Orange is a beautiful city located right in the heart of Sydney with exotic locations. Orange is well-known for its local and fresh produce across the region. Orange was originally named in honor of Prince William of Orange in 1846. Despite being a rich historical place, there are a lot of fun things to do in the orange NSW region.
History of Orange
In 1851, a substantial gold discovery in Australia was made in Ophir, sparking an irregular population movement known as the Australian gold rush. Additional gold discoveries in the vicinity led to the foundation of Orange as a gold trading center. Orange continued to flourish as the climate was ideal for agricultural and local industries, its gold mining history and it was declared a municipality.
In 1877, the railway from Sydney arrived in Orange. Orange was designated as a minor city, 100 years after it was created as a hamlet. Before Canberra’s selection, Orange was considered the location for Australia’s national capital city. The new capital city would have been built next to the town of Orange, which would have been part of the federal area around it.
Orange is a flourishing country town with award-winning restaurants, boutique shops, stunning gardens, and bustling markets that is perfect for any season. It is a beautiful place to visit with your whole family. Here are some of the listed and full-fledged best things to do in orange.
Orange wine region
The very first place to visit when looking for fun things to do in Orange is looking for the fine wineries. So while visiting orange these are the must places to visit.
The city is known as a gourmet hotspot, particularly for its cool climate wine, which has gained international recognition. Orange is well known for its wineries. The fine wine is brewed from all the natural ingredients making it the first choice for all its visitors.
Wine tasting usually costs $10-$20 per person, with some of the money being repaid if you buy one or more bottles. It’s relaxed even if you’ve never done a wine tasting experience before.
You take a seat at a table behind cozy cellar doors, where a staff member will serve you five or six of their wines while also telling you about their vineyard. You can enjoy food and wine here with your family along with enjoying the fun things to do in orange. Some of the local and fresh produce wines in the Orange region are:-
- Philip Shaw Wines
- Cargo Road Winery
- Printhie Wines Cellar Doors
- Patina Wines
Outdoors
Apart from wineries, Orange is renowned for its local produce fruits berries, and much more things from the orange farmers market. Now, apart from the wineries, Orange is also famous for its outdoor activities. Here is a sneak peek at the outdoor fun things to do in orange.
Borenore Caves
The Borenore Caves are a series of limestone caves found in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, and are part of the Borenore Karst Conservation Reserve. This arch cave is known for its karst properties, including abundant fossils from a long-lived Silurian reef complex. These caves are really fun things to do in Orange.
Corals, crinoids, brachiopods, gastropods, pentamers, colonial tryplasmids, and trilobites are among the fossils found. Borenore’s karst arch cave is surrounded by igneous rock that poured from nearby Mount Canobolas’ volcanic eruptions.
The 136-hectare reserve is located 17 kilometers west of Orange and is included on the Register of the National Estate as a natural heritage site because of its wide diversity of karst morphological and sedimentological features. It does not support camping.
Borenore Karst Conservation Reserve has three caves that can be explored:
- Arch Cave
- Tunnel Cave
- Verandah Cafe
Cook Park
Visit cook park if you are looking for some fun things to do in orange or visit orange with your family. Cook Park is a 4-hectare heritage-listed urban park located at 24-26 Summer Street in Orange, New South Wales, Australia.
Alfred Patterson designed and built it between 1873 and 1950. Orange Botanic Garden is another name for it. On August 24, 2018, it was placed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. The primary entrance to the park is at the crossroads of Summer and Clinton Streets.
There are various historic elements to discover throughout the park, including a band rotunda, an ornamental lake, iron gates, a cottage, a conservatory, several gardens, and more. Cook Park is a nice place to roam around after lunch or dinner because it is conveniently located in the heart of town.
Gosling creek reserve source
Gosling Creek Reserve, an environmentally based leisure area, is just a short meandering walk or ride along Forest Road from the city’s heart through a sealed shared cycle/pedestrian path.
The reserve includes a picnic area, barbeques, public restrooms, walking, cycling, rollerblading paths, and children’s play equipment that includes climbing, spinning, and balancing activities. The first of three reservoirs developed in the Summer Hill watershed region is Gosling Creek Reservoir.
The reserve also has a bird hide with two viewing platforms, as well as a variety of native plants. There are a lot of fun things to do in the Orange NSW region which counts this reserve as well. One looks out over the reservoir’s open water, while the other looks out over a wetland.
Playgrounds and a pet-friendly preserve. Take your kids to Gosling Creek Reserve for a fun day out while also instilling in them a passion for the environment. Because this recreational facility was created with the environment in mind, you can expect a variety of park activities. This creek is included in fun things to do in Orange.
Lake canobolas reserve
If you are looking for fun things to do in the orange NSW region. Lake Canobolas is a man-made reservoir in the central west of New South Wales, Australia, near Orange. Completed in the early 1900s, the lake supplied water to Orange from 1918 to 1957 and has been utilized for recreation since the 1970s.
