Farm gate hopping, gold panning and adult hangouts fit for children – Bathurst and the charming villages that surround it are deserving of an extended weekend.
Bathurst doesn’t tend to be top of mind when planning a trip to NSW’s Central Tablelands, but it’s an underrated gem. The town itself is brimming with history, great food and fun activities for the whole family. Plus, it’s a great base for exploring the surrounding villages. Here’s how to spend four days.
Day 1: Racing, history and dining
Bathurst is famous for racing, so it seems fitting to channel your inner Peter Brock and take a lap around the mountain. The Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit is a 6.213-kilometre street circuit that anyone can drive. Importantly, unlike the popular motorsports events it hosts, the public speed limit is 60 km/h. Follow it up with time at the National Motor Racing Museum, which celebrates Bathurst as the spiritual home of Australian motorsport.
The town’s history is literally on display at Abercrombie House, a Scottish Baronial manor open to the public. Built in the 1870’s, exploring the heritage-listed house feels like stepping back in time, with narrow timber staircases, vintage artifacts and working fireplaces. It has recently opened 10 never-seen-before rooms in the basement. During school holidays, children’s night tours include a torchlight house and garden walk plus chocolate milk and cookies on the verandah.
Drive The Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit. (Credit: Supercars via Destination NSW)
Annie's Ice Cream Parlour is a non-negotiable when in Bathurst. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Enjoy Edwardian High Tea at Abercrombie House. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The National Motor Racing Museum celebrates Bathurst as the spiritual home of Australian motorsport. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Paddle pops won’t cut it anymore after a visit to Annie’s Ice Creamery. Visiting the traditional ice cream parlour, with its pink decor and black-and-white checkerboard floor tiles, feels like stepping back to the ‘50s. And the ice cream is made fresh daily.
Dinner is easier when kids aren’t confined to a table. Bathurst Grange Distillery has launched Grange Kitchen, serving woodfired pizzas in its grassy courtyard on weekends. There are games for the kids and local gin and whisky for mum and dad.
Enjoy local gin and whisky. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Tour the Bathurst Grange Distillery. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Come for the tasting, stay for the woodfires pizzas. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Day 2: Fruit picking and panning for gold
If you’re travelling in summer, skip the supermarket and go fruit picking instead. Cherries in November are the obvious choice, and there are two farms just 10 minutes from Bathurst CBD, plus a berry farm and fruit orchard further out.
Spend the morning at Croftdown Farm, just 15 minutes from Bathurst. This isn’t just any farm tour; kids can meet, feed and pat mini donkeys and highland cattle. There’s no walk-in admission; bookings mean hosts Matt and Kate Nicolson give guests an unhurried, personal experience, whether it’s the farm tour, mini donkey therapy, feed run or calf encounter. During school holidays, they also host junior farmer and junior paddock explorer experiences.
Pat highland cattle at Croftdown Farm. (Credit: Kate Nicolson)
Head north 40 minutes to Hill End, a historic gold mining village, and make like a miner that arrived during the gold rush. Great Western Store is an original building and History Hill is a museum with over 10,000 gold rush-era artifacts and has an underground mine that’s open for exploring. Feeling lucky? Hang out with Jhob on a Gold Panning Tour for a spot of gold fossicking to see if you strike it rich.
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Day 3: Coffee, a heritage walk and country brewery
The Town Square, Bathurst. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Breakfast can be a trying time, with energetic kids ready to go and parents in need of caffeine. That’s why more pubs should adopt The Oxford Hotel’s 7am opening time. It is buzzing with families; the kids are running themselves ragged on the epic outdoor playground while parents can sit in relative peace and drink their coffee while it’s still hot.
Add in a history tour but make it fun. Discover the Story of Bathurst is a self-guided heritage experience that starts in Bathurst Town Square and walks visitors through more than 200 years of history, from the stories of the Wiradjuri First Nations people to the gold rush era to motor racing and more. A series of interpretive panels, artwork and historical insights set amongst the places they happened brings history to life for little people.
