The Best Weekend Trips and Getaways From Sydney

Floating away from the hum of the crowds, this kayak tour takes you to some uncharted nooks and crannies along the coastline. Keep an eye on the horizon for the looming arch of a migrating whale’s back, while your guide teaches you about the surrounding environment and the diverse marine life below the surface. Take a break with home-made cake and fruit on a secluded beach – only accessible by water, you can swim or snorkel, while thrill-seekers will be kept occupied jumping from the towering rocks.

Set sail on this whale-spotting eco-tourism cruise to encounter creatures rarely glimpsed and learn something new about their natural behaviours. An experienced helmsman will take care of traversing tranquil or choppy waters, so you can confidently keep your eyes glued on the ocean’s rippling surface, looking for the shadow of the elusive gentle giants. Meanwhile, a witty seafaring guide will provide an informative soundtrack to the experience. Along the way you may be visited by inquisitive dolphins, seals or birds, which love to play in the foamy tracks of the boat.

Wine enthusiasts will be in their element on this tour, which dives into its history and production process. A self-guided tour of the in-house Audrey Wilkinson Museum lays the foundations, so you’ll feel a little more in-the-know when it comes to the masterclass on wine tasting. Teaching you about tasting notes and introducing a rich range of varietals to sip on, you’ll be well informed when you leave (and most likely slightly inebriated). To complement the boozy buzz, head out for a vineyard picnic with a bottle of hand-picked wine and gourmet hamper.

Go and visit the region’s most spirited residents on this bucket list-worthy dolphin cruise. Nearly 100 bottlenose dolphins frolic in the waters of Jervis Bay, and this tour takes you up close to their natural playground, giving you a front-row seat to the creatures swimming and jumping around the boat. The specially designed catamaran spoils you with five viewing points to witness their aquatic antics and sticks to an ethical distance that won’t invade their natural habitat. As you cut through the marbled blue-green ocean a guide will narrate the voyage, providing an insight into the marine park’s thriving ecosystem and the wildlife that lives among its labyrinthine reefs.