The Waterfall Way: Beyond the rainforest and beaches of the NSW mid-north coast rises the Great Dividing Range and the windswept Salisbury Plains of the New England tablelands, the jagged edge of which is split by countless jagged-edged gorges where, after rain, rivers rage and tumble over the edge, creating some of the most spectacular ‑ and highest ‑ waterfalls in the state. A spectacular two-day drive from Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour via the New England tablelands.
Story by Lee Atkinson

The King’s Castle: What do the Henry Parkes (the Father of Federation), Neil Armstrong (first man on the moon), Elvis (The King of Rock & Roll) and a retired Yellow Wiggle (Greg Page) have in common?  The answer may not seem obvious at first, but these four famous figures have converged in one of the most unlikely places – Parkes, in central western NSW.
Story by Lee Atkinson 

Streets of Gold: Some towns wear their heritage uncomfortably, other perfectly-preserved historical towns can feel like a theme park, but in Gulgong, the past doesn’t seem like such a different place at all. 130 of the buildings are listed by the National Trust, and wandering down crooked Mayne Street it feels like we have slipped back in time. Story by Lee Atkinson

Northern Indulgence: Forget about going on diet if you’re heading north this summer. The far north coast of NSW is famous for its tropical fruit and fresh produce, and has some seriously good eating options hidden away in the tiny seaside villages and hinterland hills and valleys.  From chocolate coated bananas and flutterbie cupcakes to pickled (Bangalow) pork, we pick the region’s top 10 foodie spots. Story by Lee Atkinson

Ettalong Beach: Often overlooked in favour of the busier, bolder and brassier Terrigal, Ettalong is a cheaper, less frenetic and more family-friendly option on the central coast.  The sheltered beach offers great paddling for kids, there are no parking issues (the hotel offers free valet parking) and there are plenty of cheap and cheerful cafes and restaurants in the village that offer a decent feed at family friendly prices.
Story by Lee Atkinson 

Walking Wild Sydney: You don’t have to go bush to go wild in Sydney. Sydney is home to some of the best urban walks in the world. We profile five of the best, all with breathtaking views. The beauty of all these walks however, is that even though you are only a few blocks away from suburbia, it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. Story by Lee Atkinson

Sydney in the swim: When the going gets hot the hot get wet. Forget about battling for towel space with the holiday hordes at Bondi this summer. We’ve got 10 of Sydney’s top spots to cool off covered, from the uncrowded and unknown beaches to harbour pools with a knockout view. Story by Lee Atkinson

Snowy Summer: Beat the summer heat, coastal traffic and crowded beaches this summer with a holiday in the Snowies. Summer, when the last of the winter snow has melted and the slopes are blanketed with wild flowers, is the perfect time to take a leisurely drive through the NSW Snowy Mountains.
Story by Lee Atkinson

Vine Night in Cowra: plenty of places promise to bed you down in the middle of the vines when what they really mean is that there is a paddock of grapes across the road, but at Tinnies at Back Creek Vineyard, the promise is real – you are literally surrounded by vines that reach right to your doorstep. Story by Lee Atkinson

Mungo Dreaming: Imagine bumping into a half-tonne wombat, two-and-a-half-metres long and more than a metre high? Or a three-metre high kangaroo? In the dark...  If you’d been sitting around eating shellfish on the shores of Lake Mungo in far western NSW around 45,000 years ago there would have been a pretty good chance of that happening, according to the fossil remains that have been unearthed in the dunes.
Story by Lee Atkinson

Mad Max returns: It may be 30 years since the first Mad Max movie burst onto the screen, but the tiny hamlet of Silverton, near Broken Hill, has made the most of it., trading on its fame. And as film director George Miller prepares to return to film the recently announced Mad Max 4, the outback towns seems set for stardom again. Meanwhile, Mad Max's car from the 1979 movie still attracts the tourists as it sits outside the Silverton Hotel. Story by Lee Mylne

Clifftop Sydney: A brand new boardwalk that hangs off the cliff edge south of Bronte means you can now walk from Coogee to South Head via Bondi and Watsons Bay without losing sight of the sea. Lace up your walkers, pack your swimmers and sunscreen and step out one of the best coastal walks in the world.
Story by Lee Atkinson

Getting high in the Warrumbungles: The best views are those you've had to work for, and the view from the Grand High Tops in the Warrumbungles near Coonabarabran is one of the best. It's tough five hour climb, but the views are worth it. It's just one of the highlights of this great national park in central western New South Wales. Story by Lee Atkinson

The oyster trail: Oysters. You either love them or hate them.  If you love them, head to the NSW mid-north coast, where a string of oyster farmers have opened up their doors to oyster lovers who know that fresh from the farm is best. Story by Lee Atkinson

Siren Song: There was more to Australian artist Norman Lindsay than his famous nudes, as visitors soon discover at Springwood, his lovely estate at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains. The National Trust property is home to a gallery housing Norman's many paintings, etchings, sculptures, ship models, books and furniture. The creative energy which drove him is as evident in the wonderful 20ha garden as it is in the house and studio. Story by Lee Mylne

