Armidale, located in the Northern Tablelands, Australia, is a famous cathedral city that is also the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region and is halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.It is a rural university town home to the University of New England. Armidale is famous for its natural parks, cathedral and beautiful natural attractions. Army Dale has a population of 23,967 and is located on the banks of Dumaresq Creek. This city, known for its natural beauty, is of huge scientific interest for the World Heritage because of its national parks. There are many interesting things to do in Armidale to have a fun and memorable trip.

Wonderful Things To do In Armidale

Here are a few exciting things to do in Armidale to explore the city’s nature and cultures.

1. Visiting The New England Regional Art Museum

A view of the entrance to NERAM, one of the top things to do in armidale.

Image Credit: Terrence Robert Cooke for Wikimedia Commons

The New England Regional Art Museum is a museum of Australian art, also known as NERAM, located in the New South Wales region. It is famous for its second-largest art collection and one of the most valuable regional public collections after the New Castle art gallery. The collections in this museum are valued highly. It has six gallery spaces, a printing museum, conference facilities, an artist’s studio shop and a cafe. This museum was opened in 1983 to exhibit the collections of its two main benefactors, Howard Hinton and Chandler Coventry. There are nearly 4500 collections of Australian artworks from the 19th century to the 20th century by significant artists. The NERAM research library has Howard Hinton’s valuable library collections of books, historical documents, memorabilia, and a general collection of Australian art, letters, diaries, poems, and many other records.

The Museum of Printing has a historically significant collection of printing machinery and equipment, such as a linotype machine, bookbinding equipment, and wooden and metal types, which discuss the history of printing in Australia from 1850 to the early 1990s. There are nearly a thousand printing blocks, as well as many library books on printing and technical manuals.

Location: 106-114 Kentucky St, Armidale NSW 2350, Australia
Best Time to Visit: March to April

Also Read: Things To Do In New South Wales

2. Explore The Land Of The Saumarez Homestead

A view of the Saumarez Homestead main building

Image Credit: Damien Linnane for Wikipedia

Saumarez Homestead, located at Saumarez Road in the Armidale Regional Council of New South Wales, is a heritage-listed homestead that J.W. Pender designed and was built between 1888 and 1906 by H.E. Elliott in the Federation Edwardian style. The garden was established by Mary White and the property is presently owned by the National Trust of Australia. The remaining property has 10 hectares of land with fully originally furnished houses with 30 rooms and there are nearly 15 other buildings that are dated from 1818 to 1910 that include a cottage, a milking shed, horse yards, a slaughterhouse and also many collections of farming equipment and other items.

This property has nearly 6,500 household items and 3,500 pieces of farming equipment. This place is also rented for many weddings and other functions for large events like film festivals and fashion shows. It also has a large grazing property with two hectares dedicated to the garden. The gardens have various types of plant materials and also have rare variants of plants. The garden is maintained on a daily basis by a dedicated team of volunteers.

Location: Saumarez Homestead, 230 Saumarez Rd, Armidale NSW 2350, Australia
Best Time to Visit: June to August

3. Visiting The Saints Mary And Joseph Catholic Cathedral

An amazing view of the cathedral

Image Credit: Amos T Fairchild for Wikipedia

The Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral is located at 132 Dangar Street, Armidale. It is a heritage-listed cathedral and it is also the diocesan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Armidale. This cathedral was designed by John Hennessy and built between 1911 and 1912 by George Frederick Nott. This cathedral is a famous place that represents the important patterns, culture and history of New South Wales. It represents the religious community with strong cultural groups, aesthetic characteristics and a natural environment.

This place has been an establishment of religion and a place of worship, which played an important role in the colonial expansion of New South Wales. This place was safeguarded by the government to ensure that the religion followed here was a home for spiritual education after the boundaries of the colony expanded. The cathedral has an impressive architecture with fine designs and amazing artwork, which is very beautiful to look at.

Location: St Joseph’s Cathedral, Hyderabad, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, 5-9-305, Gun Foundry Street Number 1, Gun Foundry, Basheer Bagh, Hyderabad, Telangana 500001
Best Time to Visit: December

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4. A Walk Around The Dumaresq Dam

A view of the Dumaresq River, one of the best things to do in armidale.

Image Credit: Mattinbgn for Wikipedia

Dumaresq Dam, built between 1896 and 1898 was Armidale’s water supply until 1968. After that, the Malpas dam was completed. This is now set aside as a recreation reserve, which is a 2.5 km walking track that passes through a beautiful eucalypt woodland on the way to the dam. This is the best spot for swimming because it has plenty of space.

The walking track is an easy walk through rock hopping required for one section. New mountain biking trails to the nearby Mount Duval have been introduced. There are many opportunities in the woodland and the dam for bird watching, boat ramp, kayaking, and many other activities. There is also blueberry picking activity in the summer. During the winter, there are occasional chances of snow near the place.

Location: Dumaresq Dam, 458 Dumaresq Dam Rd, Armidale NSW 2350, Australia
Best Time to Visit: April to May

5. Exploring Warrabah National Park

A beautiful view of Warrabah National Park

Image Credit: John Tann for Wikipedia

Warrabah National Park is located near Tamworth and Uralla is one of the few inland river parks in New South Wales. It is a beautiful park with an incredible atmosphere and it is also a large part of the Namoi River. This park is bisected by 14 km of the river and a mass of granite boulders perch that are high above the valley’s deep, calm pools and the swelling river rapids provide amazing adventure activity.

Most visitors visit the park base for exploring, especially many riverside activities like swimming, fishing, liloing, bush walks, bird watching, nature photography, canoeing, rock climbing, wildlife photography and picnicking near the water. There is also plenty of space for camping and walking on the many grassy flats beside the river to explore the towering ridgelines. There are nearly 120 bird species spotted in this national park.

Location: Warrabah National Park, Warrabah Trail, Warrabah NSW 2346, Australia
Best Time to Visit: February to April

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Now that you have a list of things to do in Armidale, have a fantastic experience visiting all the places mentioned above. Plan your trip to Australia for an unforgettable experience on your next adventure. Collect the beautiful memories and have fun to the fullest with your loved ones. Read to know more in detail.

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Cover Image Credit: Terry Cooke for Wikipedia

Frequently Asked Questions About Things To Do In Armidale

What are some of the best things to do in Armidale?

Visiting the NERAM museum and cultural centres, exploring the national parks, trekking, camping amidst the beautiful nature, participating in water sports activities, and many more.

What are some of the famous cathedrals in Armidale that you should visit?

Many famous cathedrals in the city, like St. Peter’s Cathedral and Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral, are very well-known.

What is the best time to visit Armidale?

The best time to visit Armidale is between March and April, which is known to be the autumn season and the most preferred time of the year because the temperatures are warm and the days are sunny with less rainfall.

How is the climate in Armidale?

Armidale is known to have a cool climate throughout the year, with rain falling even in the summer. During the winter, it sometimes goes to a temperature of less than 5 degrees, which occasionally has snowfall. There are thunderstorms and heavy rains during the summer and spring.

How to reach Armidale?

By air, Armidale Airport is 6 minutes away from the city centre. By train, there are many train links that operate between Sydney and Armidale throughout the day, which takes about 8 hours. By road, many bus routes are operated from Armidale to Guyra.

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