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Armidale Visitor Information Centre

Tourist information & services armidale , armidale regional , new south wales.

Armidale, located in the New England High Country, has an abundance of sights and activities, something for everyone regardless of age or fitness level. The region is home to spectacular waterfalls and gorges, award-winning cool-climate wineries, boutique shopping, award-winning coffee shops and restaurants, elegant cathedrals, pastoral homesteads and other heritage buildings, fascinating museums and galleries as access to world heritage natural wonders.

You can choose from guesthouses, bed and breakfast and farm stay accommodation, motels, caravan parks, and camping for your accommodation needs.

Around Armidale, there are several interesting half and full-day trips to surrounding centres such as Uralla – haunt of the famous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, Walcha – with its spectacular sculptures and Guyra – top of the range.

The Armidale Visitor Information Centre is open seven days per week. Pop in and have a chat with a local.

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Nearby Accommodation

New England Motor Inn

Armidale, Armidale Regional

The Studio Armidale

Moore Park Apartments

3-bedroom apartment – Central Armidale

White Lanterns Motel

Also in this location.

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Home » Travel Guides » Australia » 15 Best Things to Do in Armidale (Australia)

15 Best Things to Do in Armidale (Australia)

The picture perfect city of Armidale is posted high in the Northern Tablelands, where there’s a soft climate and four distinct seasons.

Growing in the Armidale’s urban parks are deciduous trees that put on a dazzling display of reds and yellows in autumn.

East of Armidale the landscape becomes rugged and wild, and Waterfall Way will carry you to an astounding concentration of national parks, flush with rainforest, waterfalls and awesome rock formations.

Armidale is loaded with refined 19th-century architecture, so much in fact that you’ll need to set aside a whole morning for a heritage tour, on foot or by bus.

And in that vein, the city’s outskirts are home to sumptuous homesteads harking back to the days of pastoralists.

1. Waterfall Way

Armidale is at the western end of a 185-kilometre road twisting through the rainforest-covered slopes of the Great Dividing Range until it reaches the Pacific Highway at the coast.

Without question, Waterfall Way is one of the most beautiful drives you can make in Australia, which is saying something for a country overflowing with majestic scenery.

The road takes you through or next to seven national parks, three of which have UNESCO World Heritage status.

Point to point, the journey will take 2.5 hours, but you could give yourself a day, hiking in rainforest, stopping at dumbfounding lookouts and marvelling at the waterfalls that give the road its name.

We’ll cover some of the highlights near Armidale in this list.

2. Wollomombi Falls

The most astonishing scene on the Waterfall Way is a simple drive east of Armidale.

Off the main road, at the northern tip of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, the Wollomombi River plummets more than 100 metres into a gorge in single drop.

The total descent is as much as 230 metres, putting Wollomombi Falls among the two or three tallest waterfalls in Australia.

The time to make the trip is after a period of heavy rainfall in the rainy season, and you can make the short hike to the picnic area and lookout to view the falls from a platform projecting out over the gorge.

You’ll find information boards, a picnic/barbecue area in the shade of yellow box and red gum, and a trail leading you off to the neighbouring Chandler falls.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park holds more than 350 different animal species, among them the largest population of endangered brush-tailed rock wallabies.

3. Self-Guided Heritage Walk

At the Armidale Visitor Information Centre you can army yourself with a leaflet for a stroll past the many fine old buildings sprinkled around the city centre.

There are 34 stops along the route, and the oldest of the monuments go back to the 1850s.

Some of the many wonderful sights on the way include the New England Hotel (1897), the State Bank (1889), the Ursuline Convent (1877), Saints Mary & Joseph Cathedral (1912), the Town Hall (1883), the St Kilda Hotel (1863), the Court House (1860) and the Post Office (1880). For extra insight you can also opt for a guided walk, or hop aboard the 2.5-hour Heritage Bus Tour, departing from the visitor information centre at 10:00, Monday to Saturday.

4. New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM)

The regional gallery in Armidale is a heavyweight, boasting the second-largest public collection in the state.

This adds up to more than 4,500 works, from the 1880s to the present, and representing every major movement in Australian art from landscape painting to contemporary art via Impressionism, Modernism, installation art and more.