Find the Reckless Brewing Co. bar and restaurant situated in the historic mill precinct. (Credit: Destination NSW)
What’s better than a country pub? A country brewery. Reckless Brewing Co is a sprawling space that produces about 10,000 litres of beer a week. The kids’ area isn’t an afterthought. When the brewery opened in 2022, co-founders Jarrod Moore and his partner Grace Fowler wanted to create a space where their kids wanted to hang out. As well as the regular games, books and art supplies that occupy little kids, there’s a foosball table which will keep the bigger kids well entertained.
Day 4: Gardens, caves and snow
Get lost in the hedgemaze. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Blooming gardens in spring. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The scenic grounds of Mayfield Garden, Oberon. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Mayfield Garden boasts 65 hectares of cool climate flora. The European-inspired gardens include a 12.5-metre obelisk pond, wisteria walk and a cascading waterfall you can walk behind. Because of the region’s distinct seasons, the gardens are always evolving with the weather so that there’s always something new to see. During spring, summer and autumn there’s also the opportunity to glamp on the grounds.
Stop for lunch in Oberon. While most cafes will have colouring pencils and books for kids, The Milbrey Kitchen & Store has a dedicated play area that includes a chalkboard wall, toys and the ever-important colouring-in supplies. The cafe-style menu from former fine dining chef Drew Bolton spans the classics, from burgers to fish and chips. Leave room for the baked goods. They are not to be missed.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting in the colder months, there’s a good chance a 20-minute drive to Shooters Hill will reward you with snow – more than enough to have fun throwing snowballs, building snowmen and making family memories. If not, adventure awaits at Abercrombie Caves, about an 80-minute drive from Oberon. The series of limestone caves within the Abercrombie Karst Conservation Reserve will reopen to the public in late 2026. It includes the 221-metre natural limestone bridge and arch, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Rockley Pub serves elevated pub food in a charming setting. (Credit: Destination NSW)
End your day at The Rockley Pub. From the outset, it just looks like a friendly, country pub. But it’s owned by chef Matt Moran, the same guy who oversees fine-dining restaurant Aria overlooking Sydney Harbour. He has a nearby farm and supplies the pub with eggs and Berkshire sausages. If you’re coming from Shooters Hill, the front bar’s fire will warm you up. On warmer days, let the kids loose in the playground across the road as you supervise them while drinking a cold beer on the verandah.
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Where to stay
Explore the 3000-acre property on horseback when staying at Chesleigh Homestead. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Sleep in goldfield country at Chesleigh Homestead, a 3,000-acre historic property and horse-riding homestead in Sofala.
The Shearer’s Hall is a luxury farm retreat at Wilga Station, a working sheep farm 12 minutes from Bathurst. Its sister property, The Wool Store, is in Bathurst’s heritage precinct. The luxe inner-city apartments include a New York-style penthouse.
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Renata Gortan is a freelance journalist who has been telling stories professionally for nearly 20 years, but asking people questions all her life. Her freelance work has been published across a wide range of print publications and online sites, including The Australian, Delicious, News.com.au, BodyandSoul.com.au, Vogue Australia and more. She was a staff writer at The Daily Telegraph in Sydney for nearly a decade and held a variety of roles including food reporter, fashion reporter, interiors writer and travel writer. It was a great gig because she is always hungry and got to write about food for a living. From there, she branched out to exploring travel through a culinary lens. She is endlessly curious about what we eat, how we eat, the way food helps shape culture and how dishes can reveal so much about people and places.
See the Murray region in an entirely different light by exploring its night-time experiences and attractions.
By day, the mighty Murray River is a majestic and ever-changing sight, with river red gums and wetlands stretching along 2500 kilometres. But by night, its cities, towns, villages and landscapes totally transform.
From Albury Wodonga to Mildura, and everywhere in between, you’ll be in for a multi-sensory and memorable treat encompassing mesmerising light shows, guided ghost tours and vibrant celebrations that capture the nocturnal magic of the river.
This is no ordinary nighttime adventure; the region becomes an entirely different world when the sun sets. Discover six must-do activities along the Murray that can only be enjoyed after dark.
