![\"Borrodell](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Scenic-country-views-across-Borrodell-Vineyard-Canobolas-DNSW-169314-109.jpg\")
Soak up the scenic country views across Borrodell Vineyard. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n
Sample Orange’s best regional produce<\/h2>\n
It takes very little effort to sink your teeth into some of the regional city\u2019s best produce. You\u2019re likely to stumble across roadside farm gates and boutique producers without even trying. But there are a handful of producers you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n\n
Borrodell Estate<\/a> is the place for farm-fresh apples, plums, cherries, quinces (they also make a delightful quince paste) and offer a vino with a view. \u00a0While Fourjay Farms<\/a> produce all kinds of hazelnut delicacies \u2013 muesli, macaroons, shortbread, ice-cream, and of course fresh-roasted hazelnuts.<\/p>\n\n Huntley Berry Farm<\/a> is a great family day out. When in season, you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries with the kids. Although, once you\u2019ve tried freshly-picked berries store-bought ones just won\u2019t compare. Norland Fig Orchard<\/a> also allows visitors to pick their own figs towards the end of the season \u2013 don\u2019t miss out on trying the fig ice-cream while you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n\n Mandagery Creek<\/a> is another family-run company; its lean and healthy deer meat features on the menu of many local restaurants. While Paling Yards Grove<\/a> in Cudal, 35 kilometres outside of Orange, is a gorgeous orchard known for its quality olives and award-winning olive oils \u2013 find them on sale at numerous farmers markets (including the Orange Farmers Market) and retail outlets in Orange and surrounds.<\/p>\n Sample the fresh produce in Orange. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n The crisp morning air in Orange provides an exhilarating alertness to the start of your day \u2013 all the more reason to get out there early and immerse yourself in its surrounding countryside.<\/p>\n\n Start with a brisk walk along the Summit Walking Track of Mount Canobolas<\/a>. The 1,395-metre-high dormant volcano features subalpine scenery and is often covered in a blanket of snow come winter. There are also a number of other interconnecting longer walks if you\u2019re up for more of a challenge.<\/p>\n\n Just south of Orange, the popular Gosling Creek Reserve has walking and cycling pathways to explore. To the north, discover The Falls Water Falls<\/a>, which cascades down into Summer Hills Creek along the Central Mines trail.<\/p>\n\n Lake Canobolas<\/a>\u00a0is a great spot for birdwatching. Nearby, Towac Pinnacle makes for a spectacular outlook. And if it\u2019s views you\u2019re after the cellar doors of Printhie, De Salis, Ross Hill and Rowlee Wines boast some of the best in Orange.<\/p>\n\n Explore the limestone caves of Borenore Karst Conservation Reserve<\/a> and marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites.\u00a0Take the easy 3.5-kilometre walk\u00a0along Boree Creek trail to Verandah Cave<\/a> to reach the tranquil creek and if you\u2019re quiet you might even spot the shy platypus that call this creek home.<\/p>\n\n Orange is also home to many lovely parks that are perfect for a picnic or to spend an afternoon whiling away your time in the sun. Head to Orange Botanic Gardens, Robertson Park and Cook Park.<\/p>\n Robertson Park is the perfect spot for a picnic in Orange. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n There are more than 40 wineries and 30 cellar doors in Orange and ticking them all off is the mother of all bucket lists \u2013 and probably not achievable in one visit to Orange, so we\u2019ve got a few highlights to get you started.<\/p>\n\n Borrodell Estate<\/a> is a heavy-hitter in the region. If you\u2019re not already dining, sleeping or checking out the farm here, the cellar door is a must. The sparkling wine varieties are famous the world over.<\/p>\n\n Philip of Phillip Shaw Wines<\/a> started his label at Koomooloo vineyard in 1988. It\u2019s one of the highest vineyards in Australia and produces some memorable and very collectable wines.<\/p>\n\n Rowlee Wines<\/a> finds production inspiration from the Dalmatian wine country on the Adriatic coast of Croatia; the place where the family tradition of grape growing and winemaking began. A visit today is a lesson in European heritage and new-world practice, showcased within a contemporary cellar door.<\/p>\n\n These are just three of many. Our extensive guide to the best wineries and cellar doors in Orange can be found here.<\/a><\/p>\n The view from the accommodation at Borrodell Estate. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n Pub life is an important part of the culture in Orange and you can expect top-notch nosh and pints in just about every pub you enter.<\/p>\n\n If you like pubs the way they used to be, the Gladstone Hotel<\/a> \u2013 a traditional-style watering hole \u2013 will suit nicely. Then there is The Hotel Orange,<\/a> the oldest pub in the region, located in the heart of Byng Street. Here, catch live music and conventional pub grub.<\/p>\n The Union Bank building is home to The Art House Bar & Courtyard and adjoining Schoolhouse Restaurant. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n Parkview Hotel<\/a> is the place to enjoy a modern Australian-style meal. At the Robin Hood Hotel,<\/a> find a spacious, family-friendly restaurant. The Lord Anson<\/a> has 50 craft beers on tap, locally sourced food and plenty of regulars.<\/p>\n\n Union Bank<\/a> building on Byng Street first opened its doors in 1858 as Orange\u2019s first bank. Now, punters sip on ale or local wine at The Art House Bar & Courtyard before heading for dinner at the adjoining Schoolhouse Restaurant. If you’re looking for more places to eat and drink, Birdie Noshery & Drinking<\/a> is a community focused hang out that delivers a relaxed atmosphere, a wine list full of local standouts with cocktails and craft beers thrown in for good measure, and a dining menu that will take you from brunch to dinner.