Resting high on the Northern Tablelands, Armidale is the most cosmopolitan New South Wales city outside Sydney, catering for 25,000 citizens from 53 different nationalities. A popular stopping place on the New England Highway, Armidale is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region.

Armidale is located on the banks of Dumaresq Creek, in the Northern Tablelands and the New England region about midway between Sydney and Brisbane at an altitude (980 metres) ranging from 970 metres at the floor of the valley to 1,110 metres above sea level at the crests of the hills. A short distance to the east of Armidale are heavily forested steep gorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain.

Where is it?: New England. 566 km north of Sydney, 464 km southy of Brisbane, on the New England Highway. Armidale has a daily XPT train service from Sydney via the Hunter Valley. Armidale is situated on the New England Tablelands half way between Sydney and Brisbane. The coastal plain can be reached directly at Coffs Harbour via Waterfall Way to Dorrigo and Bellingen on the Bellinger River, a two-hour drive.

Things to see and do

St Peter's Anglican Cathedral

Armidale is a cathedral city, being the seat of the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of Armidale. St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, which replaced the original St Peter's Church, was designed by the Canadian architect, John Horbury Hunt who also designed Booloominbah at the University of New England. St Peter's Cathedral opened for worship in 1875 and the tower was added in 1938. The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph was consecrated in 1912.

The court house was built in the 1850s and is still a prominent feature of the central district. Much of the rest of the city is residential.

Lookouts: The Apex Lookout on a ridge overlooking the city (3km north) has panoramic views, as does Big Hill lookout on Kempsey Road.

Events: The Australian Wool Fashion Awards, which showcases the use of Merino wool by fashion designers, are hosted by Armidale in March each year. The Autumn Festival is a popular annual event of April in Armidale. The festival features a street parade, stalls and celebrations throughout the city. It is a regular part of the city's attractions, often promoting Armidale's diverse culture (for instance, posters set up by council attempt to attract tourists with the motto "Foodies Thrive In Armidale") and autumn colours. During May the annual New England Wool Expo is staged to display wool fashions, handicrafts, demonstrations, shearing competitions, yard dog trials and demonstrations, a wool bale rolling competition and other activities.

About Armidale

Armidale prides itself on education with the University of New England, three private schools, two Catholic schools, two public high schools, six state primary schools, a Steiner school and several pre-schools and day care centres.

Climate: The presence of four distinct seasons, unlike most of the rest of Australia, is the reason for the "New England" moniker and the autumn colours are a notable feature of the city. Armidale enjoys a warm summer, tones of amber during the autumn, a crisp winter and an exhilarating spring.

At 980 metres above sea level, the air is clear and clean. Temperatures range from 10° in winter, 10-30 ° in the summer months. These conditions make it a pleasant climate for the most beautiful spring gardens; spectacular autumn colours line the city's streets around March and April.