Give each town a day or two. Mix cellar doors with the villages and viewpoints, and leave time for a long lunch.
1 Orange
A country city with wide streets, grand Victorian buildings and beautiful parks such as Cook Park, especially colourful in spring and autumn. The food and wine scene is one of the strongest in regional NSW.
Practical: Free to explore. Visitor centre in the city.
2 Mount Canobolas
An extinct volcano rising to around 1,395 metres just south-west of Orange, with a summit lookout, walking tracks and picnic areas in a state conservation area.
Practical: Free. About 30 minutes from Orange. Can be cold and snowy in winter.
3 Millthorpe
A heritage village of bluestone buildings, cafés and a well-regarded restaurant, about 20 minutes from Orange.
Practical: Free. Easy half-day trip.
4 Mudgee
A relaxed country town with handsome nineteenth-century buildings, good cafés and restaurants, and cellar doors on its doorstep.
Practical: Free. Visitor centre in town.
5 Mudgee wineries
Dozens of cellar doors surround the town, many small and family-run. Mudgee is known for full-bodied reds, and some wineries specialise in Italian grape varieties and organic or biodynamic methods.
Practical: Most open daily; check smaller ones in advance.
6 Gulgong
A gold-rush town about 30 minutes north of Mudgee, with narrow streets and well-preserved historic buildings, and a large pioneers’ museum. Henry Lawson spent part of his childhood in the area.
Practical: Free to wander. Museum ticketed.
