We didn’t know too much about Armidale before planning our trip along the Waterfall Way. Luckily we had quite a flexible schedule because we ended up extending our stay twice! There’s so much to experience from fascinating insights into Aboriginal culture, to jaw dropping waterfalls, wine tasting and even ancient rainforest.
It really exceeded our expectations and we highly recommend factoring in at least a few days here before you begin a journey along the Waterfall Way.
Here are all the best things to do in Armidale.
-
1: Take a tour in the Aboriginal Cultural Centre
2: Go wine tasting at Petersons
3: Take a dip at Gara Gorge
4: Marvel at Dangars Falls
5: Check out the local Aboriginal rock art site
6: Photograph the cute Gostwyck Church
7: Take a stroll round Apsley Gorge
8: See local artists work at the New England Regional Art Gallery
9: Have a picnic at the Arboretum
10: Admire the buildings on the Heritage Walk
11: Be amazed at Wollomombi Falls
12: Catch a sunset at the top of Cathedral Rock
13: Visit the Saint Mary and Joseph Cathedral
14: Take a day trip to an ancient rainforest
15: Drive the incredible Waterfall Way
The best things to do in Armidale
1. Take a tour at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Armidale’s Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place is such a fantastic place to learn more about Aboriginal culture and I wish every city had one!
As soon as you walk through the door it’s incredibly welcoming and you’ll be offered a guide straight away, definitely accept because that’s what will bring the whole experience to life.
Sadly our photos don’t do it justice, as we couldn’t photograph the art or exhibits, but trust us that it’s well worth a visit.
You’ll be walked through a room full of incredible art pieces, as well as weapons and implements made for hunting and gathering. There’s also a map of Australia outlining different Aboriginal nations and where the dividing lines are which is really enlightening.
It’s not a tour as such, more of an informal discussion and you can ask any questions you might have. We were probably there for about 45 minutes and we learnt so much.
When you’ve looked around inside you can also walk around the small bush tucker garden. The whole centre is free of charge and it really is an Armidale must do.
2. Go wine tasting at the local vineyard
Yes, New England does have it’s own small wine region and the best place to go for a tasting is Petersons Winery, less than 10km from the centre of Armidale.
Tastings take place at the cellar door with a view of the gardens and you can try any of the wines that catch your eye on the wine list.
We opted for a couple of whites and a couple of reds and all were really good, we ended up leaving with the Riesling.
You can also order a delicious looking cheese platter and have a leisurely picnic in the garden.
If you recognise the name of the winery, you might have seen their vineyards in Mudgee and the Hunter Valley. We loved visiting the Armidale vineyard because it was really quiet and relaxed.
Tastings are free of charge which you don’t find often in the Hunter or Mudgee nowadays.
3. Take a dip at Gara Gorge
Gara Gorge is the perfect place to head on a hot day when you fancy a bit of wild swimming. It’s such a beautiful area and there are so many different swimming holes to choose from, guaranteeing that you’ll be able to find your own secluded spot.
The swimming holes are located along the Threlfall walking track and you can hop into the water about a minute after starting the trail. Even walking just a few minutes further along the track will get you to quieter spots and accessing the water is easy.
The pools further along are smaller, so think of them as plunge pools rather than proper swimming spots. The Threlfall Track is a 5.5 loop walk which looked like it would be fantastic, but sadly, we didn’t have time to walk the full trail.
To access the trail and swimming spots, park at the Gara Gorge car park, not the first one you see when you arrive, which is the Blue Holes picnic area.
The last 5km into the national park are unsealed, you don’t need a 4WD but there are quite a few bumpy corrugations.
4. Marvel at the incredible Dangars Falls
Dangars Falls is easily one of the most impressive waterfalls in NSW, it’s a huge single drop falls that cascades into a ginormous gorge.
It’s close to - but not along - the Waterfall Way, which means it also tends to see less visitors than places like Ebor Falls and Dangar Falls (yes the name is almost identical, but Dangar Falls is in Dorrigo).
If you visit after some good rainfall (which you do need to or it can run dry) there is often so much spray that it creates a beautiful rainbow. We thought we got lucky but then we saw it on the sign post so it must be quite common!
If you just want to see the falls it’s only a one minute walk from the car park. If you’re keen to see it from a few different angles or take on one of the gorge walking tracks, we have all the details about which are worth doing in this post.
5. Check out a fantastically well preserved Aboriginal rock art site
The Aboriginal rock art site at Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve is incredibly well preserved and features what I first took to be a series of emu prints, and eggs.
Apparently they are actually Brush turkey tracks and the red ochre paint has survived really well.
The paintings are on the underside of a huge boulder and have been well protected from the elements.
Looking at it from a distance you would have no idea it was different to any of the other rocks and it makes you wonder if there are more out there!
The walk to get there is 1.5km each way and on a flat well maintained path until the very end when there are a few steps to climb up.
Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve is just under a 30 minute drive from Armidale.
6. Photograph the cute Gostwyck Church
Gostwyck Church is probably one of the prettiest little churches I’ve ever seen and though you can’t go inside, it’s worth visiting just to potter around the outside.
It’s absolutely covered in Virginia Creeper which looks gorgeous year round, but is particularly special during Autumn when the leaves turn red.
The church was built in 1921 to commemorate Major Dangar who lost his life in the First World War. The drive to get there is very scenic, especially in the lead up to the church were 200 elm trees have been planted on either side of the road.
The chapel is just under a 30 minute drive from Armidale.
7. Take a stroll around Apsley Gorge
Apsley Gorge is yet another magnificent gorge with a huge waterfall tumbling into it. Like Dangars it’s not on the Waterfall Way and therefore quieter than many others in the area.
Both the upper and lower falls are stunning, with the upper being the most beautiful.
