When you think of "New England,"
you think of Boston, Hartford and Providence. You think of
bone-chilling winters, brilliant fall colors, wet springs and
way-too-short summers. You think of Paul Revere, lob-stah and Family
Guy. You think of lighthouses, churches and the New England Patriots.
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You
probably don't think of kangaroos – but in the case of one particular
"New England," you probably should. (Yes, that's a major hint about
where this New England is located.)
Where is New England, Australia?
Nearly
10,000 miles from the cobbled streets of Boston, you'll find the
proverbial "other" New England, located in the northern part of
Australia's New South Wales state, which is also home to Sydney.
Also known as the "Northern Tablelands" and/or the "Northwest Slopes,"
New England, Australia sits about 35 miles inland from the ocean, a
major fact that separates it from its decidedly maritime North American
cousin.
Interestingly, while New England remains officially
undefined (in geographic terms), it has been pursuing official
Australian statehood for quite some time, seeking to separate itself
from surrounding New South Wales.
If the movement succeeds, it would be yet another
fact about the region that sets it apart from its cousin in North
America, even if it would still remain less easy to define in every
other way – more on that in a moment.
What's the Story of New England, Australia?
The
history of New England, Australia not surprisingly dates back to some
English explorers, although they arrived here a couple centuries after
their forefathers landed at Plymouth Rock. Specifically, it was in the
mid-19th century that English sailors such as John Oxley and Allan
Cunningham began to map out the region that would eventually be known as
"New England."
Initially, New England served as little more that a timber factory, owing to its large reserves of Australian red cedar trees.
Over time, however, industry in the area expanded into gold and copper
mining, and with the arrival of railroads in the late 19th century,
permanent populations began to settle in cities like Tamworth and
Armidale, which these days enjoy regular air service and connections to
multiple highways. Rail service here, as is the case in much of
Australia these days, leaves a lot to be desired.
Is There Anything to See in New England, Australia?
I first learned about New England, Australia from a friend of mine who hails there, a fellow travel writer whose blog
hinges heavily on Australian identity. "Nothing," he said bluntly, when
I asked him what there was to see and/or do in New England, Australia,
or if there was any reason – save for novelty – that someone might
voluntarily visit the region.
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My independent research has led me
to a different conclusion – well, sort of. While I can't claim that the
rolling green mountains and rocky ridges of New England, Australia are
unique enough in and of themselves to warrant a visit there, it does
seem that the region is interesting enough for local residents and for
travelers who happen to be in the area, for instance in the
world-renowned beaches at Coffs Harbour or Byron Bay.
For example,
Australia's New England is home to nearly 30 national parks, including
Cathedral Rock National Park, Guy Fawkes River National Park and,
perhaps least surprisingly, New England National Park. You can easily
spot iconic Australian wildlife (namely, kangaroos) throughout the
region, to say nothing of the diverse and abundant flora.
You
won't walk the cosmopolitan streets of world-class cities like Boston,
and you won't be able to enjoy the delicious lobster you can on the
coast of Maine (at least not without paying the hefty price to import
it), but you can say the most important thing there is to say when it
comes to visiting somewhere: I was here! In New England, Australia.
