Southern Highlands Snowy Mountains & South Coast of 
                                                                            New South Wales NSW
              Canberra, 
                Australia's 
                capital 
                and 
                only 
                major 
                inland 
                city 
                is 
                just 
                a 
                three 
                hour 
                drive 
                or 
                a 
                45-minute 
                flight 
                south-west 
                of 
                Sydney. 
                Set 
                in 
                a 
                broad 
                valley 
                in 
                the 
                southern 
                tablelands 
                of 
                New 
                South 
                Wales, 
                Canberra 
                is 
                a 
                well-planned 
                lakeside 
                city 
                of 
                parklands, 
                impressive 
                restaurants, 
                beautiful 
                bushland 
                and 
                leafy 
                suburbs.   
               The 
                Australian 
                ski 
                season 
                starts 
                in 
                the 
                middle 
                of 
                June 
                and 
                lasts 
                until 
                the 
                beginning 
                of 
                October. 
                The 
                main 
                ski 
                resorts 
                are Perisher-Blue, 
                  Thredbo and  Charlottes 
                    Pass with 
                Jindabyne 
                being 
                their 
                gateway 
                town. 
                In 
                the 
                warmer 
                months 
                the 
                area 
                is 
                a 
                hub 
                of 
                activity 
                with 
                water-sports 
                such 
                as 
                water 
                skiing, 
                windsurfing 
                and 
                fantastic 
                trout 
                and 
                salmon 
                fishing. 
                Summer 
                bushwalking 
                in 
                the 
                mountains 
                can 
                be 
                an 
                enlightening 
                experience, 
                especially 
                when 
                the 
                wildflowers 
                in 
                full 
                bloom.   
              The 
                southern 
                highlands 
                district 
                contains 
                the 
                historic 
                townships 
                of 
                Mittagong, 
                Bowral, 
                Moss 
                Vale, 
                and 
                Berrima 
                with 
                tea 
                rooms 
                and 
                antique 
                shops 
                as 
                well 
                as 
                the 
                farming 
                towns 
                of 
                Goulburn 
                and 
                Yass, 
                famous 
                for 
                their 
                Merino 
                sheep.   
               The 
                South 
                Coast, 
                with 
                white 
                sandy 
                beaches 
                and 
                lush 
                green 
                valleys 
                is 
                dotted 
                with 
                fishing 
                towns 
                such 
                as 
                Batemans 
                Bay, 
                Merrimbula 
                and 
                Eden. 
                This 
                area 
                is 
                renowned 
                for 
                its 
                fresh 
                seafood 
                excellent 
                fishing 
                and 
                surfing 
                beaches. 
                Bega, 
                near 
                the 
                Victorian 
                border 
                has 
                been 
                famous 
                for 
                its 
                cheese 
                for 
                more than 
                a 
                century 
                and 
                during 
                the 
                months 
                of 
                September 
                to 
                November 
                many 
                species 
                of 
                whale 
                may 
                be 
                seen 
                from 
                Eden 
                on 
                their 
                annual 
                migration. 
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