Just some of the luminaries in the collection include Nora Heysen, Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston, Tom Roberts and James Gleeson.

You can gaze on this art and travelling exhibitions at six galleries, while there’s also a Museum of Printing with an important trove of presses, bookbinding equipment, guillotines and types from the 1850s to the early-20th century.

5. Ebor Falls

At Guy Fawkes National Park on Waterfall Way is yet another stupendous natural sight, where the Guy Fawkes River drops over four magnificent tiers of basalt.

These are the Ebor upper falls, standing a total of 115 metres in height, while 600 metres downriver there’s another drop at the more restrained lower falls, which have Permian sedimentary geology.

There’s a walking track between both falls, installed with three lookouts for perfect views of the waterfalls and the rugged, wooded scenery of the gorge.

Come in summer and you’ll find a variety of rare ground orchids and golden everlasting daisies in flower around the upper falls, and if you keep one eye on the sky you may see a wedge-tailed eagle swooping past.

6. Cathedral Rock National Park

Another recommended stop on Waterfall Way is this park containing Round Mountain, the highest peak in the New England Tablelands.

This domed basalt peak is part of the eastern escarpment of the Northern Tablelands, and rises to 1,586 metres.

But the main draw in the park is the granite geology, and scrambling over the extraordinary piles of enormous boulders at Woolpack Rocks and Cathedral Rock.

These granites were formed deep beneath the earth’s surface some 270 million years ago and as the surrounding landscape has been weathered down, they have been left stranded as tors on summits.

The namesake Cathedral Rock is nothing short of spectacular, at 200 metres in height and one kilometre long.

7. Booloominbah

In the north-west of Armidale, the University of New England is built around an exquisite mansion completed in 1888. Booloominbah is one of the region’s finest pieces of heritage, designed in the Federation Arts and Crafts style by John Horbury Hunt and built for the pastoralist White family as a summer residence.

The university came later, in the 20th century, and now the property is the backdrop for UNE graduation ceremonies on the lawn.

The house was designed according to the teaching and philosophy of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites, and is rich with stained glass and hand-made and painted fittings.

There are also lots of conveniences that were ahead of their time in the 1880s, like gas lighting, mechanical bells, running water and several staircases so residents and staff didn’t have to cross paths.

As soon as you go in you’ll be in the Main Hall, which has an impressive Gothic Revival oak mantelpiece.

The house is now used for administration and university events, but the Brasserie at Booloominbah serves gourmet breakfast and lunch, and fresh barista coffee.

8. Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place

Next door to the regional art gallery is an attraction introducing you to the region’s rich Aboriginal arts and culture.

You can check out selections from the centre’s collections of artefacts, paintings and photography, and view regular touring exhibitions from major institutions across Australia.

With a guided tour you’ll learn how to interpret Aboriginal art, and the complex way it represents the land, sea, wildlife and the Dreaming.

There’s also an interactive corner specially designed for children, as well as a music section, a space where you can watch footage and a bush tucker walk.

The gift shop abounds with handmade paintings and arts and crafts.

9. Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral

Perhaps Armidale’s standout landmark is a sumptuous Gothic Revival cathedral with a spire 47 metres tall.

The church was completed in 1912 after just two years of construction, and is composed almost entirely of locally fired polychrome bricks, with Sydney sandstone for the piers and some dressings like east window and porch.

You don’t need to be devout to spend a moment or two in the spell of the main facade, and its intricate brickwork, the quatrefoil tracery on the main window and the niche images of Mary with child and Joseph.

If you go in, you can soak up the profuse stained glass, the double hammer beam ceiling from Australian red cedar, the chancel arch and the sanctuary, carved from marble.

10. Saumarez Homestead

Past Armidale’s south-western outskirts is a National Trust homestead that took shape between 1888 and 1910 when the White family was in residence.

There are 16 buildings on 10 hectares of land, counting stables, a milking shed, a slaughterhouse, horse yards and a blacksmith’s shop.

The main house is an opulent Federation Edwardian-style mansion, on two storeys and with 30 rooms.

You can tour the interiors, which abound with original Edwardian furnishings, and take a look around those historic outbuildings to view a large collection of manual and mechanical farm equipment.

The grounds are a delight too, and Mary White’s garden features a picking garden, heritage rose garden and a cottage garden.

