Unexpected sight in NSW town as more Aussies choose to travel local

A red double-decker London bus has been spotted so very far from home, taking a group of enthusiastic travellers and locals on a tour of the small NSW town of Bargo.The surprising sight comes after research revealed nearly 70 per cent of Australians are choosing to stay close to home for shopping, dining and entertainment as a result of the rising cost of living.And yet, nearly 50 per cent of locals admit they aren't across things like new restaurant openings or 'hidden gems' in their area.READ MORE: The best places for a honeymoon in Australia, according to our readersEnter, IGA store manager Kassia Minassian and her 'big red bus' that offered shoppers a unique chance to explore their local suburb like never before."Bargo has so much more than people realise - forget the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we've got hidden gems all around," Kassia said.The free tour was held on Wednesday October 2 and kicked off at Khan's Supa IGA Bargo, before hitting some of the town's hotspots."The highlight of the bus was honestly seeing the whole community come out to support each other and see what the area has to offer," Kassia, who has been a local for 10 years, tells 9Travel. "Seeing the genuine smiles and hearing people actually say 'I never knew that existed!'"READ MORE: One thing to do with your luggage at home before going to the airportThe tour showed off plenty of Kassia's favourites including Hotel Bargo, which specialises in an "Aussie parmy" with a cracked egg, or Cedar Creek Orchard offering freshly squeezed apple juice on-site and in store."The Australian Wildlife Sanctuary is home to some of the country's most famous animals, from emus and wombats to adorable quokkas. They even offer private tours," she says.Pine Ridge Miniature Donkeys is another quirky place that offers farm stays with donkeys, goats, alpacas, dogs and chickens."I think we are going to need to look at bringing it back in some capacity down the track, because the feedback has been so overwhelmingly positive," Kassia says.More people visiting NSW regions New figures show NSW's visitor economy is growing. There were 101.6 million domestic and international visitors to NSW in the year ending June 2024. Sydney was the number one Australian capital city for visitors and Regional NSW was the most popular destination across regional Australia in the year ending June 2024, with 65.4 million international and domestic visitors. NSW has also been crowned the nation's road-tripping capital, according to the latest data from Tourism Research Australia.NSW was the number one destination in Australia for visitors, nights and expenditure in the year ending December 2023. There were 3.4 million domestic overnight road trip visitors to NSW during the period, up 2.8 per cent year on year.