Top Towns for 2022: Insider tips to the best of Dubbo

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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Bridget Kaitler wakes before dawn each day to start work at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. The zoo is one of the top reasons why you voted Dubbo no. 46 in the Top 50 Aussie Towns. Here, Kaitler shares her top tips for exploring the town.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns.

I relocated from Melbourne in 2015 to complete my Certificate III in Captive Animals and have worked as a zookeeper for the past six years. I love my work. When I first arrived at the zoo, my favourite animal was the lion. That’s since changed. Working on the conservation breeding programs has given me a greater appreciation for endangered animals such as the greater one-horned rhino, and our own greater bilby and the Tassie devil.

Zookeeper Bridget Kaitler in Dubbo Zoo
Zookeeper Bridget Kaitler at work. (Image: Taronga Western Plains Zoo)

I love the way the Tassie devil growls. And I love how cute and charismatic they are. A highlight of working here is hearing the primates do their territorial calls in the early morning. And watching the herd animals moving in packs. It’s an exciting place to work.

I work in Division 2 at the zoo which is mainly the Aussie fauna, big cats and primates. My shift starts at 7am. I start the day with a coffee at The Waterhole, which is near to the meerkat exhibit, which I have to rake out each day. If I’m in town, The Harvest is where I go to for coffee and breakfast. The Dahab Cafe or Short Street Store are where I go to for lunch.

Meerkats at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Grab a cup of coffee from the Waterhole near the meerkat exhibit. (Image: Taronga Western Plains Zoo)

If I have friends visiting Dubbo from out of town, I take them for a picnic along the Macquarie River or to the Warrumbungle National Park. The Shoyoen Japanese Garden is a nice place for a picnic, too.

Shoyoen Japanese Garden Dubbo
Pause for a picnic in Shoyoen Japanese Garden.

Being from Melbourne, I’m an AFL fan so I go to the South Dubbo Tavern to watch the footy when it’s on. The Pastoral Hotel or The Commercial Hotel are great fun pubs, too. If I’ve got a mate visiting from Melbourne, I take them to the Royal India Restobar, which is a favourite with locals. It’s fun. It’s got a nice atmosphere. Lots of ornate wallpaper, Art Deco chandeliers. I’d then steer them to the Monkey Bar, Down The Lane, or The Establishment Bar, which is a sort of speakeasy. The Devil’s Hollow Brewery is another excellent spot for a beer. It’s housed in a big shed in the industrial estate. It’s got great pizza.

Old Dubbo Gaol streetview
Visit the Old Dubbo Gaol. (Image: Destination NSW)

The Old Dubbo Gaol is also really cool. It’s a great venue for pop-up events and festivals. Dubbo is halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane and the zoo gives road-trippers a great reason to stop.

Living in Dubbo has been great. The people are so down-to-earth and friendly. I love it here.

Explore more of Dubbo in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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Uncork and unwind: The Hunter Valley’s newest wellness escape

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Who says a healthy holiday always has to mean meditative silence?

    Sitting on the balcony wrapped in a bathrobe, you warm your cold hands around a green tea as steam rises from the mug. The lorikeets haven’t come out yet, but the sunrise hot-air balloons have. Below, scrubby bushland gives way to rows of vines, where, in a few hours, the Hunter Valley’s cellar doors will begin pouring Semillon.

    You might have booked the new Avani Cypress Lakes for a reset – but that doesn’t mean retreating from everything around you. Here’s how the Hunter Valley’s new resort is doing wellness without shutting the world out.

    Location

    Medititation Hill at Avani Cypress Lakes Resort
    Take in 360-degree views from Meditation Hill.

    The brand-new Avani Cypress Lakes Resort is spread across 340 acres in Australia’s oldest wine-growing region. Rebranding in October 2026, it brings the former Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and neighbouring Elysia Wellness Retreat together under the Avani name. It will also become Avani’s largest property in Australasia.