The homestead paints an evocative picture of turn-of-the-century pastoral life, and you’ll need to allow half a day to do this place justice.

11. Central Park

The land for this beautiful urban park was allocated as far back as 1874, and some 150 years later Central Park holds onto many of its Victorian features.

There are historic links to the Saints Mary & Joseph Cathedral opposite, as the park was partially designed by the Capuchin lay brother Francis Gatti (1833-1891), and many of his original plantings remain today.

One compelling piece of heritage is the band rotunda, built in 1902 to commemorate the Boer War, while in 1922 a section of the park was redesigned to host Armidale’s WWI memorial.

On a sunny day the park’s mature trees afford lots of shade, and come autumn the colours are gorgeous.

12. Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve

Back out in the granite scenery of the Northern Tablelands about 20 minutes west of Armidale there’s a 600-hectare reserve protecting the imposing mass of Mount Yarrowyck.

A light three-kilometre walking track beckons you into one of the last remaining tracts of natural bushland on the Northern Tablelands’ western slopes, in a landscape strewn with giant boulders.

What makes the walk so special is that the reserve is in the traditional lands of the Anaiwan people who have left rock art visible from the trail.

This dates to between 150 and 500 years old and is shielded from the trail by a timber barrier.

13. Drummond Apex Lookout

The best place to watch the sun go down in Armidale is at this rise above Drummond Park in the north of the city.

From here you can see across the city as it climbs gently from the opposite bank of the Dumaresk Creek, picking out landmarks on the skyline like the spire of Saints Mary & Joseph Cathedral.

Neat the lookout there’s a memorial column for the politician David Drummond (1890-1964), who moved to Armidale aged 17 and remained here for the rest of his life.

14. Bicentennial Arboretum

There’s even more public green space on the west side of town at this calming, heritage-listed park.

Growing at the Bicentennial Arboretum are thousands of native and exotic shrubs and trees, and this is yet another place in Armidale to see leaves turn to red and gold in autumn.

One charming piece of landscaping is the pond, fed by a set of cascades that can be turned on with a button.

There are ample picnic and barbecue facilities, while the children’s playground was reworked in 2016.

15. Monckton Aquatic Centre

For some inexpensive fun on a hot day there’s always the Monckton Aquatic Centre, right by the shops at Armidale Central.

There are four outdoor pools at this complex, including one 50m competition pool with a grandstand, a 50m training pool, a learners’ pool and an expansive area for toddlers to splash in.

All of the pools are heated to 25°, and if you’re resident or staying in Armidale for an extended time you can get discount passes for 10, 20 or 50 visits.

15 Best Things to Do in Armidale (Australia):

• Waterfall Way
• Wollomombi Falls
• Self-Guided Heritage Walk
• New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM)
• Cathedral Rock National Park
• Booloominbah
• Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place
• Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral
• Saumarez Homestead
• Central Park
• Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve
• Drummond Apex Lookout
• Bicentennial Arboretum
• Monckton Aquatic Centre

• Adventure Cycling
• Caravans & RVs
• Clubs & Cars
• Motorcycling
• Soundtrails
• Accommodation
• Getting Here
• Brochures, Maps & Guides

The Ultimate Travel Guide for Armidale

The capital of australia’s new england region, armidale is a city that feels like a big country town. and as a gateway to gorge and waterfall country, it’s full of natural wonders..

Home Our Stories The Ultimate Travel Guide for Armidale

Walk down wide leafy streets lined with heritage architecture, see great Australian art, discover local craft breweries, and visit some of NSW’s most spectacular waterfalls:  Armidale , Australia’s highest city, has a lot to discover both in town and out in nature, with more than 500 kilometres of rivers and waterfalls on its doorstep.

Wander through Beardy St and explore Armidale. (Image: Destination NSW)

When to visit Armidale

Autumn and spring are the most spectacular times to visit Armidale, as that’s when the town is transformed by rich autumn leaves and spring blooms.

Summer days are usually nice and warm rather than too hot, with average tops of around 26°C followed by cool (and sometimes even cold) nights.

