Many places have a colourful past. Orange is permanently colourful. And not just because of its name.
Altitude as well as attitude gives Orange its colour. It’s elevated enough for clearly-defined seasons to give its leafy landscape a regular makeover in new colours.
And attitude? Orange bustles with culture and charm and a sense of generosity that is both typically Central West and uniquely its own.
Orange can be as precise as a pashmina and pearls; as raucous as a rugby after-party. But it has mastered the art of living. Someone wise once said: “Wine is the essence of civilisation and the art of living.” He obviously knew Orange well.
The region’s food and wine focus is paddock-to-plate via Nirvana … grape-to-glass via Paradise itself. Many places are inspiring.
Orange shifts your horizons.
"Satisfy the soul with a brisk walk to some of the hidden waterfalls in the State forest on Ophir Road, then satisfy the appetite with a lamb burger and a pinot noir at The Agrestic Grocer."
David Cumming
Wine Marketer
48 hours in Orange
DAY 1
Hopefully your tastebuds have been in training because Orange is a place you taste. With any luck it’ll be Orange Region Farmers Market day (second Saturday of the month). The stallholders have got up early so it’s only polite to accept samples of strawberries, chocolates, olives, cherries, pies, pancakes, jams, jellies, macarons, gelato, wine and craft beers. Should it not be market day, you can still head out on one of the farm-gate and cellar door trails getting to know the same producers and their products, or just cruise the town trail. Try Ferment – The Orange Wine Centre, the Grocer & Co Organics, Racine Bakery, The Agrestic Grocer, Byng Street Local Store, Factory Espresso and Badlands Brewery. For a great Friday lunch, try the creative pan-Asian banquet at Sweet Sour Salt. Something different for Dinner? Try the deliciously devilish shared platters at Charred.
DAY 2
Pick up a Wine & Food Guide from the Visitor Information Centre and select one of the five out-of-town trails. The Eastern Heritage Trail takes you through the old mining settlements of Emu Swamp, Byng and Lucknow to the quaint country village of Millthorpe. No need to carry supplies on this trail though, it passes four winery cellar doors, a boutique brewery, cafes, pub bistros and, at Millthorpe, Tonic – one of the finest restaurants in the region. Millthorpe has enough quirky retail to leave your credit card limp, and also has some great self-guided walks to put the colour back in your cheeks. On your return to Orange take Lake Canobolas Road past the pretty lake and recreation area and drive to the summit of Mount Canobolas for dramatic views and sunsets.
