Recently I had the absolute privilege of heading to Mudgee for a (well-deserved) weekend away from the city. Living 12 minutes of the heart of Sydney’s CBD – and loving it – taking off for an entire weekend is certainly something I do NOT do on a regular basis. I do also tend to work numerous jobs and upwards of 60+ hours a week so, as you can imagine, I find it hard to wind down and taking a country getaway isn’t often on the top of my weekly priority list.
Well, it wasn’t… But, since my Central NSW experience, I have to stay that I actually cannot wait to go back. It seems this little country town has managed to keep itself a secret (until now) and at just three and a half hours drive from Sydney, it will definitely be getting a visit from me on a quarterly basis (well, that’s that plan anyway).
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The best thing about Mudgee was that it had all my essentials sorted (which are many, you know, being a city girl and all) – fantastic coffee, delicious food, beautiful boutiques and, of course, wonderful wine. The locals were friendly and welcoming, and it’s many had actually escaped from Sydney, or st least spent some time there, at some point in their lives.
As well as the list of my favourite places, which I will list below, the place where the boy and I were absolutely spolit the most would have to the amazing Cawarra On The Park – our home away from home. This luxurious homestead had 4 king-size bedrooms (that I promptly got lost in after living in a one-bedroom apartment for the past 6 years), a beautiful garden (that we simply looked at as the rain had followed us) and the charm of a bygone era – it was actually built in 1866.
Other places on my Mudgee must-do list are:
- Pipeclay Pumphouse: One of the newest restaurants in the region, Pipeclay Pumphose opened late last year at Robert Stein vineyard (a winery/vineyard/motorcycle museum where the grapes are grown, matured and bottled all onsite).
- Zin House/Lowes Wines: The Zin House at Lowes Wines estate features food by Kim Currie with wine by David Lowe in an architecturally designed, zincalume Zin House. Their specialty is long and lazy weekend lunches consisting of seasonal produce from the farm and local producers.
- Alby & Esthers: Tucked away at the end of an arcade and off the main street of town, this café-come-wine bar is a hidden gem that feels like home the second the walk in the door.
- Mudgee Farmers Markets: Held on the third Saturday of every month on the grounds of St Mary’s Catholic Church, you’ll find the best of local produce.
- Wild Oats Pavillion: Set in the grounds of the Robert Oatley vineyard (the oldest in the region), Wild Oats is a relaxed and adaptable space that can cater for a couple, a family, a wedding or a business conference, serving the best regional and seasonal produce with complement wines produced on site.
- Roth’s Wine Bar: Ideal for tasting what the local wineries have to offer (considering the majority of the wine list is made up of local vino), boasts live music on Friday and Saturday nights and a yummy tapas menu for sharing over a bottle (or two).
Thinking of booking right away? Here’s where you’ll find all the info you need: visitcentralnsw.com.au
