New South Wales

New South Wales is located on the eastern side of Australia and its capital city Sydney is the most populous of the nation. It boasts a beautiful coastline with many surfing beaches including Bondi Beach, Wollongong and Byron Bay. Reflective of Australia's diverse landscape, the Snowy Mountains are located in Southern New South Wales and are Australia's highest mountain range.

New South Wales generally experiences a temperate climate that tends not to reach the extreme ends of the temperature spectrum. The state is also a large sporting region with a prominent focus on National Rugby League. The chief summer sport is cricket and the significant Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race commences in Sydney Harbour each year on Boxing Day. Another major sporting event is Bathurst 1000 which is the grand finale of Australia's car racing series and understandably takes place near the city of Bathurst. Sydney also hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics.