From glittery beachside spots on the balmy north coast to historic idyls in vineyard-studded valleys, NSW is home to some pretty magical towns. In fact, four of our state’s towns were listed among the most romantic in Australia in a recent study, and now the mining town of Broken Hill on the NSW border has been named the second best town in all of Australia.
Each year, the travel platform Wotif reveals their list of the best towns across the country – using search data, reviews and stats on accommodation quality and affordability. Back in 2023, the NSW town of Albury came out on top, and though this year’s crown has gone to a town in Victoria, Broken Hill has claimed the silver medal, with fifth place and seventh place also going to towns in NSW.
Located on the border between NSW and South Australia, Broken Hill is a regional town with a very unique energy – a far cry from the beach towns and verdant regional farming towns that tend to dominate our lists of top getaways. And its this individuality that has secured the town the position as the second best in Australia this year – with Destination NSW flagging the town’s alternative arts offerings, culturally significant historical sites and star-gazing experiences as some of the town’s greatest draw cards.
This year’s research from Wotif found that 43 per cent of Aussies who plan to travel domestically want to visit new destinations within Australia – so the fact that Broken Hill may not have appeared on travel hit lists before only supports its position at number two. Another big draw for Aussie domestic travellers this year is cultural education – with 83 per cent of travellers believing that Australia offers cultural experiences that can’t be found elsewhere, and 89 per cent most interested in exploring historic sites. The traditional land of the Wilyakali people and home to the sacred Aboriginal site Mutawintji National Park, Broken Hill scores big on this front. Another big win for the outback town is its affordability as a destination, with Wotif finding that 29 per cent of Aussies are open to holidaying in new destinations if it means finding a good deal, and 27 per cent choosing to travel locally rather than overseas to save money.
Here's the list of 2024 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Award winners:
- Bendigo, VIC
- Broken Hill, NSW
- Stanthorpe, QLD
- Katherine, NT
- Bathurst, NSW
- Tanunda, SA
- Griffith, NSW
- Stanley, TAS
- Exmouth, WA
- Coober Pedy, SA
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