Armidale – The City of Four Seasons
Halfway between Sydney and Brisbane rests the beautiful city of Armidale. It seats highly on the Northern Tablelands, kiss-and-telling to the multicultural sway of New South Wales. Armidale is known for its countryside setting with lots of forested steeps and coastal plains but not so sorry for its rich ethos and antiquity.
Armidale booms with the courtesy getting around the world. Everything about Armidale bounces back to its simple yet sundry existence. It is home to 25, 000 citizens from 53 different nationalities. The first thing that tourists notice in visiting the place is its unique blend of culture immersed in natural beauty, state of the art technology, and diverse education. But what the residents loved about the place is its four subtropical seasons, it enjoys a warm summer, hues of amber during the autumn, a crisp winter, and an exciting spring. Unlike any other place in Australia, its distinct season is the reason for its “new England” moniker.
Summer in Armidale is characterized by warm days but not so humid as compared to other cities in Australia, making it quite comfortable. Base camp with day walks is a cool spot for summer activity. Beaching is not even a word, compared to festivals, music, theater, markets, and book fairs. Summer is also the best season to visit the Aboriginal Cultural Centre down the road, which features teasingly enriching display of Indigenous art. A small sweet café serving some imaginative picks of bush tucker rests near the area for refreshment.
As leaves turn yellow and fall, day temperatures are still warm, particularly March and April. Rains become sporadic and nights are colder, with thunderstorms getting lesser and lesser. The first frosts of the year occurs in the last days of April but unlike any other cities in Australia, winter in Armidale is milder and trifling. Cold frosty mornings are usually succeeded by warm sunny days, seemingly conducive for fun all-time outdoor activities.
Spring in Armidale blossoms to be the best season of the year, starting in October. Temperature is milder while winds get cool and smooth. This is the time of year where you can feel a lighter stroke of sunlight slowly varnishing the area.
A Taste of Armidale Culture
A two-day tour in Armidale is virtuous but a weeklong vacation is superb. There are plenty of things to do in Armidale, with lots of heritage buildings, tree-lined streets, spectacular waterfalls and natural parks to witness. Enjoy a road trip along the Waterfall Way, stopping at cascades and rugged gorges in the craggy countryside. A great collection of colonial age architecture and reputed education centers also await in the City Centre.
You can spend a few hours from your hotel room observing a picture-perfect surrounding or leverage the great outdoors. Take on exciting new dimension up high to see the ravines or recce a trout fishing jaunt with friends. You won’t run out of options.
The coffee shops are exceptional. People here are known for their strong passion and good standard of coffee. Its cafes, from small batch roasters to wholesale coffee suppliers are absolutely marvelous. If you’re a lover of coffee, Armidale is a refuge of your favorite flavors and even more.
Another thing that gives Armidale a unique verge is its wineries and vine yards. Your tour is incomplete without setting foot at New South Wale’s largest wine region. Armidale’s cool weather allows it to produce high-altitude wines. The biggest wineries are located on the western edges, dramatically mantling the New England tablelands. Don’t forget to include in your list the top wine producers such as the Blicking Estate, Topper’s Mountain, Wright Robertson of Glencoe and Zappa Wines.
Shopping Spree
This is life in Armidale, simple yet sanctified with a modest seasonal cycle that is inordinate for an assortment of fun-filled activities. But what you might not know is that Armidale is also a shopping haven, housing three shopping malls with over 40 specialty retail stores, and 100 boutiques and wholesalers.
The mixture of large and small shopping chains cater to both upper and middle class shoppers. Your budget might be tight, but who can resist to low-priced selection of styles, jewelries, and silvers in the shopping district? Hail to visitors who love leather goods, antiques, arts and crafts – Armidale is yours.
