.

The Blue Mountains is the ultimate mini-break destination, just 90 minutes drive from Sydney. Boasting spectacular natural attractions and dazzling vistas, travellers can enjoy long bushwalks, scenic lookouts or simply retreat fireside to a cosy cottage. The best way to experience the compelling attractions of the Blue Mountains is on a road trip.

While the Grand Canyon in the United States is renowned as the largest canyon in the world, it often comes as a surprise to find out that the world’s second largest canyon can be found here in Australia. On the other side of the Blue Mountains to be precise, less than three hours’ drive from Sydney.

The Tweed Coast towns of Cabarita Beach, Hastings and Pottsville are the stuff of by-gone summer dreams. This cluster of sleepy seaside towns on the NSW Far North Coast have long been an under-the-radar treat for those in the know. Now the area is embracing its burgeoning hotspot reputation, but in a typically laid-back Tweed Coast kind of way.