With the Easter long weekend coming up, I thought I would recommend some fun places to visit that are within a couple of hours’ drive from the big smoke.

Patonga – About an hour and a half up the freeway from Sydney, you will find a sleepy fishing village with a killer fish and chip shop, a pub, a camping ground and a pleasantly sandy inlet to paddle around in. It’s daggy in the best possible way and is allegedly one of the biggest drug trafficking ports on the East Coast of Australia. Good times indeed.

Pearl Beach – This is where Sydney’s medical specialists own holiday houses. Amuse yourself by watching orthopaedic surgeons jogging or by making lots of noise after 10pm – the locals will run after you with blazing torches and pitchforks, cursing you in their South African Jewish accents. It’s an idyllic place with a calm beach, a lone cafe and plenty of holiday rentals – enter at your own risk.

Bundeena – This is a peculiar little hamlet populated with amateur artists and people who make their own alcohol under the house. It has tennis courts, an oddly deserted RSL, a stunning crescent bay and a general store that is straight out of Secret Valley or Summer Bay, circa 1985.

The Blue Mountains – I have lumped all of the villages together because they can be described collectively as an amalgam of overpriced antique dealers, quilters wearing hand-knitted Argyle jumpers, wood smoke, cold air, backpackers, elderly Europeans, unemployed hippies and lots of Eucalyptus trees.

Berry – A very good place to do nothing much except wander around the shops, bask in the freakishly cheery glow of Joost, the town’s sourdough baker, be bored stiff by the historic museum (zzzzzzz) and maybe have a little  nap amongst the exhibitions.

Kangaroo Valley – This is a pretty little town where the locals eye you suspiciously as you walk into the one pub and nervously order a drink. Not only will they avoid talking to you, they sure as hell won’t tell you where the good swimming holes are or where to go bushwalking. On the upside, it is very dark and super starry at night and you can stock up on a lifetime supply of fudge and folk art.

So where is everyone off to? Are you going away for the long weekend?