Top tips for a weekend drive to Orange

Close to: Sydney. 260km via the Great Western Highway or the Bells Line of Roads.
Day or Weekend: Probably too far for a day, so a weekend works. History buffs should stay at the extraordinary 19th-century mansion Duntryleague. For something completely different, book a bedroom in the old woolshed at Black Sheep Inn (great for couples or groups of up to 10).
Hidden Gem: The Agrestic Grocer for local fruit, veg and cafe-style lunch.
Everybody goes to: The Mount Canobalas lookout, an easy 30-minute drive from town.
Take home: A continental salami from Trunkey Bacon and Pork.

The first thing you need to know about Orange is: The New South Wales town was not named after the citrus fruit (at 862 metres above sea level it’s way too cold to grow oranges) but rather, after  William of Orange, a 19th century Netherlands king.

The second is: Even if you don’t give a fig about history, but enjoy good food and great wine in a genuine regional setting, Orange makes for the perfect destination drive.

Orange is the centre of a vibrant agricultural scene (including grapes, veggies and non-citrus fruit) and, with about 42,000 residents, at first glance appears to be a typically largish Australian country city. But that broad brush view ignores the town’s efforts over the last decade to reinvent itself as a gastronomic and vinicultural epicentre well worth the three-hour drive from Sydney, over the Blue Mountains and beyond.

The Festival of Orange Food has been running for 26 years and combines a number of events such as group dinners, workshops, tastings, picnics, performances and displays all over the region. It runs for 10 days over the March/April period, attracts at least 15,000 visitors and is one of Australia’s best food and wine festivals.

Later in the year attention turns to the Orange Wine Festival as it showcases the region’s cool-climate varietals such as chardonnay, pinot noir and riesling at various events including the wine show’s tastings and masterclass, and a wine and food night market. There’s also a ‘Wine in the Vines’ bus tour (translation: leave your car behind and let someone else drive for the day).

Even if you can’t make those dates, despair not. In fact, there’s great eating all year as Orange has far more good restaurants, cafes and providores than seem sensible for a town of its size. Highlights include the hat-awarded Lolli Redini with its Tuscan and French take on local produce; the Union Bank’s hearty combination of food and local wines in a lovely old bank building (complete with a shady beer garden); and the loud and brash city-style Percy’s with its casual bar menu including share plates, glam burgers and kid-friendly meals. If you want to do-it-yourself, then foraging at the Orange Farmers Market is a good start (second Saturday of each month).

Check out all the region’s 40-odd wineries especially Patina, Bloodwood and Printhie, or if you’re struggling to find a designated driver there’s the Swinging Bridge cellar door handily located next to the Union Bank. Many more wines can be tasted and bought in town at Ferment, which looks after more than a dozen local winemakers’ products.

If you can find time among all that guzzling, try a drive to the top of Mount Canobolas, the 1390 metre extinct volcano towering over Orange, visit the Orange Regional Gallery or walk the town’s Heritage Trail (get the brochure at the visitor information centre) to see some of the historic buildings and monuments, including one of the most ornate public schools in Australia.

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