Explore Orange NSW

Orange ~ New South Wales

Orange is a vibrant regional city in New South Wales with wonderful heritage buildings, lovely parks and gardens and amazing natural attractions.

It is located 254 kilometres west of Sydney and is 863 metres above sea level.

During our stay in Orange, we wandered around the City Centre, admiring the heritage buildings and visited Cook Park. We explored the Pinnacle Lookout, Lake Canobolas and the Arch Cave. We picked some apples at Hillside Harvest and visited the Museum and Art Gallery, the Botanical Gardens and Banjo Paterson Park. 

Orange was proclaimed a town in 1846, and when gold was discovered in 1851 at nearby Ophir, thousands of people came to the area. 

With the discovery of gold came the development of Orange as a central trading centre for the goldfields, and many stunning buildings were constructed.

In 1946, Orange was proclaimed as a city and today the cityscape is adorned with historic buildings and beautiful gardens and parks.

You can pick up a Heritage Walk brochure from the Visitor Centre to learn more about these lovely buildings.

Cook Park is a lovely 4.5-hectare parkland in the heart of Orange. It was named after Captain James Cook and was originally laid out in a traditional Victorian design in 1873.

Near the Eastern Gates, you can see a German Field Gun and a 24-pound Cannon. You can sit and relax by the James Dalton Memorial Fountain and admire the octagonal Bandstand that was built in 1907.

From February to April each year you can see hundreds of colourful begonias in bloom in the Blowes Conservatory. There is also a lovely duck pond, playgrounds, toilets, and picnic areas.

Pinnacle Lookout

The Towac Pinnacle Lookout is approximately 12 kilometres southwest of Orange.

The walking track is 600 metres return and includes lots of steps up to the lookout. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the walk. At the top, you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the Towac Valley and the undulating plains that surround Orange.

Lake Canobolas 

Lake Canobolas is located 12 kilometres west of Orange and is a lovely artificial lake with great picnic and recreational areas. The lake was built in 1918 to provide Orange with its water supply and is fed by the Molong Creek.

It is a popular spot for a range of activities including cycling, sailing, canoeing, walking, swimming, triathlons and dragon boating.

There is a lovely cafe, picnic tables, playgrounds, toilets and walking tracks near the lake.

You can wander across the dam wall and enjoy wonderful views over the lake. On the eastern side of the lake, the Old Pumphouse has been restored to near original condition after being disused for over 60 years.

Arch Cave

The Borenore Caves Reserve are located 17 kilometres west of Orange. They are open daily from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm and access is free. The reserve has parking, toilets, gas BBQs and picnic tables.

It is a short walk from the picnic area to the Arch Cave, we wandered over a bridge and along the bush track. 

The outside of the caves have stunning rock formations and the Boree Creek runs through them. You can explore the limestone caves and wander through them, you will need a torch as they are dark inside. 

When we finished admiring the caves, we walked back along the loop path to the picnic area.

Hillside Harvest

Hillside Harvest is a family-owned orchard 11 kilometres from Orange, that grows apples, cherries, and stone fruit.  They are open every day from 9.00 am and have a lovely cafe and farm store with fresh fruit and local produce.

You can also pick your own fruit, we enjoyed wandering through the orchard and picking some delicious apples. Other fruit is available depending on the season.

Museum & Art Gallery

At the Orange Cultural Precinct, you will find the Visitor Centre, the Orange Regional Museum and the Art Gallery.

The Orange Regional Museum showcases local history exhibitions as well as travelling exhibitions from across Australia.

The Orange Regional Gallery showcases modern and contemporary Australian Art, they have a permanent exhibition and also travelling exhibitions.

Botanic Gardens

The Orange Botanic Gardens are a 17-hectare garden that features a native and exotic plant collection. 

The Gardens were officially opened in 1988,  they are open daily from early morning until dusk and admission is free.

We wandered around the gardens on the well-formed tracks past billabongs, towering trees and lovely grassy areas. There is also a lovely cafe and an adventure playground near the gardens.

On the outskirts of the botanic gardens, you can explore Emmaville Cottage. This cottage dates back to the 1850s and is believed to be one of the last farm buildings from the Narrambla property. 

The Narrambla farming property was where the mother of Banjo Paterson came to stay before the birth of her son in 1864.

Banjo Paterson Memorial Park

The Banjo Paterson Memorial Park is 7 kilometres out of Orange on the Ophir Road. This lovely park marks the site of Banjo Paterson’s birth on 17th February 1864.

There are several plaques and information boards about Banjo Paterson and also toilets, picnic areas, BBQs and beautiful views.

Wineries

The Orange Wine Region is one of Australia's top grape-producing and wine regions and has more than 80 high-altitude vineyards.

There are more than 30 cellar doors in this region where you can taste the cool climate wines and learn more about them.

Click here to Explore Wine Tours

in Orange NSW