Take the backroads on a road trip from Sydney to Bathurst and discover a slew of delights to savour.
Bathurst may be more synonymous with racing than with a weekend getaway, but the historic town and its surrounding backroads are full of surprises. This is ideal road trip territory, not only for the scenery, but because there’s so much to discover. While neighbouring towns Orange and Mudgee get the limelight, Bathurst and Oberon deliver on character and charm; they’re packed with pubs, wineries and eateries that make you want to stop, stretch your legs and fill your stomach.
Day one
But first, coffee at Fidelity Coffee
The Blue Mountains are a handy midway stop from Sydney to Bathurst and a perfect place to caffeinate for the drive ahead. Fidelity Coffee in Katoomba opened in January; it’s the kind of sleek, minimal space that wouldn’t look out of place in inner Sydney. The food menu is a limited selection of pastries and sweets, but the coffee is excellent, there’s plenty of nearby parking and it’s easy to get back onto the road.
Address: Shop 3/177-179 Katoomba St, Katoomba
Pub lunch at The Rockley Pub
Rather than take the direct route to Bathurst, via the Great Western Highway, turn right at Magpie Hollow Rd and go through O’Connell. This is a road trip after all, so take the one less travelled and enjoy the scenery on the way to lunch. Fine dining chef Matt Moran took over the Rockley Pub , built in 1872, in 2021. The eggs and Berkshire sausages on the menu come from his nearby farm, the burgers are done right – cooked medium, with beetroot and you can add bacon. The front bar used to be the district courthouse, it’s got a fire, there’s a pool room at the back and the bistro serves excellent food.
General manager Stephen Manley, who used to work with Moran at Sydney fine diners Aria and Chiswick, says it’s still very much a locals’ pub as well as a popular pitstop for day trippers.
“It’s becoming a bit of a destination for people coming through this way, to Oberon and Orange. We can do up to 270 people in a day and we’re working on improving the infrastructure and adding accommodation," he says.
Moran recently purchased another property in Bathurst, with plans to create a convenience market, bakery, sandwich shop and community co-op.
Address: 4 Budden St, Rockley
Tea time at Bake, Table & Tea
This Bathurst teahouse , tucked behind a homewares shop, boasts over 50 loose-leaf teas on the menu. They are charmingly served in a glass teapot, which sits atop a warmer with a tealight candle.
Manager Erin Kneller said no one was specialising in premium tea at the time and it has carved out a niche. Their most popular blends include Paris, a sweet and fragrant vanilla Earl Grey, and Good Morning, a very strong English breakfast.
“All the food is made in-house, we offer gluten, egg and dairy-free options. It was a priority to offer them in Bathurst," she says.
Address: 76 George St, Bathurst
A spot of shopping at The Barn
Deb North opened her country wares store in early 2025. There’s everything from cowhide chairs, leather satchels and metal flowers crafted from 44-gallon drums, made by a local artist.
“No one else was doing farmhouse rustic wares, I wanted to create a shop that celebrated where we live," she says.
Address: 179 George St, Bathurst
Check in at Dunkley House
This restored heritage property comes with a working fireplace, pool table and loads of charm. It’s conveniently located a few blocks from the centre of town and is managed by BnB Made Easy.
Address: 251 Russell St, Bathurst
While away the evening at Norma Joan wine bar
Everything on the menu is proudly local, from the drinks to the produce. Owner Michael Madden named the Norma Joan restaurant after his two grandmothers – Norma’s plates are used for dessert and Joan’s golden syrup dumplings are on the menu.
After working with Rockpool Group in Sydney, he came home and opened Norma Joan nearly a year ago. “Bathurst has always been home. I’ve always loved what’s in the area but we never had anywhere to celebrate it," he says. “The idea is there’s so much good stuff around here that’s underrepresented. I ummed and ahhed about other wines, but there’s so much here and I want to champion it."
The wines come from Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Canowindra, Rylestone and Young. Beers are from Bathurst’s Cosmo Brewing and Reckless Brewing and spirits from Bathurst Grange Distillery and Stone Pine Distillery. Produce is also local.
“We get our beef from Curly Tree Farm; every six weeks, they kill a beast for us and we use the whole animal," Madden says.
Address: 142 William St, Bathurst
Day two
It’s a big driving day, start with coffee at The Hub Espresso Bar & Eatery
This popular spot has been keeping locals caffeinated for 17 years. There’s a focus on free range and local produce and it also has an exclusive coffee blend, made with the local Fish River Roasters.
Address: 52 Keppel St, Bathurst
Build a roadside snowman at Shooter’s Hill
If you’re travelling in winter, take the hour’s drive past Oberon to Shooter’s Hill and chances are you’ll see snow. At an elevation of 1,355 metres, it’s the fourth-highest point in the Central Tablelands. If you’re extra lucky, it’ll actually be snowing, but even if not, you’ll see mounds of the white stuff stacked onto the side of the road. There’s enough of it to build a small snowman and have a snowball fight before your fingers freeze and it’s time to jump back in the car.
Address: Shooter’s Hill Rd, Shooter’s Hill
Strike black gold at Red Ground Truffles
Oberon is one of the places in NSW where it’s cold enough to grow truffles. Jill O’Grady and her husband Neil planted four varieties in 2012, so that you could harvest them from December to October.
“We have 60 acres, the majority of the trees are French evergreen oak and we have Italian stone pine for the spring white truffle," O’Grady says.