A beautiful, calm lake near the foot of Mount Canobolas welcomes inhabitants and visitors to exercise and energize, or simply relax and enjoy the view. Cycling, sailing, canoeing, strolling, swimming, triathlons, and dragon boating are among the sports supported by Lake Canobolas as the seasons change. Before stopping by the Lakeside Kiosk & Cafe for lunch, take the kids to the Apex Adventure Playground on the eastern bank.
There are also various picnic spaces, grilling areas, and fishing spots! A walking trail circles the lake, providing a safe habitat for local birds and other species.
Mount canobolas
Mount Canobolas is a mountain in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, located on a spur of the Great Dividing Range. Mount Canobolas, an extinct volcano, is the tallest mountain in the region, rising 1,390 meters above sea level.
It is around 250 kilometers west of Sydney and is located 13 kilometers southwest of the city of Orange.
Orange botanic gardens
Orange Botanic Gardens is a 17-hectare natural undulating setting with an excellent array of native and exotic plants. For the Australian Bicentennial in 1988, the Gardens were officially inaugurated with plantings ranging from original native and exotic species to freshly planned exhibits.
The Orange Botanic Gardens are a lovely spot to unwind and take in the beautiful scenery and regional views. The Gardens are a great place for a family picnic and a stroll, in addition to being a great spot for bird watching. The four seasons of Orange are well represented in these gardens.
The Orange Botanic Gardens are free to enter and open daily until sunset. The Orange Adventure Playground has a playground and BBQ amenities nearby.
Pinnacle Reserve and Lookout
The sunrise or sunset views from Towac Pinnacle overlook are definitely worth the hike. Picnic shelters, toilets, and barbeques made of bluestone are located on the southern side of Pinnacle Road, under the tall shady gum trees. A trekking track on the northern side of the road leads to Towac Pinnacle, which offers amazing views of the Towaco Valley.
Lookout at Pinnacle A spectacular vista on the east side of Mount Canobolas is just ten minutes by automobile from the center of Orange. A short but treacherous ascent of more than 200 steps leads from the car park.
Elephant park
This is a simple park with some fun equipment for the little ones. If you are looking for fun things to do in Orange for your kids then this is your place. There is virtually nothing within walking distance for coffee or snacks, so come prepared if you plan to stay for a long time. There is an excellent cafe on Woodward called Omar by Academy Coffee, but it’s a five-minute walk to the park, so pick up some snacks and drive down.
Ophir Resource
Free gold and dispersed bush camping by a summer creek. Ophir was a Gold Rush town, and a pan can bring some color back from Lewis Ponds and Summer Hill Creek. There are numerous camping options, some of which require 4WD.
If you want to get away from other campers, there are many small tracks worth exploring around the region. Around the location, there are historical relics of the gold mining, and sours are available through a working mine. Before using the creek water, it needs to be treated.
Orange regional museum
The award-winning museum, Orange Regional Museum, which opened in 2016, is dedicated to sharing engaging exhibitions and diverse public programming with audiences of all ages. The Orange Regional Museum explains objects of historical value to our community and the Central West region in the regional gallery.
The Museum is a destination for visitors and locals alike, housed in a beautiful purpose-built regional gallery inside the thriving Orange cultural zone. Long-term and temporary local history exhibitions are on display at the Orange Regional Museum, as well as a program of the greatest traveling exhibitions from around Australia, covering a wide range of topics such as Australian history, science, technology, and culture.
Mount Murga
Why not try the Mount Murga walking tracks if you’re relatively fit? The trek up the side of Mount Murga and along the ridgeline to the plateau and overlook at the top is varied and attractive. The large open countryside to the north of the park may be seen from here.
Follow an old bulldozer track up the hill through red stringybark and scribbly gum woods, and look for blossoming orchids such as spotted double tail and midget greenhood in the spring and early summer.
Kangaroos, wallabies, and a various bird species can be found in the surrounding vegetation.
Blue mountains
The Blue Mountains are an Australian mountain range and a mountainous region in New South Wales. The region is bordered by Sydney’s metropolitan area, with its foothills beginning around 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of the state capital, Penrith on the boundaries of Greater Sydney.
Because the Blue Mountains are simply part of a larger mountainous area linked with the Great Dividing Range, the public’s perception of its size varies. The mountain region is limited to the east by the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers, to the west and south by the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang, and to the north by the Wolgan and Colo rivers.
Falls Waterfalls
Follow the Central Mines trail to The Falls Water Falls at Summer Hill Creek for breathtaking views of the creek cascading down over two levels. The falls is marvelous throughout the year but are striking when water levels in the creek are high following heavy rainfall.
At the bottom of this glorious waterfall, you’ll find a tranquil swimming hole that makes the most perfect place to cool off on a hot summer’s day. This is also a great spot to get a great sense of the diversity of this area, including its gold mining boom-era history, with the old water race that once fed water through to mining areas.
The waterfalls are also a lovely spot for off-bank fishing, birdwatchers will want to be sure to bring their binoculars to glimpse local woodland birds such as eastern and crimson rosellas, and owls.