Discover the city of Armidale. (Image: Destination NSW)

Winter temperatures can drop below freezing and have an average top of 12°C. Frosty mornings that turn into blue-sky days are perfect for brisk bushwalks and relaxing around open fires, and while snow is a relatively rare occurrence, you may still catch a dusting during your stay.

How to get to Armidale

Planes, trains and automobiles are all possible options when heading to this charming New England hub.

ARMIDALE AIRPORT

Both Qantas and Rex offer flights to Armidale from Sydney, while Link (formerly Fly Corporate) flies from Brisbane to Armidale.

The airport is also the closest commercial airport for local towns including Glen Innes, which is just over an hours’ drive north, and Uralla, which is 12-minute drive south.

TRAVELLING FROM SYDNEY TO ARMIDALE

There are two main ways to drive from Sydney to Armidale;  Thunderbolts Way  is 475 kilometres and takes just under six hours, travelling through Gloucester and  Walcha , while the New England Highway takes about 15 minutes longer to travel 513 kilometres through the Upper Hunter to  Tamworth  then on to Armidale.

Taking the scenic drive along Thunderbolts Way is a great way to get to Armidale. (Image: Destination NSW)

If you prefer to go the longer, more waterfall-dotted route, you can travel up the Pacific Highway to Urunga and  join the Waterfall Way , which will take around seven and a half hours and cover 670 kilometres.

Discover more natural treasures along the Waterfall Way at Gara Gorge in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. (Image: Harrison Candlin)

You can also hop on a train from Sydney’s Central Station and watch the world go by for eight hours. Unfortunately Armidale is the end of the line, so if you’re travelling from the north you’ll need to fly or drive; from Brisbane, it takes five and a half hours and 465 kilometres down the New England Highway.

Armidale accommodation

An Art Deco hotel, a historic guesthouse and a pet-friendly caravan park are just some of the ways to stay in and around Armidale.

ARMIDALE HOTELS AND MOTELS

Tattersalls hotel armidale.

Step back in time at  Tattersalls Hotel Armidal e , where a multi-million dollar renovation has transformed the old hotel back into an Art Deco beauty. Walk up the sweeping walnut staircase to the stylish guest lounge and luxurious guest rooms, then look out onto the open-air Beardy Street Mall from an enclosed balcony, where you can relax and stay warm on chilly days.

The Tattersalls Hotel is the perfect spot for the discerning traveller and local alike. (Image: Destination NSW)

RYDGES ARMIDALE

A 15-minute stroll from the centre of town, the 4.5-star  Rydges Armidale  has 57 luxury rooms which all feature block-out curtains, coffee pod machines and marble bathrooms stocked with ThankYou amenities. There are two Tesla Destination Chargers, and the hotel’s dining options include the Mediterranean-inspired  Azka Restaurant  and Azka Wine & Tapas Bar.

COUNTRY COMFORT ARMIDALE

Just across the road from the heritage-listed Central Park,  Country Comfort Armidale  has 42 rooms; each includes a work desk, flat screen TV, refrigerator, toaster and microwave. There’s off-street car parking, and the motel has a laundry with washing and drying facilities.

ARMIDALE GUESTHOUSES

Petersons guesthouse & winery.

Petersons Guesthouse  has seven rooms in a historic homestead just outside of Armidale. Each room comes with a king bed, antique furniture and heated bathroom floors, and some have clawfoot tubs or full-size spa baths. The winery’s cellar door is found in the homestead’s stables across the garden, and guests can choose their preferred drop for dinner at a wine tasting before coming back to relax by the fireplaces in the Great Hall.

The historic grounds of the Petersens Guesthouse & Winery were established in 1911. (Image: Destination NSW)

LOLOMA B&B

Loloma  is a boutique B&B in one of Armidale’s most beautiful houses, just a few minutes’ walk from the heart of town. Originally built in 1882, the home has retained many of its late Victorian features, including marble mantles, cedar joinery, ornamental fireplaces and iron lacework. There are two large and well-appointed suites, a light-filled glass conservatory for breakfast, and a swimming pool for the warmer months.

ARMIDALE CARAVAN PARKS AND TOURIST PARKS

Armidale tourist park.