“The truffle hunt is a three-to-four-hour immersive experience. We start with truffle soup and truffle baked brie, learn about how we train the truffle dogs and farm biosecurity, then go on the hunt. Everyone can dig one up. Then we have more truffle dishes and a truffle grading workshop."
Address: 264 Titania Rd, Oberon
Sweet treats at The Milbrey Kitchen & Store
Stop for lunch or afternoon tea at Oberon. The Milbrey has a roaring fire, an excellent kids’ play area and some of the best baked goods going. We gorged on French canelé, Nutella-filled bomboloni, orange-scented cinnamon scrolls and oversized chocolate and macadamia muffins.
Chef Drew Bolton, who worked at Sydney fine diners Aria and Quay, opened the eatery late 2023.
“We like to consider ourselves a casual local restaurant. We do have a cafe-style menu and ramp it up at nighttime," he says.
“For me, it’s about cooking the best food that I can. That means baking everything fresh in the morning and using good seasonal local produce, what’s local."
Address: 163 Oberon St, Oberon
Pub stop at The O’Connell Hotel
On the way back to Bathurst, stop for a drink at the family-owned The O’Connell Hotel . The yellow, roadside pub on the banks of the Fish River was built in 1865. It’s set on seven acres and in summer, you can also camp on the property.
Address: 2408 O’Connell Rd, O’Connell
Winery visit at Renzaglia Wines
The region isn’t synonymous with wineries, which is why it’s a bonus when you find one. This family-operated winery is open by appointment only, except for one weekend a month.
Chances are you’ll be greeted by Ali the dog, who nudges you to throw a ball, before settling in with Mark for a tasting. “My son Sam wanted to do it, so we planted vines in 1997. We have chardonnay, cabernet, shiraz, tempranillo, sangiovese and grenache," Renzaglia says. “Chardonnay and shiraz grapes grow well here, they’re adaptable to cooler climates. I’ve seen tempranillo and sangiovese do well.
“I like the challenge of trying to pioneer a new area." The boutique winery produced two big vintages in the last two years, 40 tonnes, which is roughly 3000 cases of wine.
“The Bella Luna chardonnay is our signature. It’s a little more experimental, uses wild yeast fermentation and is more like a pet-nat. The Murnang di Renzo, our entry-level range, is a vermentino with a bit of riesling and a little skin contact," Renzaglia says.
“We are trying to look after the land, not use herbicides and make minimal intervention wine."
Address: 38 Bosworth Falls Rd, O’Connell
Nip of whisky at Bathurst Grange Distillery
Nick Jones was inspired by the whisky revolution in Tasmania, so he started making it on his grandparents’ sheep farm in 2014. “We have everything you need to make great whisky, the climate, we grow our ingredients – barley, juniper and other botanicals for gin – and we have great water from the Blue Mountains," he says.
“It’s paddock to bottle." The distillery produces gin, whisky, vodka and a whiskey liqueur.
“Our bourbon cask single malt whisky won the double gold medal at the World Spirits Championship, it’s the Oscars of whisky," he says.
“It’s finished in shiraz casks and because of the big fluctuations in temperature, -10C to 40C, the barrels expand and contract, which increases the surface area and interaction with the whisky, so as the barrel ages, it increases the flavours."
Address: The Grange, 3249 O’Connell Rd, Brewongle
Day three
Pub breakfast at The Oxford Hotel
A recent renovation has seen the Oxford Hotel transformed into a family-friendly venue. On a Sunday morning, it’s filled with prams, parents and little people making the most of the breakfast menu and epic playground. From 12pm, the lunch menu kicks in, and Brock’s serves up pizzas and Italian fare.
Address: 170 William St, Bathurst
A home with history and heart at Abercrombie House
What is a Scottish Baronial manor house doing in Bathurst? Lieutenant Colonel William Stuart, who was from the Scottish Highlands, built it in the 1870s after being granted a parcel of land. The 50-room mansion fell into disrepair for many years until Christopher Morgan’s parents brought it back to life in 1962. In 1969, they opened it to the public.
“This was the first privately owned historic house open to the public. As long as people are interested, we’ll share it," Morgan says.
“It’s a living house and a working house; we host private functions such as high teas."
Morgan sees himself as a custodian of the house. It’s open five days a week for people to wander the rabbit warren of rooms, many with working fireplaces, and explore the décor that spans collections of matchbox cars to leather-bound books.
Address: 311 Ophir Rd, Bathurst
A sprawling country brewery at Reckless Brewing Co.
Covid was good to Jarrod Moore, his fiancée Grace Fowler and best friend Alice Wilson. They started brewing in 2019, had moved to the area from Sydney and during a virtual Zoom tasting, someone mentioned there was an abandoned brewery in the middle of Bathurst. They visited the next day, the DAs were in place and they opened in September 2022.
The sprawling site is furnished from the local tip for that distinctive kitsch vibe city venues try so hard to emulate; there’s a children’s play area and a kitchen doing the kind of food that goes well with beer. “The town came on board and really supported us," Moore says.
“We make 10,000 litres of beer a week. There are 10 beers in our core range and five to 10 seasonals. It’s mostly craft beer, but a lot of the people that come to the region like lagers so we created the BX lager and that makes up 50 per cent of what we brew." He is incredibly proud of what the region produces.
“Bathurst has three wineries, two distilleries and two breweries and together we have won more awards than any other region," he says. “We’re also the largest female-led brewery in the southern hemisphere."
Address: 2a Piper St, Bathurst
For more of Bathurst to explore, read our pick of the best things to do.
