8 Of The Friendliest Towns In New South Wales

In New South Wales, visitors can choose where and how they want to make a new friend. Sporty types may spend time getting to know people out on the waves, while creatives may head to a late night DJ set. Regardless, laid-back residents will gladly point guests toward local hotspots like Kiama's famous blowholes, which spout seawater with tremendous force. Back in town, festivals tap into all types of Australian pastimes, including bush rodeos, oyster shucking, surfing, and even offbeat hippie-themed music shows in art colonies. Travelers can feel welcome to join in on these festivities, or simply watch the magic unfold in the eight friendliest towns in New South Wales.

Nimbin

Nimbin is a small town full of character in New South Wales. It began as a logging community in the 1840s, before transitioning into a dairy community in the 1900s. In the 1970s, the Australian Union of Students descended on the town for a hippie music and art festival called the Aquarius Festival. Today, Nimbin is an offbeat hippie art colony, which hosts theatrical performances at the Nimbin Bush Theatre in the Old Butter Factory, and music events like Sonic Bloom. The countercultural community that grew after Aquarius also helped fuel rainforest-protection campaigns, which later contributed to the creation of Nightcap National Park.

Narooma

Narooma is located on the far southern coast of New South Wales. Its name is believed to come from the Yuin dialect, which means clear blue waters. Rising from the water are two incredible rock formations, known as the Glasshouse Rocks, sea stacks that formed between 510 and 440 million years ago. Not far from the rocks are igneous pillow lava flows, which came from an ancient underwater volcano. Both of these formations are located at Surf Beach. Those who like to go exploring further off the coastline can book a coastal tour via Montague Island Ventures to visit Montague Island, which is home to penguin colonies, more than 90 seabird species, and dolphins. Those who love seafood will want to check out the Oyster Festival, held annually in May, where visitors can sample the best oyster recipes.

Kiama

Kiama stands out for its unusual seawater blowholes, which shoot out ocean water from cliffside caves. The Kiama Blowhole shoots water at up to 25 meters (82 feet) in the air, drawing in 900,000 visitors eager to see it. This natural feature was formed by basalt lava flows, and it's one of two blowholes in town, with the Little Blowhole being smaller, but it spouts water more regularly. Many of Kiama's attractions are close to each other, such as the Kiama Lighthouse, built in 1887, which sits right next to the Pilot's Cottage Museum. The town has several beaches, such as Kendall's Beach and Surf Beach, for those who like to take part in one of Australia's national pastimes: surfing. In the winter, the town is transformed into a bright holiday paradise for the Kiama Winter Street Festival held in July.

Dubbo

Dubbo's name means red soil in the Wiradjuri Aboriginal language, which suits its origin as an agricultural settlement. Dubbo isn't a sleepy rural town, as it offers several fun and unusual activities, such as visiting a well-preserved 19th-century jail called the Old Dubbo Gaol. In this spot, visitors will experience a mixture of artifacts and actors who recreate several escape attempts during its long history. For a more uplifting story, visitors can go to the Flying Doctor Visitor Experience, which sends out healthcare workers to remote places in the outback to meet medical needs. Local markets, pubs, sporting clubs, and guided heritage attractions give visitors easy places to strike up a conversation. At the Observatory, the public can come out on clear nights to take in the beautiful night sky.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay sits on the coastline south of the Gold Coast. It's the most easterly point in mainland Australia, and is close to both thrill-seeking experiences and secluded beaches. One of the most popular beaches is at the Arakwal National Park, ideal for spotting white-bellied sea eagles and humpback whales. Hikers and bikers can go out on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, which goes through several coastal communities in New South Wales, passing through rainforests. Those who prefer to get an aerial view can see the town while performing a daring tandem skydive via Skydive Byron Bay. With its evocative scenery, Byron Bay inspires artistic expression at events like the Byron Bay Writer's Festival.

Mungindi

Mungindi is right on the Barwon River, making it the only town to sit on the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Due to this position, the town has two time zones and two police stations. Residents don't let that complexity get them down, as they have plenty of welcoming activities. Visitors can explore the Mungindi History Park, an open-air museum of pioneer machinery, and the charming Mungindi Sculpture Trail, featuring metallic animal sculptures made by artist Tony McMillan. They can also snap a photo by the border marker on a bridge crossing the Barwon River, and bring along a fishing pole to catch Murray cod and yellowbelly. Every August, the community comes out for the Mungindi Show, featuring a demolition derby, crocodile encounters, lawn mower races, and more.

Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge sits in the north-central section of New South Wales, in the outback. Its name comes from a story from the 1870s where locals discovered the bodies of a farmer, his dog, and sheep who had been struck dead by lightning. In reality, settlers struck a different kind of gold: opal. It's one of the biggest black opal mining towns in Australia and provides a range of mining tourism activities. For example, visitors can explore an old mine via the Opal Mine Adventure in Lightning Ridge, or they can see the beautiful opal specimens for themselves at the Australia Opal Centre, which displays fossils, black opals, and other gems. There are also charming roadside attractions in town, such as Amigo's Castle, which was built in the 1980s by an Italian immigrant. Every late July to early August, the town hosts the Lightning Ridge Opal & Gem Festival, with 180 vendors selling gemstones and handmade products.

White Cliffs

White Cliffs is another opal mining town, but farther west into the outback. What's different about White Cliffs is that many of the residents live underground to escape the scorching summer heat. Over time, residents have built a network of underground homes, mines, and visitor spaces that travellers can tour. One activity is taking the Red Earth Opal Underground Opal Mine Tour, featuring demonstrations of mining equipment. Visitors checking in for a trip can stay in an underground room at the White Cliffs Underground Motel. Above ground, on the White Cliffs Heritage Trail, one can find humorously named outhouses labeled as Somebody's Toilet, Nobody's Toilet, or Anybody's Toilet. Every April, folks gather back above ground for the White Cliffs Gymkhana and Rodeo, which has been going on for more than 130 years.

Actively Friendly

The friendliest towns in New South Wales know how to stay busy. In some cases, this means digging deep mines into the earth both to look for opals and to escape from the heat. In other cases, it means celebrating hippie heritage, skydiving above the coast, or just living right between two Australian states, in the case of Mungindi. All of these New South Wales villages and towns don't let their wild side get in the way of offering a solid welcome to visitors, whether that's by taking a tour of an old jail or meeting new friends at the diverse lineup of festivals to attend.