Bathurst Hotels

The Commercial Motel has enough dart games and pool comps to keep you entertained at any time of year, while the Church Bar (in a restored 1850s church) will vie for your cash. Bathurst dates back to early colonial settlement – theCourthouse is a perfect architectural example – and it’s settling into old age quite nicely. Like vintage wine, the older Bathurst gets, the better it becomes.

BATHURST’S TOP 10

BATHURST EVENTS

Save up for January’s Bathurst City Gold Cup Race. ‘The Melbourne Cup of Western New South Wales’ sees Bathurst don its party garb and prepare to throw money at men and horses.

With the best in antiques, pre-loved and second-hand goods coming out from the woodwork, the Bathurst Flea Markets in April could be your best dream or worst nightmare.

The best in local produce and international chefs combine to create some amazing culinary creations over Orange Food Week (April). And did we mention there’s free sampling?

Tour Bathurst’s wineries for the Winter Winery Wander in June, as they showcase the best in local viticulture and their chefs do their best to impress.

The spring weather is in full bloom as guest landscapers from around the country gather to show off their gardening ability for the Bathurst Spring Spectacular in October.

WHEN TO GO

• Bathurst’s population explodes when the Bathurst 1000 comes to town on the first weekend in October. Good job the weather is normally mild and dry in spring!
• January and February sees the town turn hot, and with the temperature spike comes a deep longing to do nothing but sit on ice and hang out at the local pool.
• Winter means big socks and woollen tops, but the air is crisp and the sun is normally shining.

GETTING AROUND

· Although you can get to Bathurst from Sydney by train (and then bus), its location and size make it better suited to exploring by car.

· The Bathurst region is pretty flat, making it very bike-friendly.