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A Day trip to Historical Canowindra

May 24, 2021 / Australia, NSW, Orange, Travel / 0 comment

A Day trip to Historical Canowindra

The historic village of Canowindra is home to hot air balloons, colonial history and a fascinating collection of prehistoric fish fossils.

Drop by this pretty little village (promounced kuh·nawn·druh) and meander through its heritage-listed centre with a few bushranger tales to tell.

In 1863 the entire town of Canowindra was held hostage in a pub for three days by bushranger Ben Hall and his gang. Visit the Canowindra Historical Museum, housed in a former school building, to learn more about the fascinating history of the town, or join Blind Freddy’s Bushranger Tours for an exciting retelling of the myths of Hall and his gang, and stories about life in the 1860s gold-rush era.

The best way to see the town is by air – Canowindra is known as the hot air balloon capital of NSW – so if you have time, take a look at joining a flight with Aussie Balloontrek or Balloon Joy Flights.

Walk a little beyond the town to find this swinging bridge and some lovely countryside.

An absolute must-visit in Canowindra is the Age Of Fishes Museum, home to thousands of rare Devonian fossils uncovered by chance in 1955.

Set aside at least an hour, but more if you have the time, to explore the most bizarre fish fossils from 360 million years ago.

These fish with armoured shells and jaws like crocodiles lived in the rivers of the Central West long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. They belong to the Devonian Period – the ‘Age of Fishes’.

The Age Of Fishes Museum has an indoor component with permanent exhibitions and a kids education and activity area plus an outdoor section containing a geological time-walk in the picnic ground and a giant games board.

Kids can do a scavenger hunt that concludes with a prize.

Read more about things to do in Canowindra.

Get your complete Central West NSW Road Trip itinerary.

Find more things to do in the Orange NSW region including a visit to the Heifer Station.

Find things to do in Cowra NSW including the Cowra Japanese Gardens.

Enjoy the towns of Millthorpe and Carcoar.

Find plenty of things to do in Parkes.

Find things to do in Dubbo.

Read more about things to do in Mudgee.

Read more about visiting Gulgong NSW.

Find more NSW road trip ideas.

Heifer Station Winery & Petting Farm Orange, NSW

May 20, 2021 / Australia, NSW, Orange, Travel / 0 comment

Heifer Station Winery & Petting Farm Orange, NSW

The Heifer Station was built on land that was once one of the biggest cattle stations in Orange. In 2016, Heifer Station opened their cellar door in a 100 year old wool shed, nestled in a beautiful garden with farm yard animals dotted around (or free roaming).

Book yourself for a wine tasting in to enjoy this lovely experience, with the farm animal petting area free to roam for customers of the cellar door. Little kids will love the chickens and Tilly the mini Shetland pony.

There is a huge open green space out the back dotted with picnic tables and benches. It’s a fantastic spot for kids to run around – just remember sunscreen and hats.

Tilly is a very friendly mini Shetland pony who is happy to get some pats.

There is a sandpit for kids to play in as well.

The free roaming chickens are a beautiful mix of breeds.

We booked in for a wine and cheese tasting that came with a fantastic cheese and fruit platter with crackers and bread.

heiferstation.com

Get your complete Central West NSW Road Trip itinerary.

Find more things to do in the Orange NSW region including a visit to the Heifer Station.

Find things to do in Cowra NSW including the Cowra Japanese Gardens.

Enjoy the towns of Millthorpe and Carcoar.

Find plenty of things to do in Parkes.

Find things to do in Dubbo.

Read more about things to do in Mudgee.

Read more about visiting Gulgong NSW.

Find more NSW road trip ideas.

Carcoar, the town that time forgot

May 18, 2021 / Australia, NSW, Orange, Travel / 0 comment

Carcoar, the town that time forgot

Visit the historic village of Carcoar in the NSW Central Tablelands. Take a walking tour of the preserved 19 century buildings set amongst picturesque green hills.

The tiny town of Carcoar can be found 260 km West of Sydney, and approximately 40 minutes equidistant from Bathurst, Orange and Cowra.

The third-oldest settlement west of the Blue Mountains, Carcoar is a beautiful spot to visit year-round, but particularly during autumn when the leaves are changing colour.

Nestled in a valley alongside the Belubula River, Carcoar is an historic gem with a large number of well preserved 19th century buildings. A walking tour is the best way to enjoy the town, with maps available from the National Trust.

The oldest building in the village is believed to be the 1849 convict-built stables of Stoke House, which is now a museum full of interesting historic gems to peruse.

Highlights also include well-preserved Georgian buildings along the main street, St Paul’s Anglican Church built in 1848 and the century-old courthouse.

The buildings now house museums, shops and cafes, with the highest capita of museums to people of anywhere in Australia. If you wish to stay the night, Carcoar has a wide range of accommodation options, from restored heritage buildings to boutique B&Bs.

Carcoar was settled by Europeans in 1821. There was extensive bushranging in the area particularly after the discovery of gold (which is still mined commercially in the area). The first daylight bank robbery in Australia occurred in Carcoar in 1863, at Carcoar’s Commercial Bank. Today, the building is home to a private toy museum with over 2000 toys of various kinds on display.

