Bathurst & Orange NSW Road Trip
Free Camps, Food & Stops We Loved
Cook Park Bathurst
We’ve been visiting the Bathurst and Orange region for years, and each trip has added something a little different. From quiet free camps to small country villages and surprisingly good food stops, this is a part of New South Wales that’s easy to overlook, but is well worth slowing down for.
In this guide, we’re sharing the places we’ve explored across multiple visits, the ones we’d genuinely return to, and the ones we think are worth adding to your own road trip.
✔️ Best For:
Relaxed road trips, only 3-4 hours from Sydney
Free camping + caravan travel
Food & wine experiences
Exploring small country towns, bursting with history and charm.
⏱️ Ideal Trip Length:
7 days (longer if you slow it right down)
If, like us, you want to come back time and again, this is a wonderful region worth visiting for quick weekend breaks.
👉 map here
👉Here is a link to the map with all the stops.
Places We Explored in the Region
This is an area rich in History, from Gold Rush towns to places significant to Australia’s growth and food distribution, this region punches above its weight.
Bathurst – History and Mt Panorama
Driving Mt Panorama
I have been travelling to Bathurst since I was a little girl, when my sister moved out there. From that time, this town captured my heart, so it was inevitable that Bathurst would feature in our story. Since getting Connie, it has been easy to venture west. It was the location we decided to do our initial shake-down trip.
Bathurst was founded in 1815 and is the oldest inland settlement in Australia. Gold was discovered in the region in 1851 and was home to Australia’s first Gold rush. Today, it remains an important inland city in New South Wales, famous for the Bathurst 1000 motor race held on Mt Panorama, agriculture, and as the birthplace of one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers, Ben Chifley.
Things to see and do
The town is full of historic buildings, transporting you back to the 1800’s
The old courthouse has a museum.
Cook Park is home to the Carillon, a war memorial that rings out over the city.
The Bicentennial Park on the bank of the Macquarie River has a walking track, park, and picnic areas.
Abercombie House, a small drive out of town, you’ll find this grand 1870’s home.
Mt Panorama Race track was constructed in 1936, the first motorcycle race was held in 1938, and later that year, the first car race was held. Today, they are still racing the most famous, the Mt Panorama 1000, usually near the end of the supercars season each year. The really cool thing is that when a race isn’t happening, you can drive the track, take a break at the top, and enjoy the view.
Carcoar – Historic & Quiet
Carcoar Railway Station
This is a charming town established in 1835 and known as a government centre. St Paul’s Anglican Church in the town is one of the oldest Anglican churches in the state.
On the hill on the edge of town is the disused railway station, which has a cafe a couple of days a week, and you are free to walk around and follow the tracks to a disused tunnel.
This is a short stop, but all these small towns have something special and give us insight into a bygone day. Today, you will find a sleepy country town, worth a stop.
Millthorpe – Coffee Stop You’ll Linger In
Yum – Lemon Meringue Pie
With foundations dating to the 1870s, Millthorpe grew when the railway was diverted, and Millthorpe pioneered agricultural shows before they were a thing. There was a mill in the town from the 1880’s through to teh 60’s.
Today, Millthorpe is a beautiful, walkable town with cafes, shops and tasting cellars from the surrounding vineyards. Millthorpe has a lovely feel, pretty shops, a beautiful streetscape, and the best lemon meringue pie I have had in years. We had morning tea at the old Mill, and that is home to the Lemon Meringue.
This town is worth a slowdown.
Orange – Food, Wine & Your Base
Wine Tasting at Macquariedale Wines
Initial occupation of the area by graziers began in late 1829, and a village was established in Orange in 1846. Orange is known as a premium wine-growing/producing region. We went to Orange for the wine, but the food was a real surprise. Food is amazing, and we had Texan BBQ, and the Hansel and Gretel cafe was an experience in itself.
There are around 60 cellar doors; we only visited 2 wineries, and they were two different experiences in a good way. The wine was great, and the altitude really changes the wine.
Once you have explored the town, head out of town, up Mt Canobolas is fun, and the view is ok, but it’s also a great place to start some walks.
We drove out to the Borenore Karst Conservation Reserve, which was a real surprise; we loved the walk.
👉 Link to your videos here
Sofala – Tiny but Worth It
In the stocks Sofala
This is the oldest surviving gold-rush village, and it is an awesome place to see and walk around. There is a pub, a store, a cafe, and a museum to visit as well, but we were there too early. If you love learning about Australian gold rush villages, this is worth a stop.
👉 Push to video:
Free Camps & Caravan Stays in the Region
Across a couple of visits, we tried a mix of free camps and caravan parks around Bathurst and Orange — these are the ones we’d happily stay at again.
Carcoar Dam
Sunset at Carcoar Dam
Great spot on the bank of the Carcoar dam. Carcoar dam has easy van access, although the ground is not really level, a boat ramp and a fish cleaning station. There is a toilet block, some BBQs and picnic tables.
We enjoyed a three-night stay with views over the dam and wind farm. If you need to empty your waste, there is a point in the nearby town of Blaney. We visited both Carcoar and Millthorpe from here.
👉Is Carcoar Dam Worth It? Honest Free Camp Review (NSW) video
Macquarie Woods Recreation Area
Happy at Macquarie Woods Recreation Park
Our night at Macquarie woods, was a last minute inclusion, we started our Orange trip a night early and this stay was a real gem. Surrounded by pine forests, the camping area is open, allowing campers to spread out from other campers. You will find toilets, BBQs, Freesbie Golf and a couple of dams. This is a wonderful free campsite from which you can visit Orange, Bathurst, and other towns in the region.
👉Best Free Camp Near Orange NSW? Macquarie Woods Review Video
Chifley Dam Free Camp
Camping at Chiefley Dam
Chiefley Dam is 20 minutes out of Bathurst. We stayed here after the group we were staying with changed plans at the last minute. You are a short walk to the dam wall and the swimming area, but it was nice to be slightly separated from those coming out for day use. It is a good free camp near Bathurst.
👉Plans Changed… And It Was Worth It | Sofala & Chifley Dam Video
Caravan Park Options
Bathurst Gold Panner Holiday Park (BIG4)
As I said earlier, this was where we took Connie for our shakedown trip. This was a comfortable stay and easy access to Bathurst. This park leans into the gold rush days of yesteryear. They have lots of facilities, making it a comfortable place to come back to at the end of the day.
BIG4 Canobolas (Orange)
We had a three-night stay here between two free camps, and this was a good base for exploring Orange. The site was quite wide, with vans on either side, and it felt ok. This was a similar park, but it has everything you need to reset after free camps and exploring the region.
Why This Region Works
This is one of those regions where you don’t feel rushed. This is only a taste of what this region hides.
It’s easy to slow down, take your time, and just enjoy the experience together — whether that’s wandering through a village or sitting quietly at camp.
More From Sapphire Blue
Watch the Videos
For each stay, we have a YouTube video. If you would like to share in our experience, there is a list of videos throughout the post.
Helpful Links