    A long lunch among the vines is a siren song, but it might be even more of a temptation to spend the whole holiday at the resort. If you’re eager for the whole picture as soon as you get there, start your stay with a tramp up Meditation Hill for 360-degree views across the land, before discovering the rest of the resort.

    Style and character

    one bedroom villa at Avani Cypress Lakes Resort
    Make use of a private balcony in each villa.

    Once you enter, be whisked (ever so gently) away to one of the resort’s 204 rooms and suites. Bedrooms come dressed in plush white linen, textured cushions and sleek upholstered headboards, with a palette that takes its cues from the outside, bringing in eucalyptus green and rich ochre that offset the creams, beiges and warm taupes.

    For those group getaways, choose from one-, two- or three-bedroom villas, each with a private balcony, separate living areas and kitchen facilities. The one- and two-bedroom villas come with kitchenettes, while the three-bedroomers have full kitchens for those planning to make themselves properly at home with Hunter Valley cheeses and local wine bottles, and the Premier Villa offers a serious upgrade.

    If a wellness retreat is already whispering your name between the gentle chimes of Tibetan bells, the Wellness Suites come with private balconies and put AvaniWell’s saunas, pools and day spa experiences right on the doorstep for the 16-plus crowd.

    It’s all part of the resort’s balance between switching off and being social when the mood strikes.

    AvaniWell

    AvaniWell is set to become Australia’s largest integrated resort wellness precinct. And with 26 treatment rooms and more than 50 day-spa treatments and therapies, there’s plenty to tempt you away from the golf green and into that fluffy spa robe.

    If the existing Elysia treatments are anything to go by, heated volcanic stones, gua sha face massages, Hawaiian Kahuna massages, Himalayan salt scrubs, remedial massages and even Watsu therapy are all on the menu. The Watsu takes place in a purpose-built magnesium pool heated to body temperature, where floats support you as a practitioner guides you through delicious stretches.

    But relaxation doesn’t run to a schedule. You can dip in for a single treatment or make a few days of it, with a year-round calendar of activities to pick and choose from. You can also make some moves on one of the eight Pilates reformers, relax in an infrared sauna or cool off in an outdoor cold-plunge pool or unwind in the magnesium pool.

    Beyond that, three pickleball courts and the golf course should tempt you out of your slippers.

    Dining

    Fusion Restaurant at AvaniWell Avani Cypress Lakes Resort
    Enjoy a nourishing meal at Fusion.

    Avani’s story began in Sri Lanka, so it’s perfect that it’s bringing a taste of the island to Australia’s fusion-loving food scene. Enter Chakraya, the resort’s Sri Lankan-inspired restaurant. From its warm timber tones to its flavours, this high-end dining spot takes its inspiration from the island’s traditions.

    After a night at Chakraya, move from warm and intimate to light and airy at Fusion restaurant. The interiors are as fresh as the food, with nourishing dishes that complement the AvaniWell vibe and are just the thing in between your sauna session and Pilates class.

    Later, it’s time to get the residents of the three-bedroomer together at the Bistro & Bar (open from breakfast to dinner). Here, it’s all about the casual classics, eaten in blissed-out calm.

    Other facilities

    aerial of Avani Cypress Lakes Resort
    Find a golf cours, kids program and more on the property.

    When there’s business to attend to, the resort has 24 meeting and event spaces for everything from conferences to weddings. But the fairway always beckons. Designed by Steve Smyers, the 18-hole championship golf course has dramatic elevation changes and fairway contours, 60 bunkers, generous greens and epic views across the vineyards to the Brokenback range. Mind it doesn’t sting your swing.

    For the little ones, the AvaniKids program will keep them busy with creative activities and outdoor adventures. But if you’d rather wait it out in style while everyone else is off golfing or gallivanting, take your pick: a luxuriously long swim in one of three outdoor pools, a cabana by the upgraded pool bar or settling in for a film at the outdoor cinema right as those evening crickets start up.

    Start your wellness reset in the Hunter Valley at avanihotels.com.