You can view it from the Apsley Falls Lookout which only takes a couple of minutes to get to, however, if you have more time we’d highly recommend taking the 2.8km Oxley Trail.
The Oxley Trail is an easy walk that offers multiple different viewpoints of both the upper and lower falls and the spectacular gorge itself.
We’ve outlined each of the 8 lookouts in Apsley Gorge, as well as what the walking trails are like in this post.
8. Check out local artists at the New England Regional Art Gallery
The New England Regional Art Gallery or NERAM showcases a range of regional artists as well as a permanent exhibition of the Howard Hinton Collection.
There are also works by other Australian and international artists including Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Elioth Gruner, Margaret Preston, and Brett Whiteley.
It’s an inviting space, over a number of rooms and the style and content of art is very varied.
They also host a number of different classes and workshops if you’re keen to get involved. They even hold yoga classes within the museum which we thought was a pretty unique idea!
Entry to the gallery is by donation, with a suggested amount of $5.
9. Have a picnic at the Arboretum
If you’re looking for a relaxing spot to have a picnic in the heart of Armidale, head for the Bicentennial Arboretum.
This pretty garden has lots of spots to lay down your rug, we like the area beside the pond which has a small waterfall running into it (not your average waterfall, you’ll see when you get there!).
It’s just a few minutes walk from where you can park so you can bring a good spread without having to worry about carrying it too far, and the bathrooms are also nearby.
It’s a lovely peaceful place to relax in the sunshine before continuing with your afternoons activities.
10. Admire the buildings along the Heritage Walk
Armidale is full of quaint heritage buildings from the 1800’s which you can explore on the self guided Heritage Walk.
There are a whopping 34 buildings if you want to cover the whole trail, or you can pick a section that interests you most, which is what we did.
They are all in the town centre so it’s nice easy walking and gives you a better feel for Armidale’s history. Our favourites were the old courthouse, the Imperial Hotel and the Saint Mary & Joseph Church (which we talk about later on).
If you want to see a map of the full walk you can download it here.
11. Prepare to be amazed at Wollomombi Falls
I know it’s yet another waterfall, but you really can’t miss Wollomombi Falls. It’s one of the most dramatic ones we’ve seen in Australia, with not one but two waterfalls which cascade into the gorge.
It’s hard to comprehend the size and it would be worth visiting the gorge even if the falls weren’t running, just to take in the sheer scale.
Both Wollomombi Falls and Chandler Falls are gorgeous and you can see both in the same view from the main lookout, which is just 200m from the car park. However if you want to get closer to the falls, you’ll want to check out the The Wollomombi Walking Track.
We detail each of the lookouts and whether they are worth the walk or not in this post.
12. Catch a sunset from the top of Cathedral Rock
We try to watch sunset every single night and we looked at a lot of different spots around Armidale. None of them were really worth a special trip, so we decided to include one that’s a bit of a drive, but will give you an unforgettable sunset experience.
The summit of Cathedral Rock was our favourite sunset spot on our whole five week trip along the Waterfall Way.
The jaw dropping 360 degree view of the forest, tablelands and rocky outcrops is well worth the 5.4km return walk (and one hour drive) to get there. We even had lyrebirds serenading us in the background.
Oh and we were the only ones up there on a Saturday night during the Christmas holidays!
It is quite an adventurous walk, with the last 500m involving lots of hopping over and under giant boulders, before using a fixed chain to complete the last few metres to the summit.
If that sounds like your kind of adventure you can check out our full guide to the trail here.
13. Visit the Saint Mary and Joseph Cathedral
The Saint Mary and Joseph Cathedral is a beautiful heritage listed Catholic cathedral which is well worth a visit. The stained glass windows are stunning and the whole cathedral has a lovely feel to it.
It’s a peaceful place to come for a spot of contemplation, or to simply wander around and look at the intricate details.
Entry is by donation, with a suggested amount of $5.
14. Take a day trip to an ancient rainforest
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of walking through rainforest which is millions of years old. You can almost feel it’s ancient. The closest Gondwana rainforest to Armidale is located in New England National Park, just over an hours drive away.
There are several fantastic walking tracks to choose from and if you’re only looking for a short trail we’d recommend the Eagles Nest Track.
This 2.2km circuit walk will showcase a bit of everything within the park, a fabulous lookout with layer upon layer of mountains, spectacular Antarctic beech forest which is dripping in moss, and one of the most famous spots in the park, Weeping Rock.
Weeping Rock is beautiful all year round, but even more magical in winter when it is covered in icicles.
If you’re fortunate enough to be able to walk this track on a misty day it is even more atmospheric. We didn’t have this experience but we’ve seen pictures which look like a fairytale.
You can read more about the walk in our guide to the Eagles Nest Track.
15. Drive the incredible Waterfall Way
The Waterfall Way begins in Armidale and takes you 190km east to Coffs Harbour. You could spend weeks stopping at all the incredible sights along the way, or do a long day trip if that’s all you have time for.
A couple of the stops along the route we’ve mentioned above, but in addition, we’d recommend stopping at Ebor Falls, one hour from Armidale. Both the upper and lower falls are stunning and there’s very little walking involved. Roughly 40 minutes beyond Ebor you’ll come to Dorrigo.
The must do’s here are Crystal Shower Falls and Dangar Falls. There are so many more things to do in Dorrigo than these two waterfalls, but on a day trip you will be pushed for time.
Just 30 minutes beyond Dorrigo is the bohemian town of Bellingen with great eateries and shops, as well as some fab wild swimming spots.
You can read our full guide to Bellingen here to see what takes your fancy.
Getting there
Armidale is located approximately 480km and 5.5 hours from Sydney. It’s just under 130km and 1.5 hours from Dorrigo and 155km and 190km and 2.5 hours from Coffs Harbour.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support!
