Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar, BlackheathCredit: Steven Woodburn
Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar located in Blackeath located in the Blue Mountains of NSW.
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Uncover a wealth of wining and dining attractions — with great scenery to match — in the two-hour drive from the Blue Mountains west to Orange. From venues with views that feed the soul to dishes made with hyper-local ingredients you can harvest yourself, it’s a trip that ignites all the senses.
Savour the Blue Mountains
Be charmed by the scenic village of Leura, a 90-minute drive west from Sydney in the magnificent Blue Mountains. Enjoy the extraordinary views from the The Lookout Echo Point as you settle in with a cheese platter with house-made crackers, or power up with a falafel wrap after an invigorating mountain stroll.
Uncover more gourmet delights in Katoomba, the largest town in the mountains, just five minutes up the road. Follow the alluring scent of freshly baked sourdough to Black Cockatoo Bakery on Katoomba’s long main street: the bread is fermented for 20 hours and the pastries (which range from chocolate and honeycomb tarts to coconut and nectarine Danish) are crafted with Pepe Saya cultured butter.
Take a refreshing pit stop at Mountain Culture, a craft brewery canning small-batch craft beer in a converted printing press. Order a burger to go with its range of ales, lagers and stouts. Then find your new favourite Aussie tipple on the all-Australian drinks list at Tempus Katoomba as you tuck into a sumptuous dinner inspired by the seasons. Or revel in the old-world extravagance of a chandelier-lit dinner at Darley’s, the flagship restaurant for the historic Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa.
Relax after an invigorating bushwalk at Ates in Blackheath, where the 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven (Ates means ‘fire’ in Ottoman Turkish) invites you to cosy up and feast on contemporary share plates and fun wines. Tuck into the likes of charcoal-grilled mahi mahi with braised fennel and carrot butter from the à la carte menu, or sample a range of dishes in chef’s banquet menu for groups of six or more. Then sleep off your meal in style at the Kyah boutique hotel just up the road, with a Palm Springs-inspired design reimagined for a cool mountain setting.
Savour the ultimate paddock-to-plate meal at recently opened Megalong restaurant in the Megalong Valley, a 20-minute drive from Blackheath, where at least 90 per cent of produce is sourced from the farm on the same property, Lot 101. Feel enlivened by the escarpment and bushland views as you linger over a long weekend lunch or dinner from Thursday to Saturday.
Echo Point Lookout, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying views of the Three Sisters and across the Jamison Valley from Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba.
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Echo Point Lookout, Blue Mountains Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying views of the Three Sisters and across the Jamison Valley from Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba.
Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar, Blackheath Credit: Steven Woodburn
Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar located in Blackeath located in the Blue Mountains of NSW.
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Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar, Blackheath Credit: Steven Woodburn
Kyah Boutique Hotel & Blaq Restaurant + Bar located in Blackeath located in the Blue Mountains of NSW.
Take a bite out of Orange
Feel enlivened by the rural scenery as you continue your journey west of the Blue Mountains, bound for the heritage-listed village of Millthorpe. Here Tonic, a fine-dining restaurant with excellent service, makes for a particularly memorable lunch destination. Move on at your leisure to the booming wine region of Orange, conveniently just a 20-minute drive away.
Choose your own cellar door adventure
Taste the terroir in the cool-climate wines of the Orange region at its character-laden cellar doors. Whet your palate on a roaming tasting tour or private picnic among the vines at Heifer Station, which produces chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris, merlot, shiraz and more. And prepare to be enchanted by the century-old stone barn that sets the stage for tastings at acclaimed winery Philip Shaw — its Koomooloo vineyard is one of the region’s highest and coolest.
Pair fine wines from the family-owned Swinging Bridge with soothing views of the extinct volcano known as Mount Canobolas, or book in for a four-course lunch matched with the estate’s wines. Cosy up against the cool breeze at nearby Rowlee Single Vineyard Wines, where you can take your pick from a range of cellar door experiences, including an indulgent overnight escape at the estate’s private guesthouse.
Uncover more delicious local craft drinks at Small Acres Cyder, a 15-minute drive from Orange, which produces its cider from locally grown apples and pears. Book ahead for a tasting or simply drop in to make a takeaway purchase. Or take a 25-minute drive from Orange to Pioneer Brewing Co. in Bowan Park to sample award-winning beers made from barley, rye and wheat grown and harvested on site.
Surprise a special someone with a helicopter arrival to Printhie Wines, followed by a private tasting and a decadent five-course lunch at the estate’s sophisticated restaurant Printhie Dining, just one of several memorable experiences offered by the winery just outside Orange.
Feel right at home at the welcoming 22-room Byng Street Boutique Hotel in central Orange, which combines the history of an original homestead with contemporary furnishings.
Tonic Restaurant, Millthorpe Credit: Destination NSW
Food and drink at Tonic Restaurant, Milthorpe.
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Tonic Restaurant, Millthorpe Credit: Destination NSW
Food and drink at Tonic Restaurant, Milthorpe.
Printhie Wines Cellar Door, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Printhie Wines Cellar Door, Orange
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Printhie Wines Cellar Door, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Printhie Wines Cellar Door, Orange
Treat yourself to another day of indulgence
Enjoy a sweet start to your day with a fresh-baked cinnamon scroll or Portuguese tart at Birdie Noshery & Drinking Est., or opt for something more substantial, such as the warming vegetarian shakshuka.
Resist the temptation to fill up too much before lunch and grab a locally roasted coffee and a light takeaway brunch instead from Bills Beans East Orange, sip an aromatic brew at Byng Street Local Store, or take a leisurely 15-minute drive south of Orange to the village of Lucknow to enjoy a coffee as you browse homewares at Larder and Home, one of the Byng Street group’s more recent ventures.
After a morning exploring the region, unleash your appetite at The Agrestic Grocer’s restaurant, which showcases hyper-local produce with a sustainable focus. Pick up some housemade pickles and relish as edible souvenirs or as thoughtful gifts bound to inspire your loved ones to plan their own foodie road trips.
Relish the simple pleasure of harvesting your own produce: from summer to autumn, you can pick your own cherries, berries, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines and apples at Hillside Harvest in Borenore, a 20-minute drive from Orange, or at Thornbrook Orchard in Nashdale, a 15-minute drive from town.
Byng Street Cafe & Local Store, Orange. Credit: Destination NSW
Staff at Byng Street Cafe & Local Store, Orange.
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Byng Street Cafe & Local Store, Orange. Credit: Destination NSW
Staff at Byng Street Cafe & Local Store, Orange.
Hillside Harvest, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Paula Charnock, owner of Hillside Harvest orchard and fruit farm, picks fruit with a visitor. Borenore, Orange.
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Hillside Harvest, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Paula Charnock, owner of Hillside Harvest orchard and fruit farm, picks fruit with a visitor. Borenore, Orange.
More Inspirational Stories
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.