One of the joys of New South Wales’ national parks is that you can often find yourself in a place that feels completely wild. Macquarie Pass National Park, on the Illawarra escarpment, is an easy day trip from the southern suburbs of Sydney.

The park’s steep sandstone ridges and gullies provide diverse habitats for local wildlife. Amid heathland, rainforest and tall moist eucalypt forest live lyrebirds, satin bowerbirds, koalas, possums, wombats, swamp wallabies, goannas and platypus. The park is also an important habitat for threatened tiger quolls and long-nosed potoroos.

With terrific bushwalking and birdwatching opportunities, wonderful waterfalls, views to the ocean and the blazing crimson of Illawarra flame trees, Macquarie Pass National Park is well worth a visit if you’re looking for things to do on the south coast.