The new family hotspot, take a road-trip to Bathurst

By MiNDFOOD

The new family hotspot, take a road-trip to Bathurst
Looking to escape this weekend? Why not explore central NSW and head to Bathurst for the Illuminate Bathurst Winter Festival

Centrally located with so much to offer, Bathurst is now a hot-spot for family getaways. Why not make central NSW your next holiday destination where you can indulge in ice-skating outdoors, devour a Perthville pantry sausage and watch heritage buildings magically lit up for the Illuminate Bathurst Winter Festival this July.

The Festival and a range of new tours and attractions make this Central NSW town a must-do road-trip. At just a two and a half hour drive from Sydney, escape is closer than you think.

The winter fun begins on 30 June when kids can get spooked on a torchlight tour of the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, home to a real T-Rex dinosaur and world-class fossils. On 4 July the Winter Festival kicks off with a Night Street Festival set to bring a huge party atmosphere to Bathurst’s historic centre. A 25 metre open-air ice-skating rink will take centre stage in Kings Parade, buildings will be illuminated and there will be live bands, food and wine stalls, and a movie screening for the kids. The Festival continues until 12 July.

Bathurst offers a vibrant city centre packed with fun for families. Learn about car and motorcycling history at the National Motor Racing Museum, join a ghostly night tour or enjoy high-tea at Abercrombie House and enjoy nostalgic treats at Annie’s Old Fashioned Ice-cream Parlour. Drive to historic villages Sofala, Hill End and Rockley for bush-ranger and gold-rush experiences.

The growing sophistication of Bathurst satisfies grown-ups too with hip cafes, award-winning bars and restaurants tucked away down cobblestone laneways, and a renowned art gallery.

The Illuminate Bathurst Winter Festival forms part of the region’s Bicentenary celebrations which marks 200 years since Bathurst became Australia’s oldest inland European settlement.

Festival Highlights:

  • Outdoor ice-skating rink  in Kings Parade in the historic town square precinct. From 4-12 July.
  • Illuminate Bathurst, an outdoor building illumination show of local stories and personalities through digital story-telling and sound at five different sites. Until 9pm from 4-12 July.
  • Central West Short Play Festival at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (Sat 4 July)
  • Torchlight tour at the Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum (Tues 30 June and Tues 7 July)
  • ABC4Kids stars Lah-Lah at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment (Wed 4 July)
  • Macquarie Philharmonia Orchestra at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (Friday 10 July)
  • Abercrombie House High Tea (Sunday 5 July)
  • Harrie Fasher Steel Rod sculpture and line drawing exhibition at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
  • Discovering ‘Gordo’, an exhibition about a local family fossicking to
    discover a Ichthyosaurus

Must-dos for families in Bathurst all year

  • Meet a real T-rex dinosaur at the Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum
  • Drive the world famous Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit and see views of the Bathurst plains as the early explorers did
  • Enjoy high-tea or a ghostly tour at historic Abercrombie House with 52 rooms and six internal staircases
  • Discover the history of motor racing at the National Motor Racing Museum
  • Annie’s Old Fashioned Ice-cream Parlour – step back in time for sweet treats in a gorgeous old fashioned shop and try the locally named Sofala Gold variety
  • Barcoo’s Barn offers the perfect farm-stay or visit with pony rides, feeding the animals and collecting the eggs
  • Crago Mill Emporium and Heritage Centre – enjoy home-baked treats in the café and admire the beautifully restored four storey mill while the kids check out the antique toys and lolly shop
  • Simmo’s Off Road Tours or Detour Adventures – get up close and personal with nocturnal animals, including Sugar Gliders, Wombats, Kangaroos and Platypus
  • Abercrombie Caves – bushrangers and miners once roamed these caves, test the echo and acoustics or pan for gold in the creek
  • Yarrabin Horse Riding – take a ride through spectacular countryside on a lovely quiet horse
  • History Hill at Hill End is a great place to learn about the gold rush days of the 1850s with a magnificent display of fossicking and mining tools, an underground mine and blacksmith shop

 Unearth your Central NSW experience at www.visitcentralnsw.com.au

For Illuminate Bathurst Winter Festival bookings and information www.bathurst200.com.au

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