To reach Carcoar, take the turn-off on the Mid-Western Highway, the A43.

Get more information on Carcoar here, here and here.

Get your complete Central West NSW Road Trip itinerary.

Find more things to do in the Orange NSW region including a visit to the Heifer Station.

Find things to do in Cowra NSW including the Cowra Japanese Gardens.

Enjoy the towns of Millthorpe and Carcoar.

Find plenty of things to do in Parkes.

Find things to do in Dubbo.

Read more about things to do in Mudgee.

Read more about visiting Gulgong NSW.

Find more NSW road trip ideas.

Millthorpe Day Trip: How To Spend A Day In Milthorpe

May 18, 2021 / Australia, NSW, Orange, Travel / 0 comment

Milthorpe Day Trip: How To Spend A Day In Millthorpe

The perfect day trip in the Orange region, Millthorpe is a heritage-listed village with historical buildings, restaurants, shops and wineries. There are plenty of ways to spend a lovely day in Milthorpe.

A stroll through Milthorpe is like taking a step back in time to the 1900s in regional NSW. The cobblestoned streets are lined with relatively unchanged 19th century buildings that now house contemporary restaurants, boutique homewares stores and charming accommodation.

For a detailed look at Millthorpe’s past, take a tour of the Golden Memories Museum, or download the village walking map to your phone and take a gentle walk around the streets while soaking in its charm.

We enjoyed dining at the Railway Station Cafe and browsing the Millthorpe Chocolate shop inside. The Millthorpe Railway Station is a fine example of 19th century building that has been well maintained.

Millthorpe Chocolates is a locally grown business using the finest Belgian Couverture Chocolate and ingredients. The chocolate is hand tempered and is hand crafted.

Millthorpe Chocolates is a locally grown business using Belgian Couverture Chocolate. The chocolate is tempered and crafted by hand.

There is a lovely lolly shop on the main street that is impossible to walk past without buying something.

How to get to Millthorpe:

The historic town is 20 minutes’ drive southeast of Orange, 10 minutes from Orange Airport, and 30 minutes west of Bathurst. The drive from Sydney is 3 hours 30 minutes.

By train: the Western XPT arrives every day from Sydney at 11.48am on its way to Dubbo, then departs at 4.11pm. Book tickets online with NSW Trainlink or by phone 13 22 32.

Read more about Millthorpe Village here and here.

Get your complete Central West NSW Road Trip itinerary.

Find more things to do in the Orange NSW region including a visit to the Heifer Station.

Find things to do in Cowra NSW including the Cowra Japanese Gardens.

Enjoy the towns of Millthorpe and Carcoar.

Find plenty of things to do in Parkes.

Find things to do in Dubbo.

Read more about things to do in Mudgee.

Read more about visiting Gulgong NSW.

Find more NSW road trip ideas.

6 Things to do in Orange NSW

May 18, 2021 / Australia, NSW, Orange, Travel / 0 comment

Six Things to do in Orange NSW

Orange is a large regional centre with art galleries, wineries, hikes and leisure activities. There are plenty of things to do in Orange on a regional NSW road trip. Here are three of our favourite discoveries:

Lake Canobolas

Lake Canobolas is a man-made reservoir located near Orange, a popular spot for recreation since the 1970s.

Cycling, sailing, canoeing, walking, swimming, triathlons and dragon boating are some of the sports/activities held here.

Kids will love the Apex Adventure Playground on the eastern bank.

Bring a picnic or bbq lunch or grab a bite from the Lakehouse kiosk.

There is a walking track around the lake that is great for bird watching and wildlife spotting.

Be sure to walk over the top of the reservoir, it’s a great view of the water gushing over the side.

Lake Canobolas is open daily from early morning until sunset. Dogs are permitted within the park but must be on a lead.

Heifer Station Winery

Get more info on visiting the Heifer Station.

heiferstation.com

Cook Park

Enjoy the stunning seasonal colours of Orange in Cook Park, a 4.5 hectare park in the centre of Orange named after Captain James Cook.

The park was laid out in a traditional Victorian design in 1873, with straight paths and rows of trees.

Cook Park also features duck ponds, kids’ swings, an aviary with birds, the Lattice Fernery and Cook Park Guildry.

Cook Park is an easy 10 minute walk west of the Orange CBD via Summer or Kite Streets.

Spilt Milk Gelato

You must try this delicious gelato made with the best ingredients from Aussie farms.

spiltmilkbar.com

Racine Bakery

This bakery is a must-visit – if you can manage to find it! Racine Bakery can be found behind a strip of shops, with the entrance in the Woolworths car park. They sell the most delicious bread, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, salads, pies and sausage rolls, all hand-made on site.

Entry via woolworths carpark, 166B Summer St, Orange

racinerestaurant.com.au

Gracie Burger

We loved these brightly coloured burger and fries meals from Gracie Burger, with an option for a chickpea patty in lieu of meat for adult and kids meals.