Orange

Along the foothills of Mount Canobolas in the Central Tablelands of NSW is the regional hub of Orange, a thriving centre with a whole lot to boast about, from its commercial centres and bustling main streets to the natural beauty that abounds. Here, farmgate produce is celebrated, and cool-climate wines are highly revered, meaning holidaymakers flock to this region to delight in all the homegrown goodness that this area produces.

Warm summers and snowy winters to the colourful gardens of spring and autumn, year-round Orange delights. Well-known as a fruit growing district – apples, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots and plums – and an array of other fresh produce, Orange has become a gourmet food destination that locals relish in. Highly lauded cafes and restaurants and the 60 odd vineyards peppered throughout make Orange F.O.O.D Week and Orange Wine Month must-visit events. The monthly Orange Farmers Market, which is bursting at the seams with local growers and producers, hint at some of what can be found along Orange's Foodie Trail.

In the town itself, historic buildings nod to times past. Boutique stores and galleries sit alongside big-name brands with well-established stores that cater to Orange and surrounding towns. Country cottages with spectacular gardens that change colour with the season give way to hobby farms and sprawling farmland. A vast selection of schools (public and private) are sprinkled throughout, and Charles Stuart University has a local campus. Being the major centre that it is, Orange is a well-connected transport hub with trains, buses and an airport servicing the area. 

Playing fields and racecourses to golf clubs and sporting centres, Orange has it all. But it's the hiking through Nangar National Park, limestone caves at Borenore Caves and mountain biking at Kinross State Forest that is a standout on Orange's tourism circuit. With all this on offer, Orange is one country town that treechange dreams are made of.