New Italy

New Italy (Italian: Nuova Italia), initially named Cèa Venessia, is a small township of 187 (2016) in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. It's a popular stopover for travellers heading north along the Pacific Motorway from Sydney towards Brisbane.

New Italy was once a popular stopover for travellers heading between Sydney and Brisbane in both directions, but ever since the Pacific Highway was upgraded into the Pacific Motorway, New Italy is only primarily accessible heading northbound – there is a U-turn bay a kilometre south of New Italy, but be quick to weave lanes and be on the lookout for signage.

Look out for the brown tourist signs that point out to New Italy – they're easy to miss, so be on the lookout.

• 🌍 New Italy Museum, info@newitaly.org.au. Daily 9:30AM–3:30PM. Most travellers stop and visit the museum while visiting the cafe, but there's some great memorabilia from the town's earliest Italian settlers. For military ethusiasts, the museum includes an exhibit of New Italy's ANZAC Honour Roll. Among your exit, treat yourself to a pie and shortbread at the cafe near the exit. Free. (updated Oct 2022)
• 🌍 New Italy Glass Art Gallery, ☏ +61 414 668 223. Daily 10AM–4PM. If the museum alone wasn't enough to get a feel of Italy, then fear not, this glass art gallery has many Italian glassworks. (updated Oct 2022)

• 🌍 Casa Vecchia Gift Shop, giftshop@newitaly.org.au. W–Su 9:30AM–3:30PM (closed M Tu). If you fancy country gift shops that have quintessentially classy products, Casa Vecchia is another one of them. Nearly everything here is Italian in some form or another. Whether it was Italian-made, Italian-designed, or just Italian-inspired, such as Italian pots, Italian soap, or Italian purses, there's one thing that screams about the shop – everything's Italian. (updated Oct 2022)

• 🌍 Tastes of New Italy Cafe, ☏ +61 2 6682 2622. Daily 8AM–4PM, public holidays: 10AM–3PM, closed Christmas Day. A visit to any Italian town in Italy isn't complete without trying its local cuisine; likewise, no trip to New Italy is ever complete without visiting this cafe. Most of the menu is, well, Italian, but there have been a few twists and adjustments to resemble more like a roadside cafe off a freeway. (updated Oct 2022)

As of 2023, there is no accommodation in New Italy, and it's unlikely there ever will be one. New Italy can be explored within just an hour or two, though, so you won't have the need to sleep.

Your only option is to head back onto the Pacific Motorway and continue your journey up north towards Ballina, Byron Bay, and eventually the Gold Coast or Brisbane.