New experiences in NSW

• Located in the south of Sydney, Dharawal National Park will double the number of indigenous walking tours offered in 2017. New tours for young children, and for nature-lovers in wheelchairs and mobility scooters will also be added. The easy 90 minute walks cost $10 per person and will run on every second Saturday of the month.Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) has received Australia’s first Ecotourism Destination Certification, through Ecotourism Australia’s ECO certification program that recognises best practice sustainable tourism in protected areas. Kosciuszko National Park is one of the most visited parks in New South Wales with an estimated 1.45 million domestic visits and is committed to providing high quality ecotourism experiences.
• The Australian Museum has launched a pilot program of Mandarin tours of the museum. Running twice a day until 12 February, the tour will include the new exhibition Spiders – Alive & Deadly.
• Celebrate Mardi Gras in Sydney at Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival, running from 15 February to 2 March at Event Cinemas George St and other venues. The festival features a world premiere, four international premieres, 31 Australian premieres and a special screening of Moonlight, the winner of the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama.
• Sydney’s major arts and cultural venues will all be open late on Wednesday nights throughout summer. Participating venues include the Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Museum, Carriageworks, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Museum of Contemporary Art, State Library of NSW, and Sydney Opera House. Visit arts.nsw.gov.au for information on opening hours, events, exhibitions, and performances.
• Byron Bay welcomed the opening of a new gallery by Craig Parry, internationally acclaimed nature photographer and local Byron resident. Craig Parry Photography, located on Fletcher Street, showcases Parry’s signature marine, aerial and landscape images captured in the Byron Bay area.
• The inaugural NAB AFL Women’s competition kicks off this month with the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants playing two games in Sydney throughout the season. The Giants will take on Freemantle on Saturday 18 February at 12:05pm and entry is free. On Friday 3 March, The women’s Giants team will go head to head against Melbourne from 5:05pm before the men’s Giants team take on the Sydney Swans in the JLT Community Series from 7:40pm. Both games will be played at Blacktown International Sportspark. Tickets are available here
• Light to Light camps has launched on the Sapphire Coast offering luxury walking experiences for travellers interested in walking the 31km Light to Light track through the Ben Boyd National Park. The two night, three day tour allows walkers to experience the magic of this coastline without the stress of packing and carrying their own supplies. Light to Light provide all equipment, set up camp, and prepare all meals with fresh local produce over the three days. More details are available here.