Looking for pet-friendly accommodation?  Armidale Tourist Park  has cabins with pet-proof furniture so four-legged friends can sleep inside or out. It’s also kid friendly, as there’s a pool, jumping pillow, tennis court, ping pong and a playground, all set across 14 acres. Campers and caravanners can choose between grassed and slabbed powered and unpowered sites, and cabin and villa options cater for anywhere between two and nine guests.

BIG4 HIGHLANDER VAN VILLAGE

BIG4 Highlander Van Village  offers powered and tent sites along with cottages and cabins, including log-style cabins for two, and a four-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin that can sleep up to eight. Set at the edge of town, the park has a swimming pool and recreation room, as well as a camp kitchen, barbecue area and laundry facilities.

Armidale restaurants and cafes

Stylish restaurants, cosy cafes and Napoli-style pizza nights are just some of your options when dining in Armidale.

TATTERSALLS HOTEL ARMIDALE RESTAURANT

With its fine Art Deco lines, the Tattersalls Hotel Armidale is a beautiful place to enjoy a coconut margarita, mango sherbet martini, or perhaps a more traditional cocktail in the lounge. Afterwards, move to your table where the fine dining menu includes baked herb-crusted barramundi and Wagyu tenderloin Wellington rolled in prosciutto. Prefer a more casual bite? Take a seat in the hotel’s pizza garden and peruse the garden bar and pizza menus.

Wine and dine at the Tattersalls Hotel Armidale. (Image: Destination NSW)

THE GOLDFISH BOWL

At  The Goldfish Bowl  they bake their own organic bread, roast their own specialty coffee, source fresh sustainable ingredients from local suppliers, and serve a lot of happy customers.

It is easy to spot the colourful facade of the Goldfish Bowl cafe in Armidale.

Get a seat inside where you can watch the wood-fired oven at work, or sit outside in the grapevine-covered courtyard. It’s open for breakfast every day, lunch Monday to Friday, and for pizza night on Fridays.

Get breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Goldfish Bowl and recharge your batteries before exploring Armidale even more. (Image: Destination NSW)

SIGNOR VERTELLI

The pizza love continues at  Signor Vertelli , where Napoli-style pizzas are created with a mix of organic flour and ancient grains for a more earthy taste. Diners can choose pizzas from a seasonally changing menu that can include eggplant and guanciale (pork cheek) options, then sit back and watch their wood-fired pizza baking in a handmade and Naples-designed Stefano Ferrara pizza oven.

Armidale pubs and bars

Whitebull hotel.

Whether you’re after a chicken schnitty or fancy trying a green Thai jackfruit curry, the  Whitebull  is the place to be. As well as having a broad menu to choose from, the pub has a great selection of beers on tap – there are 26 craft, regular, imported and ginger beer options – as well as an extensive wine list (and a large couch in front of the fire for those fast enough to grab it).

GREAT HOPS BREWING CO.

Get to know local boutique beers over tacos, burgers and wings at  Great Hops Brewing Co ., found just outside Armidale on Old Inverell Road. The team takes classic beer styles from around the world, puts an Aussie spin on them, and has some fun with the names. Where better to drink the Armidale-made mid-strength ale called the Ar-Mid-Ale?

THE WELDER’S DOG

While you can now find Welder’s Dogs in Tamworth and Inverell, you can pull up a seat in the bar where it all began in Armidale. At  The Welder’s Dog  original craft beer bar you can BYO food or choose a light bite from the fridge while enjoying your beer or hard lemonade. You can also take a tour of the brewing headquarters and sip a beer in the Brew Bar, which is a five-minute drive away.

Enjoy a drink at Welder’s Dog. (Image: Destination NSW)

Welder’s Dog has a wide range of local and regional spirits available for you to taste.

Things to do in Armidale

Adrenaline junkies, history buffs, art admirers and nature lovers all have something to look forward to on a visit to Armidale.

THE BIG CHILL FESTIVAL

The Big Chill Festival  brings locals and visitors together in Civic Park to celebrate the changing seasons as Armidale heads into winter. Bundle up with your beanie and scarf to gather around fire pits, listen to live music and tuck into slow cooked BBQ and gourmet steak burgers. You can get your ice skates on for a spin around the outdoor skating rink, browse local boutique craft and trade stalls, and sample local craft beers, wine and gin.

