11 reasons why you should head to Central NSW with kids

Country NSW is a patchwork of quaint towns and villages packed with history and heritage, Aleney de Winter unearths a world of family fun in Central NSW.

Central NSW is one of my favourite old stomping grounds and Oberon, named after the king of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, proves a suitably enchanting starting point to introduce my kids to its many charms.

1. To be enchanted by Mayfield Garden

Just beyond the historic Oberon township, I unleash my playful sprites into Mayfield Garden. At more than 64 hectares, the beguiling beauty is one of the world’s largest privately-owned cool climate gardens, inspired by the grandeur of English garden estates.

The kids flit over stone bridges, cartwheel through colonnades of plane trees, dance around a copper fountain and dive into secret grottoes before tackling Mayfield’s Box Hedge Maze, escaping just in time for a paddock-to-plate lunch at Mayfield Cafe.

2. To find history and mystery in Bathurst

Best known for the rumble of V8 engines at Mount Panorama, we’ve raced into Bathurst in Country NSW for a little trainspotting at the Rail Museum. It’s just one of several excellent museums in heritage-rich Bathurst. This new museum explores the history of Australia’s oldest inland settlement, from its beginnings as a railway town to present.

The kids goggle over a meticulous – and massive – scale model of the historic rail line between Bathurst and Tarana, while a dedicated play space with one of the world’s largest permanent Brio sets is on offer for littlies.

There’s more history and mystery to be found at Abercrombie House, which dates back to the 1870s. Hearing that this gothic grand dame is haunted fires up my junior Ghostbusters’ imaginations almost as much as the ballroom’s delicious fluffy scones fire up their appetites.

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3. To discover Carcoar, the Central NSW town that time forgot

We drive through bucolic Blayney to Carcoar, an architectural time capsule nestled in a green valley. Carcoar was a favourite haunt of Johnny Gilbert and Ben Hall, who committed Australia’s first daylight bank robbery at the Carcoar Commercial Bank. It was once a favourite haunt of mine too, though admittedly I only held up the bar of the town’s Royal Hotel with uni friends.

The kids explore the preserved streetscapes and scamper along the grassy banks of the Belubula River, clambering over and under its old timber bridge. They love the gorgeous National Trust town as much as Ben, Johnny and I did – though no bars or banks were involved in their early morning invasion.

5. So you can bust bushranger legends in Canowindra

In nearby Cabonne Country, Craig of Blind Freddy’s Bushranger Tours walks us through historic Canowindra, a town packed with historic pubs and bushranger legends.

Built on historical research, this intriguing tour is filled with myth-busting tales of notorious outlaws Frank Gardiner, Johnny Gilbert and Ben Hall, including the time the latter two held the whole town captive for three days at the pub, treating their hostages to free booze, cigars and food.

I’m eager for a reenactment of that particular party, but my own bolshy bandits are more keen to explore Canowindra’s awesome Age of Fishes Museum, a fascinating National Heritage site that reflects a time when ancient fish ruled the world.

6. See why Cowra is the Central NSW cultural gem

Arriving in Cowra, we’re wowed by the Aboriginal murals painted on the pylons of a bridge crossing the Lachlan River, which holds significance to the Wiradjuri people who’ve called the region home for millennia. Created as a community project, with local Wiradjuri families contributing stories and handprints, the images are simply mesmerising.

In a cultural twist, our next stop takes us to Japan. The Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre – located minutes from the site of the notorious Cowra Breakout – is a symbol of reconciliation, featuring lakes of koi carp and trickling waterfalls representing the constant passing of time. A tea room and classic Japanese wooden bridges complete the very pretty picture.

7. To find buried treasure at Grenfell

There’s more bushranger bounty at Grenfell, near the Weddin Mountains National Park. A jaunty 30-minute walk up the western side of the mountain leads to Ben Hall’s Cave, reputed to have been his hideout. It is said the booty from one of the greatest robberies in Australian history, a gold coach held up by Hall and Frank Gardiner outside Eugowra, is still buried here.

We find treasures in the form of rare fauna, including the peregrine falcon and turquoise parrots that call the wildflower-strewn park home. It’s a great spot for bushwalking, camping or picnicking, and you never know, you might even stumble upon lost gold in them thar hills.

8. To be scultpure vultures in Forbes

“This is where Ben Hall was shot,” announces my son as we enter Forbes. He’s right, Hall was indeed felled by police at Goobang Creek, just a few kilometres from town. But we’re not here for bushrangers or the cornucopia of colonial architectural confections and leafy parks set alongside the banks of the Lachlan, appealing though they are. It’s art we seek.

Along the Sculpture Down the Lachlan culture trail we meet cheeky kelpies and an effigy of bushranger Ben, and are entranced by the new installation, Varanus. The stunning steel goanna, standing 20 metres from tip to tail, tells of the significance of Gugaa (the lace monitor) to the Wiradjuri people.

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9. To discover what is Condobolin’s Ute-opia?

A little further west at Condobolin, outdoor art of a different kind greets us. Inspired by the Cadillac Ranch on Route 66, but with an Aussie twist, Utes in the Paddock is a gallery of 20 reimagined old Holden utes rising out of the red Condobolin earth.

Yet there’s more than just made-over motors in the Lachlan Shire – its riverbanks, shaded by tall red gums, are a utopia for anglers with slow waters, fallen tree fish habitats and weirs filled with Murray cod, perch, catfish and redfin in season. Nearby Lake Cargelligo adds swimming, boating and water sports to a very alluring mix.

10. For a Parkes life

In Parkes, a small country town with a huge personality, we eschew tulips to tiptoe through the proliferation of Elvii that scatter the streets. We delight in the public art trail, resplendent as it is with images of the hip swivelling King, astronomy and Wiradjuri heritage.

Then we shoot for the moon at The Dish. One of several radio antennas used to receive television images of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope is one small step towards fun with its incredible 3D theatre and AstroKids Scavenger Hunt.

We ‘can’t help falling in love’ with the friendly and funny town, so make plans to bedazzle our jumpsuits to attend the Parkes Elvis Festival in January 2022.

11. To find Indigenous delights in Orange

Orange may have found fame as a blooming food and wine destination – and we certainly enjoy that – but we’re here for the history.

Gerald Power’s Indigenous Cultural Adventures, established with the blessing and approval of Wiradjuri Elders, takes visitors on a journey to learn about the Wiradjuri people and their culture. The tours are guided by four local Elders who share the knowledge and traditions of the past with the intention of moving into the future together.

The children are entranced by Wiradjuru wisdom and rate nibbling on Gerald’s native lemon myrtle marmalade over stories handed down for generations as the highlight of a journey that has been packed with them. As I sneak another slice of damper and jam, I can’t help but agree.

This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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