Seven Events Beyond Sydney to Travel to This Autumn

Art, performance and delectable food come together against the stunning white-sand backdrop of Jervis Bay. Running over two weeks, SeeChange Jervis Bay Arts Festival will transform the region into a vibrant hub of creativity. A spectacular opening ceremony, called Paths of Light, will kick things off at dusk on Saturday, May 26. Visitors will experience a spectacular light and sound show and will be able to feast on delicious fare. This year the theme is ‘Shared Pathways’ and will feature immersive art experiences. Visitors will be able to view beautiful artistic interpretations of the Bherwerre wetlands, enjoy cabaret shows in the White Sands Park pop-up theatre and watch entertaining street performances.

Artists and art-lovers alike will flock to the spectacular far South Coast in May for the award-winning River of Art festival. Set in the picturesque Eurobodalla region, the festival takes place over ten days — with a big first weekend from May 19–20 — and features more than 100 events encapsulating the best the region has to offer in visual arts, theatre, film, literature, live music and more. There will be art exhibitions galore, as well as opportunities to visit the studios of local artists. For those wanting to get a little bit crafty, try your hand at some of the workshops including crochet, floristry and silversmithing. If something a little more theatrical takes your fancy, there’ll be a host of comedy shows taking place, too. If you’re an artist living on the NSW South Coast, you’re invited to submit works for the Land of Many Waters exhibition or to enter the River of Art 2018 Art Prize.

What could be better than cracking a crisp, cold cider? Cracking one while breathing in the crisp, cool air of the Great Dividing Ranges, that’s what. Cider-lovers, get ready to get your hands on some of Australia’s premium fermented apple drops at the Batlow CiderFest. It’s a street party of great proportions, with locals and visitors alike coming together to celebrate the end of the apple harvest and the best boutique ciders the region has to offer. There will also be gourmet food and other locally grown goodies on offer to satiate your hunger. Batlow‘s main street will host two stages where local talent will entertain you as you sit back, relax, bask in the refreshing mountain air and enjoy the glorious autumn leaves. There’ll be buskers and street theatre performers, including a local troupe called the ‘Apple Tarts’ (yes, we’re serious). And for those keen to learn more about the nitty gritty of the cider world, there’s a cider industry conference the day before.

They say the world is your oyster, and the folk on the New South Wales South Coast take it very seriously. So much so that they’re putting on a festival to celebrate and showcase that salty, slippery, seafood delicacy. The Narooma Oyster Festival, set in the heart of Australia’s ‘Oyster Coast’ will take place on a glorious Saturday on the 5th of May. Head to the Big Oyster Bar where you will be able to feast on delicious oysters from eight south coast estuaries on the banks of the stunning Wagonga Inlet. If you’re after a cool $500 in pocket money, the oyster shucking competition could be up your alley, but if you’re new to the whole game, there are shucking demonstrations as well. For the most committed of oyster lovers out there, there is The Ultimate Oyster Experience, where you’ll enjoy an exclusive master class guide by a local grower and sample Angasi, Pacific and Sydney Rock Oysters with complementing wines.

Calling all dancing queens – it’s time to dust off those tambourines and head to the annual Trundle ABBA Festival. Australia’s only festival dedicated to the Swedish supergroup, the Trundle ABBA Festival is the perfect opportunity to pay homage to Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid and the endless good times their pop tunes bring. Tribute band Björn Again will make you think you’re watching the real deal, when they put on an outstanding performance of all your favourite ABBA hits while dressed to the nines in glitzy ’70s ABBA-inspired attire. Rhonda Burchmore and Lara Mulcahy, who played best friends in the Australian stage production of Mamma Mia!, will also be putting on a show – a hilarious tale of their childhoods growing up as diehard ABBA fans, interspersed with ABBA hits.

A food festival is always great, but a food festival that runs for two months is better. The 2018 Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival is back and set to showcase so much delicious local produce it simply cannot be contained in a single weekend (or even a month). A variety of food and wine-related activities will take place throughout May and June, including vineyard tours, winemaking masterclasses and gourmet dinners at award-winning restaurants. For the red-wine lovers out there, there’s a De Iuliis Shiraz Masterclass, where you’ll be taken on a journey of the origin of Shiraz, and get to drink some of De Iulii’s Wines fabulous drops too. Fancy vermouth over a vino? No worries, the Vermouth Cocktail Masterclass at Margan Winery & Restaurant will have you whipping up delicious negronis in no time.

If the stunning view from Tweed Regional Gallery is anything to go by, Murwillumbah is an amazing place to get your art fix. And there’s no better time to go there than this autumn. Murwillumbah Art Trail is back for its fourth year, turning the town into a gallery itself to celebrate the best of the region’s art and artists. This year the event responds to the 2017 flood, which devastated the town and left hundreds homeless, with the theme Moving On. Visual art, performance, sculpture, film and dance will be shown and staged in interesting places, turning the town into an enormous gallery for the ten-day event. It will be a celebration of the community’s resilience and generosity in the wake of the disaster, too. The ability of art to heal will be reflected in pop-up galleries, street events, a sculpture park, interactive workshops and, of course, brilliant local food and wine.