Sydney's immediate hinterland offers two of Australia's most accessible day trips. The Blue Mountains, 80 kilometres west, are a vast sandstone plateau cut by deep gorges and covered in eucalypt forest — the distinctive blue haze comes from fine oil droplets released by the gum trees. The main viewpoints at Katoomba and the Three Sisters rock formation are tourist-heavy but the walking trails into the valleys are genuinely wild. Trains run from Central Station to Katoomba in about two hours.
The Hunter Valley, two hours north, is Australia's oldest wine region. Over 150 wineries are spread across the Pokolbin and Broke Fordwich areas, producing mostly Semillon and Shiraz. The town of Cessnock is the base; wineries generally open for tastings from around 10am. Several operators run day tours from Sydney.