<\/p>\n Birdie Noshery & Drinking is a rather special local hangout and a great place for a drink and a meal.<\/p><\/div>\n We weren\u2019t kidding \u2013 Orange is a gastronome\u2019s heaven. Visitors who want to enjoy\u00a0local drops will not be left short of options thanks to a number of specialty retailers around town.<\/p>\n\n Badlands Brewery<\/a> should be your first stop. This award-winning microbrewery pours dangerously drinkable beers. Tasting paddles, six on-tap beers, and the entire Badlands packaged range are available for purchase on site.<\/p>\n\n Parrot Distilling Co.<\/a> is established in the centre of Orange. The gin has truly taken flight, offering three flagship styles as well as seasonal gins that showcase the region.<\/p>\n\n Pioneer Brewing Co.<\/a> can be found on a rural farming property 25 minutes outside of Orange. The team run a unique brewery and farming operation with all malting grain grown on the farm, then harvested and made onsite. Pioneer Brewing Co. create beers with a fresh and clean finish on the palate \u2013 thanks to the rain water used in the brewing process.<\/p>\n\n Jones and Smith Distillery<\/a> is a family-owned craft distillery found in Spring Hill, between Orange and Millthorpe. Spirits (boutique gin and whiskey) are 100 per cent authentically crafted and aged in the heart of the Central West.<\/p>\n The Parrot Distilling Co. has a range of gins on offer. (Image: Amy Barrington)<\/p><\/div>\n Turn your eyes towards the night skies in Central NSW and you\u2019ll spot a pretty spectacular sight. According to John Sarkissian, operations scientist at CSIRO Parkes Observatory and a founding member of the Central West Astronomical Society, \u201cThe Central West boasts some of the darkest skies in Australia and is a wonderful place to appreciate the marvels of the night sky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n \u201cVisitors to the region are amazed by the number of stars that are visible, which is something they never see from light-polluted city skies,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n In Orange, skies are clearest between March and October. To make a weekend of it, grab tickets to the Orange Winter Fire Festival. August sees Orange and Millthorpe host a whole swag of events, including one where Indigenous astronomers share the local Wiradjuri people’s knowledge of the cosmos.<\/p>\n One the best night sky vantage points, Lake Canobolas, Orange NSW (Image: Jenny Davidson)<\/p><\/div>\n Orange and its surrounding towns are filled with a whole host of experiences you won\u2019t find anywhere else. The birthplace of Banjo Patterson, the rich agricultural land and undulating hills all make for such an inspiring setting that you will be penning sonnets in no time.<\/p>\n\n Canowindra sits beside the Belubula River in the beautiful red-earth countryside. Well known for hot air ballooning and fish fossil discoveries (the town became famous in 1955 when a 360-million-year-old fossil was found), today it is also an arts and tourism hub.<\/p>\n\n One-street towns aren\u2019t usually graced with a hatted restaurant, but Millthorpe in central New South Wales is not your run-of-the-mill country town. This heritage town is classified by the National Trust and nestled in a cool-climate wine region. The hatted\u00a0Tonic<\/a>\u00a0is a Millthorpe icon and a trip to Orange isn\u2019t complete without a dinner cooked by Chef Tony Worland.<\/p>\n Tonic is a highly-awarded, refined and relaxed contemporary restaurant housed within a heritage-listed building. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n Lyndhurst was also on the coveted short-list of sites for our nation\u2019s capital at one point in history. It\u2019s the closest \u2018CBD\u2019 to Lyndhurst Goldfields and prospered in the late 1800s as a result. These days it\u2019s known for its thriving agricultural industry and is surrounded by green pastures and picturesque waterways.<\/p>\n\n Find the heart of bushranger country in Eugowra. It was at nearby Escort Rock that the infamous Frank Gardiner pulled off the biggest gold robbery in Australian history, stealing 77 kilograms of gold, and \u00a33,700 in cash. Locals have immortalised this notorious past with murals throughout the town celebrating their unique history. Find out more at the Historical Museum and Bushranger Centre.<\/p>\n![\"best](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Apple-Tree-Orchard-in-Orange-Destination-NSW-147252-109.jpg\")
Explore the great outdoors of Orange<\/h2>\n
![\"Robertson](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robertson-Park-Destination-NSW-168139-109.jpg\")
Plot your route along the winery trail in Orange<\/h2>\n
![\"Borrodell](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5-Borrodell-Cider-Suites-Credit-Destination-NSW.jpg\")
Followed by a pub crawl<\/h2>\n
![\"Union](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Union-Bank-Wine-Bar-Dining-Orange.jpg\")
![\"Birdie](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Birdie-DSC_9510.jpg\")
And (if you\u2019re still standing) a beer and distillery crawl<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/The-Parrot-Distilling-Co\u2019s-range-of-gins-on-offe-rAmy-Barrington-176085-109.jpg\")
Spend your evenings stargazing in Orange<\/h2>\n
![\"strargazing](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Lake-Canobolas-at-night-Jenny-Davidson.jpg\")
Explore historic towns and villages<\/h2>\n
![\"Tonic,](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Tonic2.jpg\")
See Orange through the eyes of its traditional owners<\/h2>\n
![\"Gerald](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Gerald-Power-Owner-and-Founder-of-Indigenous-Cultural-Tours-Destination-NSW-169395-109.jpg\")