Spend a long weekend in wine country in the Mudgee Region where food, wine, arts, culture, sports, leisure and nature intersect.
The name Mudgee is derived from the Wiradjuri term, Moothi, which means ‘nest in the hills’. And the Mudgee Region has certainly become a great place to cocoon. Watch through the window on the 268-kilometre drive from Sydney to Mudgee, and you will observe the landscape being pulled together in thousands of colourful threads until you arrive in Mudgee.
Australia has more than 60 wine regions to choose from, and Mudgee is up there with the best of them. Encompassing the towns of Mudgee, Gulgong, Kandos and Rylstone (plus a few small villages in between), a trip to the Mudgee Region in Central NSW is one for wine-lovers of all stripes (from newbies to hard-core oenophiles) who are looking to find a new varietal.
But there are also many more reasons to explore beyond the 35-odd family-run boutique vineyards, which are surrounded by cinematic landscapes and dotted with sophisticated restaurants and cafes to refuel along the way. In addition to the historic villages and world-class wineries, you can add a distillery and brewery to your itinerary and time your trip to coincide with one of the Mudgee Region’s annual events or festivals.
The fact there are no traffic lights in Mudgee’s town centre and the surrounding townships of Gulgong, Kandos and Rylstone also speaks volumes about the pace of life in the region. Here’s how to maximise your time in Mudgee.
Day One: Sydney to Rylstone
The Rylstone Kandos Region is an outpost of cool country charm located just three hours’ drive from Sydney. You can visit a winery, learn about the area’s ancient and modern history, experience country charm, sample local produce and enjoy everything from bushwalking to birdwatching against a backdrop comprising Wollemi National Park and the Capertee Valley.
Explore the Dunns/ Ganguddy Swamp
Start your seven-day journey with a visit to this peaceful body of water. Despite its name, Dunns Swamp, or Ganguddy as it is known to the Dabee people of the Wiradjuri nation, is not a swamp at all, but rather a peaceful waterway formed after the building of Kandos weir in the 1920s.
Located along a squiggle of the Cudgegong River that wends its way through Wollemi National Park for about five kilometres, slip out onto the surface on a guided tour with Southern Cross Kayaking . The beauty of the waterway is only part of the appeal. Apart from the soaring sandstone escarpments and rugged geological features, the eco-conscious tour demonstrates the Dabee People’s connection to the land as it glides past Aboriginal rock art and sites of significance to the Traditional Owners of the land.
While here, you can also cast a line out, boat about, follow bush trails in search of native flora and fauna and set up camp for the night, should the seductive serenity prove too hard to leave.
Taste French-quality wine at De Beaurepaire Wines
Nowhere in Australia does wine like De Beaurepaire Wines in Rylstone, led by winemaker Richard De Beaurepaire. Richard helped pioneer an entirely new wine sub-region when he and wife Janet bought the property in 1998 after an extensive search for the type of limestone soil that lends its flavour to the famous wines of France.
Thanks to a narrow band of limestone where the property sits (and Richard’s focus on centuries-old methods of winemaking that build on his French heritage), the single-estate vineyard creates wines that are similar to those produced in Beaune, in Burgundy, where members of the De Beaurepaire family have lived for more than 1000 years.
Find the yum in yum cha
Owner and chef Na Lan has been doling out dumplings and delicious yum cha in the Central West since 2008. Lunchtime can be extremely busy at 29 Nine 99 , and the crowd is a mix of local families and day-trippers drawn to the fun décor and nostalgia of eating yum cha.
While the dining room is very small, there’s more seating outside. Pace yourself as the plump pork buns and dumplings packed with pork and prawns live up to the hype. In addition to enjoying yum cha, a must while in the Mudgee Region, you can purchase everything from tea to teapots and clothing, all adorned with Chinese motifs and rose-gold accents. Na Lan grew up in Xian, in the Shaanxi province, and named the eatery after the date she married her Australian husband, Reg (September 29, 1999).
Stay at a Quaker-style barn
Naked Lady Wines is potentially clothing optional, but only if you’re in the privacy of your bedroom at The Barn Red Room , which is located above the Naked Lady Wines Cellar Door. It’s the simplicity of a stay at this vineyard that makes the experience so special. There are two bedrooms with en-suites located at Naked Lady Wines, which offers gourmands the opportunity to get to know the wines and the winemaker in this down-to-earth district.
Arrange for a home-cooked dinner to be delivered to the mezzanine level of the barn where you can enjoy views out to Wollemi National Park. Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp, about 30 minutes away, is home to a population of platypus, which you might spot the next morning if you’re lucky.
