Armidale is one the two principal towns in the New England region of New South Wales, the other is Tamworth. Where Tamworth is the centre of the country music industry in Australia, Armidale's charms are more historic. It's a cathedral and university city, home to the University of New England, with fine, heritage buildings (not least Booloominbah, the Victorian mansion around which the university is built), a bustling rural centre and some jaw-droppingly beautiful surrounds.
Armidale itself has a lively pedestrian mall, which stretches across three blocks of Beardy Street. Cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops cater to students and residents, and there are plenty of historic sights including the noted Art Deco building Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale Courthouse, the Post Office, the New England Hotel and the former Commonwealth Bank. The New England Regional Art Museum on Kentucky Street has the Hinton Collection, 1,200 pieces of art that has been described as the only complete collection of Australian art in the country.
This New England region, in the north-eastern corner of the state, takes in the Northern Tablelands. Near Armidale, there are several World-Heritage listed national parks such as New England National Park and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park (which includes Wollomombi Gorge, Gara Gorge, Dangars Gorge, Tia Falls, Apsley Gorge, Mount Yarrowyck and Budds Mare), reserves and conservation areas. It's just a two-hour drive to the coast - Coffs Harbour via Waterfall Way.