Fast facts
- Fertile soils in the Cudgegong River valley
- Famous for its food, wine and café culture
- Three-and-a-half hours’ drive north-west of Sydney
Why go there
Famous for its wines, the area around Mudgee boasts about 50 wineries, some operating since the 1850s. As the second oldest town west of the Blue Mountains, Mudgee sprang to life during the gold rush, and several of its buildings date from this period.
The town of Gulgong has 130 National Trust-listed buildings in one street, and the Pioneers Museum has a fascinating and comprehensive record of Australian 19th-century frontier life.
Writer Henry Lawson grew up in neighbouring Eurunderee, and you can follow a drive around the significant sites of his childhood. Or get close to nature at Rylstone, which sits in a magnificent green valley near Wollemi National Park, where the ancient Wollemi Pine was discovered in 1994.
Things to do
- Hire a bike and tour some of the 50 wineries in Mudgee.
- Discover Mudgee’s 1850s buildings as well as modern cafés on Market Street.
- Explore Gulgong’s main street, with its 130 National Trust-classified buildings.
- Trace Henry Lawson’s childhood at various sites along the Wallaby Track in Eurunderee.
- Camp, fish and bushwalk at Dunn’s Swamp, beyond Rylstone.
Don’t miss
- Wine and marinated fetta cheeses at High Valley Wine and Cheese in Mudgee.
- The Henry Lawson Centre, which houses the largest collection of this writer’s works outside Sydney’s Mitchell Library.
- Mudgee Farmers Markets, held on the third Saturday of each month.
Events
- Mudfest Short Film Festival, Mudgee, in March.
- Henry Lawson Heritage Festival, Gulgong, on June long weekend.
- Mudgee Wine Festival and Mudgee Wine Show, in September.
- Huntington Music Festival, Mudgee, in December.