SEE WATERFALLS AND GORGES

Just outside Armidale, the  Oxley Wild Rivers National Park  is home to one of the largest gorge systems in Australia. It’s made up of a combination of World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest and dry forest, lush valleys and rocky outcrops, winding rivers and dramatic waterfalls.

Get your steps in on Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and admire the beautiful views the park has to offer you at the same time. (Image: Harrison Candlin)

Visitors can go hiking, swimming, canoeing and fishing, or simply take in the views from platforms close to the car parks.

Stopping at Edgars Lookout to watch the scenic views of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is a must-do. (Image: Destination NSW)

The best waterfalls near Armidale can be found to the south and east of town. Drive 20 minutes south to  Dangars Falls , where you can see water plunging 120 metres into the ravine below; there are several viewing platforms, including some close to the car park. Another platform sits at the top of the falls, where you can sometimes feel the mist on your face as the water tips over the edge of the cliff.

Dangar Falls are ones not to miss, so make sure you add it to your to-do list. (Image: Harrison Candlin)

Head back to Armidale and east along the  Waterfall Way  to see Wollomombi Falls (at more than 220 metres, these are the highest in NSW) and the two-tiered beauty of Ebor Falls.

Ebor Falls is a great stop on your way and offers spectacular waterfall views, scenic lookouts, and a great picnic area. (Image: Harrison Candlin)

HELICOPTERS AND VINTAGE PLANES

See the waterfalls and gorges from above in a helicopter or vintage plane with  Fleet Adventures . Choose whether you want the doors on or off the helicopter and watch farmland give way to wild gorge country; when you’re not flying over waterfalls, you may spot brumbies and eagles.

Get ready to take off and fly over Armidale’s most stunning nature. (Image: Destination NSW)

Perhaps you’d like to take in the views from a Warbird plane? You can feel the wind on your face in an open cockpit Boeing Stearman, or sit back in comfort in a WWII T6 cockpit. If you really want to get the adrenalin pumping you can buckle up for an aerobatic adventure and do loops, barrel rolls and more on your flight.

VISIT ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

Among the best regional galleries in Australia, the  New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM)  is home to one of the most significant art collections outside our capital cities. Between the gallery’s Howard Hinton, Chandler Coventry and NERAM collections it holds more than 5000 pieces of historical, modern and contemporary pieces from artists including Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston, Brett Whiteley, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Pay a visit to Armidale’s New England Regional Art Museum and emerge yourself in all things arts.

Next door at the  Armidale & Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place (ACCKP)  you can learn about local Indigenous history and life today; join a tour or just take a look around their latest art exhibition and permanent collection of artefacts. Groups can also book in for workshops, which can include weaving, crafts and Aboriginal history classes.

Learn about local Indigenous history and life today at the Armidale & Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place (ACCKP).

The University of New England’s  Natural History Museum  displays botanical, geological, zoological and paleontological specimens from around the world. It’s also home to a reconstruction of one of Australia’s newest dinosaurs, known as ‘Lightning Claw’.

SAUMAREZ HOUSE

Follow the road past the Armidale airport and you’ll find the Edwardian mansion  Saumarez House . On Wednesdays and Sundays you can take a guided tour of this grand, 30-room home that was built between 1888 and 1906, which is still filled with its original furniture. Head out to see 19th century tools in the outbuildings, then stroll through the homestead’s rose garden, where 600 heritage roses grow.

Fancy a trip back to the past? Visit the mansion and learn more about Armidale’s history. (Image: Destination NSW)

TAKE A HERITAGE TOUR

Be taken on a historical journey around Armidale on a  Guided Heritage Tour . Expect lively and at times personal commentaries from your guides as you slowly drive past key buildings, including cathedrals, hotels, schools and monuments. Tours run Monday to Saturday; they start at the Armidale Visitor Information Centre at 10am and return around 12.30pm. There is no set price, although a $10 donation is recommended.

Discover more about Armidale.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the New England High Country region and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders – past, present and emerging – and acknowledge the important role Indigenous Peoples continue to play within the New England High Country community.

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Armidale Area

Heaven in the high country.

This picture-postcard university town is the main hub of the wildly beautiful New England High Country. With wide leafy streets and heritage architecture, the town itself is a delight, but add in world-class rock-climbing sites, a booming wine industry, a great regional gallery and four national parks, and you’ve got a destination where you’ll feel deeply connected to the land – and yourself.

