As autumn beckons with the promise of crisp mornings and golden colours, travel editor David McGonigal investigates why this is a great time to visit inland NSW.
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Broken Hill
While many of us need little reason to head away for a few days, if you are looking for a theme, consider following in the footsteps of the film and fashion industries. The US has Hollywood, Canada has Vancouver the Hollywood of the North and India has Mumbai or Bollywood. In Australia we have Broken Hill and nearby Silverton.
Their film credentials are significant from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Mad Max 2 and A Town Like Alice to Mission Impossible 2 and Last Cab to Darwin.
The city of Broken Hill has some grand streetscapes and excellent galleries as well as the mines that made the town ‘rich’. Some 25 kilometres north-west of Broken Hill stands the small, quaint village of Silverton that has several 19th-century buildings including the iconic Silverton Hotel you’ll probably recognise from several films, television and advertisements.
The Silverton Hotel has been a popular filming destination for years (Photo: VisitNSW.com)
Just don’t ask about Max Max: Fury Road that was meant to follow in the footsteps of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior with filming around Silverton. Unfortunately, the NSW Outback was considered just ‘too green’ too often during the scheduled production time so it was moved to Namibia in Southern Africa.
Tamworth
The rugged mountainous beauty of the New England region and the country hospitality of Tamworth lured Angelina Jolie for her directorial debut filming the 2014 World War 2 movie Unbroken.
This was based on the life of Louis Zamperini and was shot at Tamworth airport and King George V Avenue, as well as in the nearby small town of Werris Creek. Sadly, Angelina has moved on but the delights of Tamworth and New England remain. There is much to love in New England particularly the changing leaves in towns like Glen Innes, Inverell and Tenterfield. Armidale with its university buildings and heritage buildings is the hub of the New England High Country and it shines in autumn colours.
A beautiful farm near Armidale (Photo: VisitNSW.com)
While the cities of New England have strong appeal it’s worth getting off the beaten track and exploring smaller regional towns. In autumn you wouldn’t want to miss Gostwyck Chapel in Uralla when the elm trees turn gold yet still shade the Virginia Creeper that covers the 1921 building asit turns spectacularly crimson.
Visit the charming Gostwyck Chapel located in Uralla (Photo: VisitNSW.com)
Another must-see is the historic gold mining village of Nundle, less than an hour from Tamworth. With great local cafes and antique stores it’s worth being there for the weekly farmers market. The scenic Fossickers Way can begin here and, extending up past Inverell to Warialda and Emmaville, it’s especially pretty in autumn.
Whether travelling as a couple orasan extended family you may wish to head out to Boggabri for the Boggabri Drovers Campfire from 20-25 April with events including camp oven cooking, shearing demonstrations, district tours, bush poets, craft stalls, whip cracking, antique machinery display, and a bush band.
Snowy Mountains
With the whole world to choose from, the luxury brand Hermès selected the NSW Snowy Mountains as the setting for its Spring/Summer 2016 advertising campaign. The campaign, shot on location in Mount Kosciuszko National Park by Japanese photographer Yoshihiko Ueda, celebrates Hermès link to nature and the inspiration it draws from it.
Hermes Spring/Summer campaign 2016 photographed at Mount Kosciuszko National Park
It’s easy to be inspired in the Snowy Mountains, whether walking the main range, taking a horse riding tour or simply enjoying the grand mountain scenery of glacial lakes, mountain crags and tumbling streams.
Orange
Closer to home, autumn is the time to experience 50 shades of Orange when the foliage turn as the weather cools in the Central West.
Bringing your family and friends along will surely make it even more fun
Orange F.O.O.D Week is a 10-day festival on 8-17 April that will be celebrating 25 years this year – making it Australia’s longest-running regional food festival. F.O.O.D. is an acronym for Food Of Orange District and it’s a testament to the region’s great reputation for food and wine. Indulge your senses as local chefs and restaurants showcase their skill with farm gate tours and cooking demonstrations. There’s a night market on April 7, a morning producers market on April 17, and the renowned 100-Mile Dinner will be held on the Village Green in Molong.
Bathurst
Bathurst is well known as one of Australia’s oldest inland settlements and it has kept much of its heritage in the historic town centre, enhanced by revitalised laneway bars, cafes and restaurants. There’s an Autumn Colours program of events and the pace certainly picks up for the Bathurst Motor Festival at Mount Panorama from 25-27 March.
Breathtaking rainforest in Dorrgio National Park
Of course, this peak touring time is a great time to head for the hills anywhere in NSW. That may be Katoomba and the Blue Mountains, Bowral and the Southern Highlands or Bellingen and Dorrigo National Park. Whatever direction, a good first stop is Destination NSW and its all-important Events page.
(Featured image: Lauren Cameo/Shutterstock)
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