When to fly
Weather-wise, the best time to book flights to Armidale is during January when the temperatures are between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
The weather becomes cooler in February to May (autumn) and then September to December (spring), with the temperature usually sitting between 10 and 20 degrees. These periods are also popular times to book flights to Armidale, especially if you’re not a fan of the heat. If you visit during autumn, you will be welcomed by the beautiful autumn foliage. This time of year hosts the annual Armidale Autumn Festival, where you can see a street parade and fireworks display, indulge in delicious food and listen to bands. May and October are very busy months in Armidale due to the University of New England Graduation period. Therefore, flights and accommodation are likely to be more expensive.
If you don’t mind the cold weather, usually between 0 and 10 degrees, June to August, can be the perfect time visit. This is the low season so you may be able to get cheap flights and deals on accommodation.
Destination overview
Along with Tamworth, Armidale is one of the biggest towns in this part of New South Wales - the New England region. 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 sites 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.
Armidale has a cool temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Humidity is not a problem, thanks to Armidale's latitude, and most of the rain falls in summer.