Explore Glen Innes & Inverell

Tenterfield

Historic towns & villages

The picture-postcard town of Armidale is the main hub of the New England region. It’s home to grand cathedrals and a world-class university, with wide, leafy streets lined with heritage buildings. The historic towns of Guyra , Walcha and Uralla are all an easy scenic drive from Armidale.

Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral, Armidale

Art & history

Home to treasured grazing land, this region is rich in history and heritage. Hop aboard with Armidale Heritage Tours or set off on a self-guided walking tour and explore historic buildings, cathedrals and well-preserved country pubs. Visit Hillgrove Museum for fascinating memorabilia and photographs in the old Hillgrove School built in 1897. 

The Hillgrove Museum , Hillgrove - Credit: Armidale Regional Council

See comprehensive Australian art collections at the New England Regional Art Museum , while the Armidale Art Gallery features works by local artists and holds the Armidale Art Prize each year. Discover local Aboriginal arts, culture and heritage at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place  in Armidale.

New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), Armidale

Wineries & cellar doors

The burgeoning New England wine region now has over 40 high-altitude wineries producing exceptional cool-climate chardonnay, riesling and shiraz. With four distinct seasons, the Armidale area is particularly beautiful in autumn when the tree foliage changes to a rich palette of red and orange.

Petersons Armidale Guesthouse & Winery , Armidale

Outdoors & adventure

The region has four national parks that form part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area: the New England National Park , the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park , the Cunnawarra National Park and the Werrikimbe National Park . For spectacular views, take a helicopter joy flight with Fleet Adventures .

Wollomombi Falls , Wollomombi - Credit: Armidale Visitor Information Centre

Explore the endless natural attractions in the great outdoors such as bushwalking, kayaking, rafting, fishing, rock climbing and mountain biking. Follow the misty curves of the Eagles Nest Walking Track or camp beside the towering Wollomombi Falls . Waterfall Way is one of the world’s most scenic drives through five national parks.

Getting there

Getting to the Armidale region is easy. It’s halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, with the drive from each under six hours. You can also take the train directly from Sydney, which takes around eight hours. There are regular flights into Armidale Airport, a 10-min drive from the centre of Armidale. Places to stay include luxury B&Bs, farm stays, lodges, motels, camping and caravan parks.

Fly into Armidale Airport

Armidale Airport is only 6km from Armidale’s city centre. Use the taxi services available at the terminal to make the short trip northeast along the New England Highway. Alternatively, rent a car from the hire services available at the airport and explore the region at your own pace. 

QantasLink  flies direct from Sydney daily.  Link Airways  operates direct flights between Armidale and Brisbane six days a week.

Travel inspiration

The best winery restaurants in NSW

The most unique stays in NSW’s New England region

A guide to NSW’s incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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Destination NSW acknowledges and respects Aboriginal people as the state’s first people and nations and recognises Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners and occupants of New South Wales land and water.

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VisitNSW.com is the official tourism site for Destination NSW. © Copyright 2024 Destination NSW. All rights reserved

• Maps and guides

Whether you’re travelling through the Armidale region by car, motorcycle, or caravan/RV, our brochures, maps and guides available online here or in person at our Visitor Information Centres are great resources for experiencing the region.

Visitor Guide & Map Download 11 MB PDF

If you only have time to explore one scenic drive, Tourist Drive 17 is named the Best of the New England for a reason. From Armidale, Tourist Drive 17 winds along the picturesque Waterfall Way and through World Heritage-listed national parks to the most spectacular gorges, waterfalls, crystal clear streams and views in the region. Highlights of this expedition include Gara Gorge and Wollomombi Falls in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Point Lookout in the New England National Park, massive boulders in the Cathedral Rock National Park and Ebor Falls. You also pass through the once thriving mining towns of Hillgrove and Metz, visit a trout hatchery and explore the picturesque town of Guyra before returning to Armidale.

Tourist Drive 19 has something for everyone, including the New England Regional Art Museum, The Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Petersons Winery and Dangars Gorge before continuing onto the lovely little town, Uralla. Before returning to Armidale, it is highly recommended to visit McCrossins Mill Museum and the lovely boutiques that line Uralla’s main street.

