Unique Places to Visit in NSW for Work and Play

With more flexible work arrangements, many people are embracing the idea of a ‘flexcation’, booking longer stays at hotels, apartments or resorts and mixing work with play.

Here’s some of the best destinations around NSW to make the most of a longer stay that incorporates both work and pleasure.

Getting there

The Central Coast begins around 80 kilometres north of Sydney. If you’re planning on basing yourself here for a while, it’s ideal to drive. But there are also trains and buses north from Sydney, as well as flights into Newcastle airport.

Work

Whether you’re in a studio room with a private patio or a villa with plenty of space to spread out, working at the Pullman Magenta Shores Resort is a breeze. There are meeting rooms, if you need to host a Zoom chat with extra privacy. But you may want to make your work team jealous by taking a call by one of the two pools.

Play

When it comes time to meet the locals, head out on the Central Coast’s Makers Trail. This indulgent food and drink adventure links skilled artisans and award-winning providores.

Enjoy gourmet tastings, hands-on experiences and behind-the-scenes tours at places like Firescreek Botanical Winery, Little Creek Cheese, Sydney Oyster Farm Tours and Six String Brewing Co.

Be sure to pack an Esky so you can take goodies back to your hotel to fuel you through the next work day. 

Getting there

Coffs Harbour is around 530 kilometres north of Sydney. There are direct flights from Sydney to Coffs, with car rental options available when you touch down.

Work

If you’re looking to linger, book a Paradise Spa Bure at Breakfree Aanuka Beach Resort, which provide ample space to set up a work hub, and come with spa baths, too .

If you’re bringing the family, the resort also offers two- to four-bedroom, fully equipped villas, with everything you need for a comfortable extended stay. Plus, you’re surrounded by lush gardens that are conducive to a calm frame of mind when it comes to meetings, replete with four pools and tennis courts.

Play

Enjoying ECO Destination Certification by Ecotourism Australia, Coffs Harbour is a blissful union of beach and forest. Many of its tourism operators are also individually eco-certified, including the Solitary Islands Surf School – is there any better way to start your work day than in the ocean? After all, being amid nature makes you feel good, and makes you more productive – studies prove it.

With this in mind, make a beeline for the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, where you can enjoy quality forest bathing while enjoying immense groves of trees, mangroves, and rare and beautiful plants. 

Mother Nature continues to turn up the drama on the Waterfall Way, one of NSW’s most epic road trips, traversing 185 kilometres from Coffs Harbour inland to Armidale.

Your route cuts through Dorrigo National Park, part of the UNESCO-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, the most diverse rainforest on the planet. Visit the Rainforest Centre to gain perspective from the cantilevered Skywalk lookout, then map any of dozens of treks through the vast valleys below.

You’re on Gumbayggirr Country here, as you’ll discover on an outing with Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours. The 2.5-hour experiences see you jump on stand-up paddleboards to explore the Solitary Islands Marine Park, guided by direct descendants of the world’s first stand-up paddlers. Connect to land and sea through ancient Indigenous stories and language, and collect and taste seasonal bush tucker.

Getting there

Kingscliff is around 800 kilometres north of Sydney, near the Queensland border. There are flights from Sydney to the Gold Coast, from where it’s a 40-kilometre drive south to your destination.

Work

The one- to three-bedroom suites at Mantra on Salt Beach offer all the conveniences and space you need to get your work done in comfort, including fully equipped kitchens and private balconies.

If you need a quiet break-out space, the hotel also features six meeting rooms (at additional cost). Take time out of your work day in the outdoor lagoon pool, heated indoor pool and spa, or on the tennis courts – you can also hire bikes to explore this pocket or northern NSW on two wheels. Alternatively, stroll down to the beach; it’s right next to the hotel.  

Play

Based in Kingscliff, you’re within easy reach of Byron Bay, Cabarita Beach, Brunswick Head and Fingal Head… what’s not to like? Needless to say, life in this part of the state often revolves around the water.

Follow the lead of locals and explore with Tweed Eco Cruises, hosting outings that unite rivers and rainforest, bush tucker and crabs, and sunset flutes of champagne. Watersports Guru offers a different perspective, taking you to the tiny volcanic outcrop of Cook Island to snorkel with green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.   

When it comes time to refuel, drop in on Zentveld's Coffee Farm & Roastery for a strong brew or a bean-to-cup tour of the working estate. Nearby, Husk Farm Distillery is known for its Ink Gin as well as its premium rums, each of which was made to reflect the environment of the North Coast.

If you want someone else to do the driving, Kiff & Culture offers foodie tours around the region, one of which unites a distillery visit with a five-course long lunch at The Farm, outside Byron Bay.   

Getting there

The suburb of Warwick Farm is 30 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD. There are direct trains to the suburb.

Work

Boutique hotel The William Inglis - MGallery is an ideal choice for workers who want to feel like they are on holiday, but still want to be within easy reach of the Sydney CBD – and everything the city’s western suburbs offer. And it’s a particularly appealing base if you’re employed in the racing industry, with the Warwick Farm Racecourse and stables nearby.

Those looking to linger will want to book one of the suites, with separate living and sleeping areas. Then make the most of facilities including multiple restaurants and bars and a rooftop pool with sweeping views. 

Play

Need to stretch your legs between meetings? You’re within easy reach of Sydney’s ‘biggest backyard’ at Western Sydney Parklands. This enormous swathe of green is home to 60 kilometres of tracks and trails, which you can explore on walks or on a bike – don’t forget your picnic, as there are ample spaces to throw out a rug. 

With one of Australia’s largest Vietnamese communities, the neighbouring suburb of Cabramatta offers a rich cultural experience full of sights, sounds and scents. And amazing food. Join a culinary tour, such as Gourmet Safaris or Taste Cultural Food Tours, and learn about Vietnamese food and culture, meet locals, shop for ingredients and savour lunch. I Ate My Way Through’s tour also explores the area's culinary treasures on a progressive lunch. 

After you sign off for the day, head to nearby Blacktown to catch a movie at Skyline Drive In, the only remaining drive-in in Sydney. It opened in the 1960s and still enjoys a retro vibe, from the shakes and burgers on the menu to the staff clad in candy-striped uniforms.