1. Share in ghostly tales
Hold on to your nerve when learning local ghost stories. (Credit: Campaspe Shire Council)
If you’re up for something a little more spine-tingling, Port After Dark in Echuca is your best bet. Rumour has it that the Port of Echuca Wharf and the buildings around it have long been home to lingering ghosts and mysterious events – like the vengeful woman said to haunt an old tramway bridge and spirits searching for stolen money through the town centre.
You can hear all about them on this guided lantern tour, which takes place on Wednesday and Saturday nights after dark. The stories are atmospheric and intriguing – you may even spot a ghost or two yourself. If you’d like a more intimate experience, private tours are also available to groups of 15 or more.
2. Wander art installations
See Bruce Munro’s immersive art installation. (Credit: Serena Munro)
Right near the Perry Sandhills, sits an experience that feels almost otherworldly. Artist Bruce Munro (of Uluru’s Field of Lights fame) has created a Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra, a network of 80 Hills Hoists illuminated with fibre optic light combined with the sounds of an orchestra. The clotheslines glow and pulse in time to the specially composed score, immersing you in a dreamscape of light and sound.
For a different light experience, you’ll find stillness at Trail of Lights, also curated by Munro. Located just 30 minutes away on Lock Island in Mildura, thousands of lights stretch over the landscape, spotlighting both the river and a series of Munro’s sculptures. The trail is intended to be a peaceful and meditative setting for wandering and reflecting.
3. Learn through lasers
Travel 30 million years into the Murray’s past at Heartbeat of the Murray. (Credit: Ewen Bell)
Discover a fascinating history in this dual act of lights and projections on the banks of the Little Murray River. Legends of the Mallee is a multimedia show in Swan Hill combining lasers and lights, which tells the story of the region’s rich past. Learn about the Wamba Wamba and Wadi Wadi Peoples who first inhabited the area, as well as the figures and events that shaped the Mallee of today.
The river steals the spotlight in the Heartbeat of the Murray, a multimedia spectacle inside the Pioneer Settlement encompassing lights, lasers, sound and special effects against the natural backdrop. Through a sequence of large-scale animated projections, you’ll go back 30 million years to explore the Murray River’s formation before travelling to the present to learn how it supports modern communities.
4. Light up the lake
Watch the lights and lasers of Lake Mulwala. (Credit: Mulwala Water Ski Club)
Travelling with kids? Head to Yarrawonga Mulwala and nearby Lake Mulwala for the family-friendly Laser Light & Sound Show. Lights and lasers are projected over the lake and onto curtains of fog, creating a colourful and high-energy visual display. The show suits all ages and tastes, set to a mix of songs that everyone knows and loves.
You can take in the spectacle from either the grassy banks of the lake or book a table at the Mulwala Water Ski Club’s Malibu Deck Cafe, serving pub-style food and refreshing drinks, including excellent classic cocktails. If you’re watching from the foreshore, the show is entirely free, making it a great budget-friendly option.
5. Be captivated by local culture
Soak in the culture of the Bangerang People. (Credit: Laser Vision)
Set aside an evening to explore Bullanginya Dreaming in Cobram Barooga – you’ll want ample time to take in the stories and symbolism of this immersive laser light and sound trail. The 1.8-kilometre trail explores the storytelling and culture of the Bangerang People, who have long cared for the lands around Bullanginya Lagoon in Barooga. The trail features 12 activations – each telling a different story – and combines dramatic lights and lasers with water and fire.
Intertwined with the visual displays are Bangerang narratives, giving you meaningful insight into the area’s Indigenous heritage. It’s designed to be explored over 90 or so minutes, encouraging you to move slowly and thoughtfully.
6. Discover a winter glow
See the streets of Albury Wodonga come to life after dark. (Credit: Visit Albury Wodonga)
Albury Wodonga comes alive as the weather drops, with an annual celebration of the season on Saturday, 15 August. WinterGlow takes over the CBD and features a vibrant program of things to see, do, learn, eat and drink.
Take part in hands-on workshops that let you try different art forms and crafts. Feast on street food and winter warmers from local eateries. Browse for artisan wares at the night markets. Watch musical acts on the main stage. Or get involved in different activations, including a silent disco and giant maze. Artificial snow will be falling to add to the festive atmosphere.
Even wandering the streets and laneways and soaking up the late-night energy will leave you feeling enchanted.
