Orange & Bathurst

A pairing of a food-and-wine town and a gold-rush city in the NSW Central West — taste cool-climate wines, climb Mount Canobolas and drive the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst.

Orange and Bathurst sit on the tablelands of the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, with Orange to the west and Bathurst to the east. The two towns are about 55 km apart and 3–4 hours' drive from Sydney. Founded in 1815, Bathurst is Australia's oldest inland European settlement; in 1851 payable gold was discovered at nearby Ophir, sparking Australia's first gold rush and leaving behind a wealth of Victorian-era buildings and historic gold-rush villages. Orange, at about 860 m above sea level, is a region for cool-climate wine, apples and cherries, and the birthplace of the poet A. B. "Banjo" Paterson. The seasons are distinct: Mar–May brings golden autumn leaves and the grape harvest, plus Orange F.O.O.D Week in April, making it the best time to visit; Sep–Nov is spring blossom season, and in October the Bathurst 1000 endurance race draws motorsport fans from across the country, when accommodation is extremely tight; winters are cold, with occasional snow on Mount Canobolas; summer days are fairly hot but nights are cool. There are three main areas to explore: around Orange, Mount Canobolas, Lake Canobolas, numerous wineries, Cook Park and the Botanic Gardens, and the Borenore Caves; in Bathurst, the Mount Panorama circuit and the motor racing museum, the historic precinct around the courthouse, the Fossil and Mineral Museum, and Abercrombie House; and in the surrounding area, the gold-rush villages of Hill End, Sofala and Ophir, the country villages of Millthorpe and Carcoar, and Abercrombie Caves to the south. Getting there: daily trains and coaches run from Sydney to Bathurst and Orange (about 3.5–5 hours), and both towns have small airports. Sights in the region are spread out, so you'll basically need to drive. Allow 3–4 days: 1–2 days in Orange for wine tasting and the mountain, a day in Bathurst, and a day for the gold-rush villages. Note that some country roads are gravel, mobile reception is weak around Hill End, and please don't drive after wine tasting.

Top sights

• Mount Canobolas – A 1,395-metre dormant volcano on the outskirts of Orange. From the summit, you can overlook the central-western plains, and it is the highe…
• Orange Wine Region – One of Australia's highest wine regions, with dozens of wineries and cellar doors scattered across the slopes of Mount Canobolas.
• Mount Panorama Circuit – Australia's most famous motor racing circuit. On non-race days it is a public road, so you can drive a lap and go to the summit for a panor…
• Hill End Historic Site – One of the best-preserved ghost towns from the gold rush era. It had 8,000 residents in the 1870s and is now a living historic site.
• Lake Canobolas – A lakeside leisure spot at the foot of Mount Canobolas, with a lake loop trail, picnic areas and a swimming area. Suitable for a family hal…
• Cook Park – A Victorian-era park in central Orange, with a glasshouse conservatory, bandstand and Japanese garden. Beautiful in autumn.
• Orange Botanic Gardens – A cool-climate botanic garden north of the city, with native Australian plant beds, a heritage fruit orchard and wetland trails.
• Orange Regional Museum – A modern museum with a grassy slope on its roof, telling the stories of Orange's Indigenous people, gold rush, agriculture and urban histor…
• Ophir Goldfields Reserve – Where minable gold was first found in Australia in 1851, sparking the Australian gold rush. You can still pan for gold in the creek today.
• Borenore Caves – A small limestone cave reserve west of Orange, where you can explore arch caves and fossil-bearing rock strata on your own.
• Millthorpe Village – A 19th-century country town listed in its entirety as a heritage area. Stone-paved streets, old shops and boutique restaurants draw weekend…
• Carcoar – A 19th-century town tucked away in a valley, with its stone buildings almost entirely intact. It is one of the best-preserved historic town…
• National Motor Racing Museum – A motor racing museum beside the Mount Panorama circuit, displaying past Bathurst champion cars and Australian motor racing history.
• Bathurst Heritage Precinct & Courthouse – The heart of Australia's oldest inland town, where the grand Victorian courthouse, clock tower and historic buildings are concentrated.
• Machattie Park – A Victorian-era park behind Bathurst Courthouse, with a begonia glasshouse, cast-iron fountain and bandstand.
• Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum – A fossil and mineral museum built on the Somerville collection. It is home to Australia's only complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton replica.
• Bathurst Regional Art Gallery – An important regional art gallery in New South Wales, known for Australian modern and contemporary art and its Hill End artists collection.
• Chifley Home – The modest home of Ben Chifley, Australia's 16th prime minister, preserved as it was with its 1950s furnishings.
• Abercrombie House – A 19th-century Scottish baronial-style mansion on the western outskirts of Bathurst, with about 50 rooms that retain their Victorian furnis…
• Sofala – One of Australia's oldest surviving gold rush towns. Old houses with corrugated iron roofs line the Turon River, and painters and filmmaker…
• Abercrombie Caves – A cave reserve with one of the largest natural limestone arch caves in the Southern Hemisphere. The Great Arch Cave is about 221 meters lon…

Where to eat

• The Union Bank – A hatted restaurant in a historic bank building, with shared plates and local Orange wines. The courtyard bar has a gre…
• Mr Lim Korean-Chinese Restaurant – A small Korean-Chinese fusion eatery in a converted old corner shop, with Korean fried chicken, bossam and drunken duck…
• Byng Street Local Store – A popular red-door café in Orange, serving Allpress coffee with house-made muesli and ricotta hotcakes. Great for brunc…
• Tamarin Indian Restaurant – One of Bathurst's most highly rated Indian restaurants. It is BYO, with generous portions and good value.
• Church Bar Wood-Fired Pizza – A pizza bar in a converted old church school in Bathurst. Its arched ceilings, fireplaces and shaded courtyard are the…

Itineraries

• Outback NSW: Broken Hill & Mungo – Journey west from highland wine country all the way to the silver mining city and World Heritage sand dunes