Day Two: Rylstone and Kandos
Order a full-cooked breakfast to be delivered to your door at the vineyard, and then make the most of what’s on your doorstep in the Mudgee Region by turning your gaze to the pretty villages of Rylstone and Kandos for some retail therapy.
Enjoy some retail therapy
The heritage village of Rylstone is located on the western edge of the Blue Mountains, and is the gateway to the World-Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park. The village has many fine examples of early colonial architecture and has become as well known for its shopping as its vineyards and artisan producers.
Visit Folkologie , known for its repurposed furniture and Australian-inspired homewares, the Convent Chapel and Wool Shop for your next hand-knitted beanie crafted by local creatives and Sisters Bazaar for a curation of eclectic gifts.
Trek the Ferntree Gully
Stop eating. Start hiking. Everyone – from birdwatchers to botanists and bushwalkers – descends on Ferntree Gully, which is a lesson in contrasts thanks to its multitude of microclimates. From groves of gums to tree ferns and carpets of crayon-green moss, Ferntree Gully has a kind of shifting luminescence dependent on the light.
Access Ferntree Gully off the Bylong Valley Way, 17 kilometres north of Rylstone on the fringes of Wollemi National Park. The Ferntree Gully is only about 2.5 kilometres, but there are a few steep sections and some stairs.
Stop for award-winning olive oil
If you’ve ever believed olive oil all tastes the same, you’ve never done a tasting at Rylstone Olive Press. Stop in to try the award-winning range of extra virgin olive oil (truly, there are so many awards, it’s hard to keep track) and discover a new passion. With everything made right on site, under the guidance of Jayne Bentivoglio, it doesn’t get fresher. Go behind the scenes and see the process from picking to press to mixing new blends.
Hang up your boots
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding unique places to stay in the Mudgee Region. But for convenience’s sake, cocoon yourself for a second night at the Quakers Barn at Naked Lady Wines so you can enjoy a tutored tasting and not have to draw straws to see who will be the designated driver.
Day Three: Mudgee
Get on your bike
You will see and do more in Mudgee when you don a helmet and e-bike with EzyRide Mudgee for a jaunt around the picturesque village. Download the Cycle Mudgee Region guide and take the Winery Ride route that starts and ends at the Clock Tower.
Choose the Rocky Waterhole Road and bike along the Cudgegong River where the sunshine dances off the steely waterway and plays off the buttery light of the countryside. Wheel freely around groaning gums and rolling countryside before making your way back to Mudgee proper.
Explore the Puttu Bucca Wetlands
Despite being a manmade wetland, the Pucca Bucca Wetlands now function as a permanent oxbow lake (billabong). Bring your binoculars and try and clock some of the bird species found in the biodiverse wetlands, such as the freckled duck, Australian wood duck, plumed whistling duck and brown quail.
The Citrine wagtail has also put Mudgee on the map for twitchers, who descended in droves in September 2014 when the rare yellow bird was spotted (the third-ever recording on Australian soil).
Munch on brunch at a Mudgee cafe
Go for breakfast with all the frills at Mudgee Corner Store where the locals will clock you as an out-of-towner in an instant. The cafe, one of the most popular in Mudgee, is generally on the radar of most visitors, and with good reason.
Head to the Itty Bitty Bread Shop for incredible breads and pastries and to the Mudgee Corner Store for coffee and a mix of burgers, pies, and bacon and egg rolls. BYO eco bag so you can stock up on local artisan provisions for your picnic, such as Farmer Brown pasture-raised eggs, High Valley Feta, Hello Lovelies Cordial and coffee from Fish River Roasters.
Bunker down in a wooden bolthole at Strikes Mudgee
Clean, crisp country air is not the only thing going for Strikes Mudgee . Here, you will be given a front-row seat at dawn and dusk each day to a landscape made even more enchanting by the presence of the property’s resident kangaroos, who make cameos at dawn and dusk each day.
The remote timber cabin is cleverly designed with each window offering a different perspective over the surrounding countryside, lacquered in an emerald green gloss.
Day Four: Mudgee
Enjoy breakfast at Strikes with a pre-ordered hamper of local from olive.a.twist such as jalapeno and cheese twists, brioche doughnuts, all baked at the Itty Bread Shop behind the Mudgee Corner Store.
Tour the local arts scene
Where can you come face-to-face with world-famous art, usually without another soul around, while you soak it in? The Mudgee Arts Precinct . Thanks to a loan program with the National Gallery of Art, a rotation of some of the most incredible and famous artworks are displayed in this intimate gallery. Think Andy Warhol’s soup cans and Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic pop art.
Get more local art flavours along the sculpture walk in Lawson Park . As well as the picturesque park surrouns, stroll by works from Mid-Western Regional Council’s public art collection.