Federal falls
On its way down to Federal Falls, this loop walk starts and ends at Federal Falls campground, traveling through snow gum forest and past massive rock walls. You’ll be in for a beautiful sight if you go after the rain.
The course can be started from either the north or south end of the campground. If you want an easier return trip to the falls, take the northern trail there and back, and if you want to trek the circle track, start from the southern end and walk clockwise, as you’ll be going downhill on the steeper sections.
Orange civic theatre
This musuem opened in 206 for exhibiting regional culture. If you are looking for fun things to do in Orange then this is your destination.
The Orange Regional Gallery, Orange Civic Theatre, Orange City Library, and the Visitor Information Centre are all exciting public spaces worth visiting. Attend a show at Orange Civic Theatre to temporarily forget about your daily responsibilities.
This venue hosts comedy, musicals, film festivals, and other events. The theatre has hosted several local and national performances, as well as toured foreign shows, over the years. Invite a friend or family member to watch the show with you.
Orange adventure playground
The Orange Adventure Playground is a happy place for all children. Your children would love it all from climbing, swinging, sliding, and running are all available, with shaded sitting for supervising parents.
This is a community-built playground offering a farm tractor, rock wall, treehouse, and rocket ship, among other fun-themed structures. Barbecues, picnic shelters, and a cycling road-safety course are also available. Your children would count this among the fun things to do in Orange.
The beautiful Orange Botanic Gardens are also nearby, ideal for long hikes and bird watching.
The best way to get to orange
Driving to Orange is rather simple, and taking the train is also an option. If you are planning to head with your family, then these options are going to help you. And increase your excitement by exploring the fun things to do in Orange.
Drive
The travel from Sydney to Orange is just over 250 kilometers long and takes about four hours. The M4 Motorway is the starting point, then the A32 Great Western Highway via the Blue Mountains to Bathurst, and finally the A32 Mitchell Highway to Orange.
Train
Orange is served by regional trains from its train station. On a workday, the journey from Sydney Central Station to Orange Station takes slightly under 5 hours and passes through Lithgow. Traveling by train is a fun thing to do in Orange.
While the journey is not short, it is pleasant, and Orange Station is ideally placed in the heart of town.
Places to eat in Orange
Orange is a well-established food and wine district in New South Wales and Australia. So you won’t be disappointed if you come to taste their rich cuisine and wine culture.
Here are some ideas to think about:
Charred Kitchen & Bar
It is a casual and welcoming fine dining establishment on New Street with a fun menu and a large wine selection.
Carriers Arms Hotel
A lively bar in the heart of town with excellent food and service. However, with so many pubs in Orange, you should sample a couple.
Raku Izakaya
On Summer Street, it is a modern authentic Japanese restaurant. Enjoy a wide range of foods suited to be shared.
Luxurious stay in Orange
The Byng Street
The Byng Street Boutique Hotel, GOLD Award winners in the Deluxe Accommodation category at the 2021 NSW Tourism Awards, welcomes guests who value unique elegance, luxury comfort, and refinement.
This 4.5-star hotel offers a wonderful contrast of notable historical homestead and contemporary architecture and is positioned in the center of Orange’s heritage precinct, the ideal location to appreciate everything Orange has to offer.
Every morning, the elegant Yallungah Dining Room, housed in the ancient homestead, provides a delectable two-course à la carte breakfast using fresh local food. Breakfast is included in all lodging packages.
Experience the great food and beverage products that Orange and the surrounding region are known for, with a passion and focus on supporting local producers. Plus it houses many boutique shops in their hotel and luxurious things to do in Orange.
Towns of Orange
It’s an hour to Orange, which entices travelers with its heritage buildings and bustling food and wine industry. Try Byng Street Local Store, Nimrods, or The Agrestic Grocer for a cup of coffee, as well as some of the best fresh produce in the neighborhood.
Alternatively, you may go straight to one of the region’s renowned cellar doors. De Salis Wines, Philip Shaw Wines, and Ross Hill Wines are all suggested fun things to do in orange.
You can also try a variety of local wines in one of Orange’s welcoming wine bars, such as the historic Union Bank Wine Bar. Lolli Redini and Racine are two popular supper options.
Orange city is noted for its high-quality local produce, beautiful vineyards, and fine dining establishments. It’s also noted for its spectacular autumn colors and freezing winters. It has the distinction of being the country’s snowiest city in the winter. Depending on how much you wish to see, can be enough time to appreciate everything this lovely provincial town has to offer, making it a fantastic weekend trip from Sydney. Orange, New South Wales, is recognized for its high-quality local vegetables, spectacular vineyards, and fine dining establishments. Along with some fun things to do in orange makes this place is more special.
I hope this article would help you have a fun-fledged vacation in Orange and find fun things to do in Orange!
Also read: 19 best things to do in Melbourne this weekend
Tallest Mountains in Australia
Also check out, Best Places to Visit in NSW
