Places we love

Wybong, Upper Hunter Valley 

Gary Fishlock, Corporate Affairs 

Wybong is a tiny locale just west of Muswellbrook. My family used to go camping there on a sprawling property in the middle of the bush. You had to drive through several paddocks just to get to the camp site – a clearing by a bend in the gurgling creek, bordered by gum trees. It was a scene straight out of Banjo Paterson. At night, the deep velvety sky sprinkled with all those stars would fill me with awe and wonder. Whenever a gust of wind came rushing down the gulley, the sound of thousands of whispering leaves would gradually rise in a soft shushing crescendo, and hundreds of sparks would swirl up from the fire. 

As a kid I just assumed that everyone somehow had this kind of access to the landscape, but I now realise what a privilege it was. And this amazing place remains virtually unchanged even after all these years.

Girrahween Park, Sydney

Rosemary Pryor, Corporate Affairs

Girrahween Park near Earlwood is a special spot I’ve come to love over the years. It is a true oasis in the middle of inner suburbia with its native trees, vines and wildflowers in abundance and is home to many birds and our protected flying foxes.

The park’s walking track is only four kilometres (return) and is surprisingly quiet despite civilisation and a train line being only metres away. It’s well-shaded, offering refuge on a hot day and mini waterfalls form over the rocks after rain. I have fond memories of our children and their friends playing Lord of the Rings there, hiding behind boulders and calling along the cool creek bed.

The community has fought hard to keep the park. Its sheltered legacy always reminds me that the Bidigal clan belonged to this land. At either end of the track, you emerge magically, a bit like a time traveller, on to a grassed picnic ground. I always feel restored and have a sense of having been somewhere remote - more like the place I grew up in, far away from the city.

Currarong, south coast

Jill Sergeant, Governance, Risk & Planning

I’ve loved immersing myself in the cold turquoise waters of the NSW south coast since I lived there as a teenager. Now a city-slicker, I seized the opportunity to reconnect to the ocean and the bush when a friend invited me to buy into an on-site caravan at Currarong ten years ago.  

Currarong is a tiny village tucked on the ocean side of Beecroft Peninsula, the north head of Jervis Bay. I’ve spent many weekends there. I love it in all weathers and all seasons. In winter I sip tea from a thermos at the lookouts on the peninsula and in summer I plunge into the sea, only getting out to eat or sleep.  

I’ve snorkelled and kayaked and walked on the long beach that stretches towards Culburra, whale and dolphin-spotting. Underwater, I’ve seen a manta ray, a turtle, and a wobbegong shark. Above ground: countless roos, the occasional bandicoot and on one lucky occasion, an echidna. The air is also full of life. Lorikeets zoom between the caravans, pelicans and yellow-tailed cockatoos soar overhead.  

At Currarong, it’s easy to live completely in the moment, whether I’m floating over the reef, listening to the clicking of the sand shrimps, or kneeling on the rocky headland to photograph the flannel flowers. Currarong has helped me survive hard times. It’s a place where I can feel close to the loved ones I’ve lost – my brother, my mum, my son – and little by little, let its peace relieve my grief. 

Fitzroy Falls, southern highlands 

Suyog Shrestha, Regulatory Practice and Coordination 

My family’s favourite destination for a Sunday drive is the amazing Fitzroy Falls, in Morton National Park. While the Falls are the highlight, we like to make a whole day of it, to get the most of our journey into such a beautiful part of the state. 

We stop first in the town of Berry for morning tea (their donuts are famous!) and if it’s the first Sunday of the month check out the popular Berry markets. Then it’s on to the Falls, which are truly spectacular and in my opinion one of the many hidden jewels in NSW. They’re 81-metres high and can be viewed from different escarpment lookouts. Definitely worth checking out. The scenic drive back through the Macquarie Pass adds a final thrill to the day trip. 

Lake Illawarra (Elouera), Wollongong (Woolyungah) 

Kayla Williamson, Aboriginal Initiatives 

I am lucky enough to call one of the places I love home. When you come down the Escarpment off the Woronora Plateau and traverse through the thick eucalypt trees (gundhu) of Mt Ousley you are greeted with the sight of the beautiful ocean and land that connects to the escapement. As a child (kudjaguz) we were spoilt for choice on where to spend our weekends, most of which was down at one of the many beaches swimming.

When we were not at the beach we would be out on Lake Illawarra (Elourea) catching prawns. The lake is a source of food and has been for thousands of years. We used to catch many different fish (dhanj) that were found in the lake like flathead, whiting, brim, black fish, and tailor and then cook them up for everyone to enjoy. 

To share your favourite place to visit in NSW, email communications@epa.nsw.gov.au.