At home in Sydney: Ever wanted to know how the other half used to live? We take a trip back in time and poke our noses into the genteel drawing rooms of the colonial elite, and the not-so-fancy parlours of the 19th-century working classes in this review of Sydney's historic houses, where the walls really can talk.
Story by Lee Atkinson

The Secret Coast: Chasing cows with our chardonnay was not quite what we had in mind when we decided to spend the weekend exploring the Macleay Valley and Coast, but it kind of sums up what you’ll find in this largely undeveloped part of the NSW north coast – city-smart sophistication with a down to earth attitude.
Story by Lee Atkinson

Newcastle Rocks: No longer a grey and grimy industrial city, Newcastle on the NSW central coast is super cool, oozing tough urban chic from every newly made-over workshed. Think Manchester with great surf! The city is now home to a host of funky designer shops, great beaches and some fantastic restaurants. A guide on what to do, where to eat and where to shop.
Story by Lee Atkinson

The Bucketts Way: If you’re looking for a good country drive that’s not too far out of Sydney then head for the rolling hills and twisting turns of the Bucketts Way between Karuah and Taree. This is a country road in its truest sense – there are bits that are more like a goat track than a highway, but most of the time there’ll be little traffic and the scenery is some of the prettiest you’ll find in country NSW. Story by Lee Atkinson

Hawkesbury Heaven: I'm dreaming of a little house on the Hawkesbury. Like Banjo Paterson, I'd like to leave the dusty, dirty city and head for a place where I could hear the “murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars…”. It's a daydream brought about by a day out with Australia 's Last Riverboat Postman.
Story by Lee Mylne

Grand Pacific Drive: Victoria has the Great Ocean Road with is iconic rock formations, Queensland has the Captain Cook Highway that twists along the coast between Cairns and Port Douglas, and now, with the recent opening of the 49-million-dollar Sea Cliff Bridge north of Wollongong, NSW finally has its own iconic coastal drive – the Grand Pacific Drive.
Story by Lee Atkinson

Sydney After Dark: If you think it's all about clubs and pubs, think again. A night out in Sydney can mean anything from the heights of the Harbour Bridge to stargazing or a guided tour "by diva". Be prepared to step outside the square and see Sydney as you've never seen it before. Story by Lee Mylne

Climbing Mount Gower: There’s no ignoring Mount Gower on Lord Howe Island, a tiny speck of an island 550km east of Port Macquarie. The rocky flat-topped peak’s image is on all the postcards, in all the books, its likeness stamped on all the souvenirs, incorporated into most of the logos of the island’s businesses, printed on all the t-shirts. Including mine, which says “I climbed Mount Gower, and survived.”
Story by Lee Atkinson

Young at Heart : There's always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to gawk at in Sydney . So take the kids along and discover the family-friendly side of the big city's myriad attractions and colourful characters. Story by Lee Mylne

Life’s a beach: one of Port Macquarie’s unknown gems is the two-hour beach-to-beach walk from Lighthouse Beach to the centre of town.  Nowhere else will you find deserted beaches and such wild windswept headlands this close to a large town. Story by Lee Atkinson

Silver City Highway: If you want a taste of the outback but don’t have a four-wheel drive, there’s really only one place to go, up the Silver City Highway to Tibooburra and Cameron Corner – the place where three states, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, meet. Story by Lee Atkinson

Good Mail on Sydney : A red pillar box stands in the courtyard of Sydney 's Westin Hotel, a brilliant splash of colour against the sandstone walls behind it. The post box is an almost unnecessary reminder that for more than a century the building at 1 Martin Place was Sydney 's General Post Office. Story by Lee Mylne

Armidale’s treasures: It’s one of the country’s best kept secrets.  Hidden away in dimly-lit back room of a small gallery in Armidale in north-western NSW is one of the country’s best collections of Australian art.  Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Norman Lindsay, Lionel Lindsay, Julian Ashton, William Dobell, Lloyd Rees, J.J. Hilder, Margaret Preston, Thea Proctor… the list reads like the catalogue of a block buster national exhibition, but the priceless works of these great Australian artists are just the tip of the iceberg. What makes it even more extraordinary is how all this art came to be in Armidale in the first place. Story by Lee Atkinson

The Lakes Way: Just an hour’s drive north of Newcastle, three hours north of Sydney, the region known as the Great Lakes is one of NSW’s unsung treasures.  Here, a narrow strip of palm and fern-covered land separates a dazzling undeveloped stretch of coastline from a shimmering expanse of shallow inland waterways that connect the three large lakes that give this region is name: the magnificent Wallis, Smiths and Myall lakes. Story by Lee Atkinson

Hill Song: Port Macquarie is one of the most popular holiday spots on the NSW north coast.  And rightly so.  There’s a wealth of convict and colonial history, a string of beautiful beaches, lots of choice when it comes to accommodation and some great fishing spots.  But the strip of green that flanks the golden coastline of the Greater Port Macquarie area is one of the state’s best kept secrets. Hidden in the hills, valleys and forests is a wealth of history and stunning natural attractions. 
Story by Lee Atkinson