A new pop-up is making waves on Sydney Harbour, and it’s bringing the heat. This floating winter lounge comes complete with crackling firepits, faux fur throws and what might just be the city’s most decadent dessert: a Biscoff fondue designed for dunking by candlelight.
Golden Hour on The Harbour is the perfect winter outing. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
Running through winter, the experience invites groups to settle into cabanas on the water, sip winter reds and graze on a menu built for chilly nights. Start with baked camembert with truffle and served with a warm baguette, then tuck into comforting dishes like slow-cooked wagyu ragu orecchiette pasta or cheese and truffle jaffles that practically beg to be eaten by firelight.
Try the cheese and truffle jaffles. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
Of course, it’s the dessert that’s getting all the buzz. The Biscoff fondue is served bubbling in a miniature pot over a tealight and comes with marshmallows, strawberries and pretzels for dipping. It’s rich, gooey and dangerously good… and yes, it’s perfect for the ’gram.
The experience runs daily until the end of September, from 5 pm to late, and is designed for groups of four to 14. A minimum spend applies, but if you’re splitting the bill between mates (and planning a birthday or winter catch-up), it’s worth every toasty, chocolate-covered bite.
The Biscoff fondue is the showstopper. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
With glowing fairy lights, cosy couches and unobstructed views of Sydney’s sparkling skyline, Après on the Harbour offers a little slice of winter magic, minus the ski gear.
Bookings are essential, and spots are filling fast. Because this is one pop-up that floats its own boat.
The baked camembert is to-die-for. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
Whales breaching, fires crackling and slow-cooked feasts that make the cold so cosy, one might wish it lasted longer. Winter is no time to stay at home in NSW.
When the mercury drops, winter in NSW comes into its own. Beaches are quieter, the air is crisper and hearty food tastes even better when there’s ice on the windows.
Winter here isn’t for hiding away. It’s for long walks, deep baths, deeper reds and the kind of fireside lounging that feels simultaneously indulgent and entirely deserved after a day of exploring. From whale-watching up north to moodily lit bushwalks and pastry pilgrimages, we’ve mapped out your new favourite season.
From coastal walks to tasty delights, winter in NSW is a time to get out and about.
The Tweed
In winter, the NSW north coast has a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest migrations. From May to November, humpbacks cruise past the Tweed coast between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. Spot them from the Cabarita Beach headland or get up closer with a boat cruise.
Later, grab a table at Bistro Livi, where the modern Spanish menu features whipped salt cod on toast and spanner crab with curry butter and spelt flatbread. Stick around to poke through the artist studios and indie boutiques of M|Arts Precinct.
Browse the art. (Image: Destination NSW)
The next day, jump aboard the Indigenous Lunch Cruise with Tweed Escapes. You’ll cruise upriver listening to yarns from local Indigenous guides, stop at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Museum and tuck into lemon myrtle-crusted snapper.
Next, drive out to Farm & Co to pull apart some juicy smoked lamb shoulder with green olive tapenade while gazing out over the macadamia fields and avocado groves of this working farm.
End the day at Mantra on Salt Beach where you’ll enjoy beach access, a heated rock spa and a lagoon pool.
Taste modern Spanish at Bistro Livi.
Blue Mountains
The cold season is hands down the best time to visit the Blue Mountains. Temperatures are perfect – sunny enough for hikes, and crisp enough at night for snuggling up.
For a trip that equally soothes and stirs, start with a meditative meander through the national park’s eucalypts and Australian wildflowers. Brave the steepest passenger railway in the world, Scenic Railway, then hop the Skyway aerial cable car for unrivalled Three Sisters views.
Thaw out at the Japanese Bath House in South Bowenfels. Soak in steamy outdoor onsens filled with natural mineral water and mountain views, wander the rose and zen gardens, or sip hot drinks in the tea house.
Rug up for Blue Mountains Stargazing. (Image: Destination NSW)
Afterwards, head to Ates in Blackheath, where everything revolves around a 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven – like the wood-roasted duck with nectarines and Szechuan spice. Or visit Tempus Katoomba, which leans experimental and sustainable, serving up dishes like braised fennel with cumin, spiced yogurt and Aleppo pepper.
Rug up and head into the night with Blue Mountains Stargazing. Sessions are guided by astrophysicists, helping you understand what you’re looking at as you look into deep space.
Wrap it all up at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains – MGallery Collection. There’s a whiskey bar in the basement (and crackling fires that make a dram taste even better), indoor and outdoor pools and a day spa. Kids will love the mirror maze and ice rink, too.
End the day with delicious meals at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains. (Image: Destination NSW)
Southern Highlands
Good food and wine by the fire, experienced between sifting through second-hand treasures, is a winter vibe in Bowral.
Start with a lap around Dirty Janes, an antique and vintage market. Recover from your shopping frenzy at Bendooley Book Barn, where floor-to-ceiling shelves and a roaring fire set the tone for an afternoon of red wine or hot coffee.
When it’s time to eat, head to Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar, Peppers Craigieburn Bowral’s onsite restaurant. Try the crispy pork belly with Granny Smith crisps and apple gel, or ocean trout with wakame, lemon gel and pickled radish.
Wander the antiques at Dirty Janes. (Image: Destination NSW)
Another option, Onesta Cucina, does Italian with flair. For something more casual (with cocktails), Flour Bar swings between brunch and dinner, with an onsite bakery, over 400 wines and a hidden deli in the old bank vault.
Later, clamber Mt Gibraltar, where trails wind through eucalypt forest to views over Bowral and Mittagong.
Stay at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral, a century-old estate with open fires, elegant lounges and a nine-hole golf course.
Stay cosy at Peppers Craigieburn Bowral.
Penrith
Shake off winter inertia with an adrenaline boost out in Penrith. Kick things off with a kayak paddle on the Nepean River with Horizon Line, or head to Cables Wake Park, where cold-weather wetsuits take the edge off a wipeout.
For something a bit more cruisy, opt for the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler for slow-floating views and a hot cuppa.
Head out on the Nepean River. (Image: Destination NSW)
Refuel at Marcel Bar & Bistro, where reimagined European comfort food – like seafood risotto in bisque with little neck clams and Moreton Bay bugs – is king. Then check in at the Pullman Sydney Penrith, the area’s first international five-star hotel, to enjoy your well-earned rest.
