Escape the City: Four Brilliant NSW Regional Events for Groups This Winter
There's a particular pleasure in leaving Sydney behind on a winter morning, watching the suburbs give way to open countryside, and arriving somewhere that feels genuinely different. NSW's regions come into their own in winter — and this June, July and August, there are four events spread across the state that are well worth planning a group trip around.
From jazz by the sea on the Sapphire Coast to art on the shores of Lake Macquarie, fire festivals in Orange's wine country and a milestone literary celebration in Byron Bay, here's our guide to the best regional NSW events for senior groups and Probus clubs this season.
Alura Coaches picks up from locations across Sydney's south, south-west and north-west, making regional NSW touring easy and comfortable. All of the events below are ones we can take your group to — get in touch and we'll help you plan the perfect trip.
Merimbula Jazz Festival — Sapphire Coast
Where: Merimbula, NSW
When: 5–8 June 2026 (King's Birthday long weekend)
Tickets: Weekend pass from $140 | Session passes from $60
There are few better ways to spend a winter long weekend than at the Merimbula Jazz Festival on the NSW Sapphire Coast. Now in its 44th year and recognised as Australia's longest-running regional jazz festival, this is a genuinely special event — warm, welcoming, and utterly unpretentious.
Over four days, more than 100 bands and 550 musicians take over eight walkable venues across the centre of Merimbula, playing every style of jazz imaginable: big band, swing, modern, traditional, funk, fusion and ragtime. Highlights this year include a performance from the Royal Australian Navy Big Band, a Youth Jazz Quest showcasing emerging talent, vocal workshops and swing dance sessions — and, of course, Merimbula's legendary fresh oysters and vibrant food scene to explore between sets.
The Sapphire Coast in June is simply beautiful — crisp air, a quieter crowd, and a town that genuinely embraces the festival with open arms. For a Probus group that loves music, a south coast drive and a few nights in Merimbula makes for one of the great NSW regional touring experiences.
Visit our Senior Group Touring page to explore our South Coast touring options, or contact us to discuss a custom Merimbula trip for your group.
Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival — Hunter Region
Where: Various venues across Lake Macquarie, NSW
When: 1–30 June 2026
Cost: Mix of free and ticketed events
A month-long celebration of one of Australia's most distinguished artists, the Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival is a genuinely lovely winter outing for a group that enjoys art, culture and a beautiful regional setting.
Sir William Dobell — Archibald Prize winner and one of Australia's greatest painters — was born in Newcastle and made his home at Wangi Wangi on the shores of Lake Macquarie. Each June, the region he loved comes alive with exhibitions, workshops, live performances, community events and portrait showcases spread across galleries, libraries and theatres around the lake.
This year's festival is bigger than ever, with the Art & Craft Festival at Wangi Workers Club (5–8 June, 300+ artworks), a beautiful portrait exhibition celebrating seniors including the "Young Dobell" showcase at MAC yapang, and the popular Float Your Boat weekend (19–20 June) when illuminated vessels cruise across the lake. Many events are free, making it an accessible and flexible day trip option.
Lake Macquarie is an easy and scenic coach journey north of Sydney — a great pairing with our existing Newcastle and Central Coast touring options. For more information on group coach travel to Lake Macquarie, get in touch with our team.
Orange Region Fire Festival — Central West
Where: Orange, NSW (and surrounding region) When: 7–16 August 2026 Cost: Mix of free and ticketed events
Every August, the Orange Region does something genuinely wonderful: it leans into winter with complete conviction. The Orange Region Fire Festival is a ten-day celebration built around fire, warmth, creativity and the deep hospitality of country NSW — and it is one of the most distinctive regional events in Australia.
Food and wine venues across the Orange region become performance spaces. Cultural venues open for fire-inspired dining experiences, artistic workshops, exhibitions and film screenings. Local artists, musicians and producers collaborate across the program in ways that feel genuinely creative rather than corporate. And threading through it all is the atmosphere of authentic country winter — bonfires, red wine, cellar doors glowing with warmth, and the smell of wood smoke in cool mountain air.
Orange is already one of NSW's great food and wine destinations — home to award-winning restaurants, boutique wineries and some of the best cool-climate produce in the country. The Fire Festival in August is the ideal time to visit, when the landscape is crisp and beautiful and every venue is putting on their best.
For senior groups interested in a Central West coach tour, we offer a popular 5 Day Central West NSW tour and a 5 Day Mudgee & Bathurst tour — both of which can be tailored to include the Fire Festival in August. Talk to us about putting something together.
Byron Writers Festival — Northern Rivers
Where: Byron Bay, NSW (multiple venues across the township)
When: 14–16 August 2026
Tickets: Day passes and three-day passes available at byronwritersfestival.com
This year, Australia's largest regional writers festival celebrates its 30th anniversary — and it's doing it in style. The Byron Writers Festival returns to the heart of Byron Bay for the first time in years, spreading across multiple venues throughout the township and turning the whole town into a literary precinct for three days.
Sessions take place at the Byron Community Centre, Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Surf Club and the iconic foreshore — with the famous Bay Street and Jonson Street precincts forming the heart of the festival. Day passes give access to all official sessions without needing separate tickets, making it easy for a group to pick and choose what they'd like to attend. Free community programming on the Byron foreshore is open to all.
The 2026 lineup includes acclaimed novelists, Booker Prize and Miles Franklin Award winners, and a rich mix of Australian and international voices across 110+ sessions. For a group of book lovers, this is a bucket-list experience — and Byron Bay in August is perhaps the town at its most agreeable, with mild weather and manageable crowds compared to summer.
Northern Rivers is a longer coach journey from Sydney, making it ideally suited to an overnight or two-night group trip. We'd love to help you plan a Byron long weekend for your Probus club or senior group — reach out to our team and we'll put something together.
Planning Your NSW Regional Trip
Whether it's a day trip to Lake Macquarie or a full long weekend on the Sapphire Coast, Alura Coaches makes regional NSW group travel easy, comfortable and stress-free. Our coaches depart from pickup points across Sydney's south, south-west and north-west, and our team handles all the logistics so your group coordinator can simply enjoy the journey.
Browse our full range of NSW regional touring options or get in touch to start planning.
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