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NSW National Park School Excursions
From the Murray-Riverina to the Snowy Mountains, NSW National Parks offer over 30 curriculum-based school excursions spanning all age groups. Aboriginal heritage, native flora and fauna and stunning vistas are just the beginning!
NSW North Coast National Park Excursions
Your students (and yourself!) will be absolutely spoiled for choice when visiting the National Parks of the North Coast; home to the best vantage spots for whale migration, World-Heritage listed rainforests and breathtaking walking tracks.
Highlights:
- Immerse your class in the remnants of an early European settlement.
- Visit the Dorrigo National Park.
- Time-travel to 1870, where gold was found in the Copeland Tops State Conservation Area.
Where to stay:
- Coffs Harbour YHA: located smack-bang in the middle of the East Coast’s favourite holiday town; this beachside haven accommodates groups of up to 50; and is the perfect base for all sporting, water-centric and rainforest adventures.
- Newcastle Beach YHA: minutes from the beach and incredibly well located for National Park explorations, Newcastle Beach YHA will leave you group of 40 bright eyed and bushy tailed; ready for whatever may be next.
- Bellingen YHA: this bohemian town will steal your group’s heart and rest your group’s bones. Sitting quite literally on top of the Dorrigo river, you couldn’t be better located for your North Coast National Park excursion.
Sydney and Surrounds National Park Excursions
As much concrete jungle as it is a city of national parks, our cosmopolitan capital offers your students a unique educational experience right in their own backyard. The juxtaposition of neon lights and perfectly preserved convict settlements will dazzle your class, letting them in on the world as it was not all that long ago.
Highlights:
- Visit the Sydney Harbour YHA big dig convict settlement.
- Disconnect to reconnect at the spectacular Pittwater YHA; nestled right in the Ku-ring-gai National Park.
- Discover Aboriginal Culture at Bradleys Head or Arabnoo lookout.
Where to stay:
- Sydney Beachouse YHA: tucked away in Sydney’s otherworldly Northern Beaches, this property is extremely well connected to both the Northern National Parks and the CBD, whilst affording you and your students a relaxation that can only come from the coast.
- Pittwater YHA: accessible only by boat and nestled in the Ku-ring-gai National Park, your students will bond with the resident wallabies, kayak ‘til their hearts’ content and forget all about the screens and stresses. Lush.
Blue Mountains National Parks Excursions
As the gateway to the Greater Blue Mountains Heritage Area (spanning 1 million hectares), the Blue Mountains National Park can only be described as special. Two hours from Sydney but worlds away, your class will marvel at the storybook-esque waterfalls, bushwalks, vistas, and iconic traditional stories.
Highlights:
- Fall in love with the traditional Aboriginal tales of The Three Sisters.
- Get some perspective from the million-year-old land formations in the National Pass.
- Take a dive in Wentworth Falls.
Where to stay:
- Blue Mountains YHA: this art-deco property can house and feed groups of up to 150, and sits on the literal doorstep of the treasures of the Blue Mountains.
Snowy Mountains National Parks Excursions
Kosciuszko National Park is home to a rare and fragile alpine environment. As much Winter Wonderland as it is Summer Soiree; the Snowy Mountains are homw to unique ecosystems and endangered flora and fauna.
Highlights:
- Year-round Aboriginal education programs are offered in Kosciuszko.
- Of course, skiing and snowboarding lie at the heart of Thredbo throughout chilly months!
- Abseiling, hiking, horse riding and geographical-based excursions are well loved throughout warmer months.
Where to stay:
- Thredbo YHA: slide off the mountain and into Thredbo YHA. The definition of conveniently located; this property houses groups of up to 48 people in a cosy lodge setting. Mountain views over breakfast will set you up for the day ahead, whatever it entails!
Need help getting there?
The Unlocking Heritage travel subsidy program encourages NSW Primary Schools to immerse themselves in the beauty and power that is our fair state. With over 30 valid, curriculum-based learning programs across Stages 1 and 2, your students will love their trip to a National Park, and the history it envelopes.