Mudgee CBD Walk
The Mudgee CBD Walk is only about 2.8 kilometres long and a great way to appreciate the Federation architecture that lends the country town so much of its charm.
Wander past the Town Hall Building, and Lonergan’s Store, which first opened in 1870, The Mudgee Guardian newspaper building, the Regent Picture Theatre and Anglican Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist, and Cobb & Co Boutique Hotel , to name a few.
Pick up some provisions so you can self-cater for the next few days. While you’re in Mudgee, take the time to duck into a few thrift stores in search of retro cardigans.
Stay at Evamor Valley
Check into Evamor Valley (it’s a two-night minimum stay) located on this properly spectacular property with views over the dam and surrounding bushland. The glamping-style tents (one of a handful of glamping operators in Mudgee) have an earthy palette that reflects the muted colours the Mudgee Region is known for. Light the fire pit for the perfect romantic getaway. And check out the Farm Walks Tour calendar to see when the next tour will be.
Day Five: Back on your bike to see more of Mudgee
Need a little exercise after all that indulgence? The hills around Mudgee are filled with lovely trails, given the place is the third-largest grape-producing region in NSW. So you’ll never tire of the agrarian arcadia while on two tyres.
Give Brett from Ezyride Mudgee a call and ask him to drop your bikes at Evamor Valley and help plan an itinerary that takes in some of the family-owned cellar doors, as well as a local distillery and brewery or two. If you like what you taste while at a cellar door, make a purchase and Brett will pick up your orders from each estate. Now that’s service.
Visit Lowe Family Wine Co.
Be warned: if Lowe Family Wine Co. is one of the first on your list of places to cycle to for a swirl and a sip you could easily flop and drop here and stay for the day.
It’s like an advertisement for country life with handsome couples strolling hand in hand, a rustic barn bathed in light where you can enjoy a tasting and charcuterie plate as well as the celebrated Zin House restaurant, one of the many bucolic boltholes on the family property. The rustic feel here stretches out onto a tiered terrace with views overlooking the vineyard.
Try the Warakirri Dining Experience
Get a taste of the local Indigenous culture during a Warakirri Dining Experience , which is proving to be a big draw to visitors in Mudgee. Besides a ‘Welcome to Country’ owner Sharon Winsor, a Ngemba Weilwan woman from western NSW, connects visitors to her culture using dishes built around ingredients that she has harvested in the wild.
There are items for sale in the shop next door that include bags, jewellery, and premium native foods and condiments. The bush tucker dining degustation includes seafood, kangaroo, rainforest fruits and beverages infused with native ingredients.
Day Six: Get a culture fix in Mudgee
Gulgong. (Image: Destination NSW)
Check out the Gulgong Holtermann Museum to learn all about this historic town that was founded during the 1870s gold rush era. Wander the cobblestone streets to get to the state heritage-listed town buildings that house the UNESCO-listed Holtermann collection of photographs. Make a note for the calendar: the Henry Lawson Festival is held every June long weekend.
Have a pub lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel
The oldest wine bar in the country, Roth’s Wine Bar hits all the right notes for an incredible local wine menu, perfect bites to share and local stories full of flavour.
Robert Roth originally opened the space as a general store, serving a sneaky tipple to thirsty farmers on occasion before licensing the premises as a wine bar in 1923. Today, local characters keep their weekly bookings to drink, dine and dance (there is live music on Fridays).
There are now over 100 premium Roth wines on offer, along with an increasing number of local drops. Don’t be shy to order a cocktail or two, either – friendly bar staff will pour them with expertise and local liquor. Aside from wine, cocktails and craft beers, the bar serves a perfect selection of bites, like a wood-fired pizza menu and share plates like lemon pepper squid.
Stay at the romantic Evanslea
The historical Evanslea House dates back to the 1860s, with four rooms in the main house and several cottages around the property maintiaining the quaint feels and adding the romance. Cool off in the pool, take a walk around the gardens or settle in by the private fireplace.
Day Seven: Return home
Time to pack up and skedaddle. If the markets aren’t on, drop into the Mudgee Visitors Centre , which is stocked with wine and cheese to pick up some gourmet souvenirs.
Enjoy the drive
Follow the highway to the Mudgee region as it curves away from Sydney via the Blue Mountains and Lithgow for about three-and-a-half hours. From Newcastle, you can take the Bylong Valley Way for the four-hour drive via Denman and Sandy Hollow. It’s also a four-hour drive from Wollongong along the Great Western Highway, and a five-hour journey from Canberra.
Original article written by Carla Grossetti, with updates by Kassia Byrnes.
