Photo: Near Bathurst, country views, NSW
In the Central West you can find numerous attractions, ghost towns from the gold rush days, the food and wines of Orange and Mudgee, vast tracts of natural bush with kangaroos, wallabies and bountiful birdlife.
The nightly displays of the Milky Way and the stars of the great Southern Sky are stunning even to the naked eye; with a pair of binoculars it becomes even more spectacular.
The region was first settled by gold miners, graziers and farmers. With the many National Parks, birdwatching, wildlife, fishing, nature walks and Australian country lifestyle events, there’s a whole lot to see and do in Central NSW.
Being an agricultural centre and the area where gold was first discovered in Australia, this scenic region has wide open spaces, great food, with a history to match. There are historic country towns, unusual rock formations, Aboriginal culture and arts to explore.
A fun activity for the kids and the whole family would be to try your hand at fossicking for gold. Another activity for the family would be a visit to the the famous Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo.
The zoo is so large it would take days to fully explore, while at the Dubbo City Tourist Park kids of all ages can enjoy the supermaze, mini golf and the military museum.
North Central NSW has Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth as well as Armidale, with a remarkable heritage precinct and nearby New England National Park.
Other places worth visiting include Coonabarabran, location of Siding Spring Observatory, Glen Innes, birthplace of Peter Allen, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, known as Australia’s artesian spa capital, Murrurundi, Narrabri, Nundle, Tenterfield, with its rich gemfields and Walgett, wonderful Outback location and gateway to Lightning Ridge.
Amongst other places to go and see: Coolah Tops, at the Coolah Tops National Park. Waterfalls, giant grass trees, beautiful forest drives, grand views and lots of wildlife. See Mt Kaputar and the Warrumbungle National Parks, with volcanic spires and rainforests.
Centre New South Wales Bathurst, gateway to the center, Blayney, Broke, Canowindra, Coolah, Cowra, Dubbo with its famous Dubbo Zoo, Forbes, Gilgandra, a riverside oasis in a vast agricultural area.
Amongst other places to go and visit: Explore Goulburn and Hill End, with their gold-diggers and bushrangers, Merriwa, Mudgee, Muswellbrook, Narromine, Orange, Parkes, with gold mines, camping and fishing, Sandy Hollow, Scone, Singleton, Wellington and West Wyalong.
Girralang and Munghorn Gap Nature Reserves, Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area, Yuranighs Aboriginal Grave and Hill End Historic Sites, Abercrombie, Nangar, Goobang, Weddin Mountains and Goulburn National Parks:
South Central NSW - Places of Interest: Albury, Canberra and surrounds, Cootamundra, Cowra, Deniliquin, Forbes, Griffith, Goulburn, Hay, Narrandera, Parkes, Queanbeyan, Yass, Young and Wagga Wagga. The Rock Nature Reserve, Koonadan Historic Site, Oolambeyan and Cocoparra National Parks:
Throughout the Central region there are hotels, historic pubs, bed and breakfast, motels and caravan parks. For those so inclined, many of the national parks offer camping and caravan sites for a fee, a number of them with excellent facilities.
Central and West NSW Maps:
Main Photo: Near Bathurst, country views, NSW
Photo: Gold miner history at Hill End, near Bathurst