The Aboriginal and Cultural Heritage Drive will take you west towards Mount Yarrowyck where a 3km return walk will lead you to an Aboriginal Art Site. The paintings are located under the overhang created by a group of massive granite boulders. This important landmark of the Anaiwan people has been preserved and open for public visits. This drive will loop via the gold fields of Rocky River and onto Uralla. On your return to Armidale, follow the signs to Saumarez Homestead for a tour of this magnificent National Trust home.

The 191 kilometre Waterfall Way is one of the world’s most scenic drives. The road winds down from Armidale on the New England Tablelands the Pacific Highway near Coffs Harbour . This breathtaking journey is the perfect way to experience the diversity of the changing landscape of the Great Dividing Range from the wide open plains of New England winding down through lush tropical rainforest to the pristine coastal beaches. The drive also provides the perfect opportunity to explore Wollomombi Falls, New England National Park, Cathedral Rock National Park, Ebor Falls and Dorrigo National Park. Along the way you won’t be able to resist stopping at the pretty bohemian towns of Dorrigo and Bellingen renowned for their quality arts and crafts and great cafe’s

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. The Armidale Regional Community pays tribute to their love of land, love of people, and love of culture.

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Boost to safe housing and support for Armidale women and children fleeing domestic violence

Published: 16 August 2024

Released by: Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Housing, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

An expanded refuge in Armidale will from today provide women and children escaping domestic violence with access to safe accommodation and support services.

Victim-survivors of domestic and family violence in regional NSW face different challenges accessing services to those in metro area. The NSW Government is working hard to close those gaps by funding refuges and appropriate supports in the regions.

This modern facility is part of the Core and Cluster Pilot program which is funded by the NSW Government to the tune of $6.8 million across four sites in regional NSW.

The four new self-contained units and enhancements to the existing women’s refuge at this site, are critical additions to the domestic and family violence response in the Armidale region. The new units promote independent living and privacy to support families as they heal from abusive experiences.

Women’s Shelter Armidale will continue to deliver specialist homelessness and domestic violence services, such as counselling, legal advice and therapeutic programs, in a new administration hub at the ‘core’ of the site.

A new yarning circle within the gardens will also allow Aboriginal residents to engage in storytelling, learn from one another, build respect, and share knowledge.

Under the broader Core and Cluster program, the NSW Government is investing $426.6 million over four years to provide new crisis accommodation across NSW for people fleeing domestic and family violence. Some 26 of the 39 Core and Cluster sites are in regional NSW.

Once all Core and Cluster refuges are operational, they will support an additional 2,900 women and children escaping domestic and family violence each year.

The NSW Government is acting to reduce domestic and family violence in the state with a $245.6 million package that focuses on crisis response, early intervention and prevention, so women and children can feel safe at home and in the community.  

In addition, the 2024-25 NSW Budget has committed $5.1 billion to new social housing, with 50 per cent prioritised for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“We know that family and domestic violence is one of the main reasons women and children leave their homes and seek help from homelessness services.

“That’s why the NSW Government is continuing to prioritise and invest in building safe homes for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.

“The expansion of this refuge will mean more women and children fleeing abusive relationships can feel safe in their own communities and supported to heal and rebuild their lives.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“We have seen too many lives lost and families broken because of domestic and family violence.

“The NSW Government is taking important steps to prevent and reduce domestic violence. This includes supporting victim-survivors and ensuring that anyone leaving an abusive relationship has a pathway to safety and recovery.

“The expansion of the Armidale refuge delivers more accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence and addresses a crucial need in the region to provide a safe space and much-needed specialist wraparound support for its residents.”

Womens Shelter Armidale CEO Penny Lamaro said:

"The Armidale Pilot Project enhances the work we are already doing to provide much-needed crisis accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Armidale.

“The Core and Cluster model means that families will now also have the privacy and space they need to heal while accessing the supports they need and staying connected to their local community.

"Once a family enters the Armidale refuge, we support them to rebuild their lives and eventually to find safe, affordable long-term accommodation."

Related information

• Housing and other support if you're experiencing family or domestic violence
• Women's Shelter Armidale