New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is Australia's most populous state, located in the east coast of the continent.

New South Wales can be divided physically into four sections: The steep escarpment of the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney prevented European exploration beyond the coastal strip for several years until explorer Gregory Blaxland found a way through in 1813, 25 years after the first settlement in Sydney.

Its four main cities from north to south are Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, and Wollongong which all lie along the coast.

[3] During winter, the coastal plain cane be relatively dry because of foehn winds which blow from the Great Dividing Range.

[5] The mountain can block cold fronts coming from the Southern Ocean, and can produce foehn winds on the leeward side.

[6][7] The climate in the southern half of the state is generally warm and hot in the summer months and mild and cool in the winter.