About Mudgee

About 260 km north west of Sydney, is a beautiful country town, nestled in gentle hills. Tranquility is a word that springs to mind, and you could believe you’d arrived in that fabled land of milk and honey. Well, maybe not quite milk and honey - but you have come to Mudgee and you are in a land of wine and honey.

Mudgee began as a village, surrounded by good grazing land, in the 1830s. With the discovery of gold in the area in the 1850s, Mudgee became the main town center as the local population rose to more than 20,000 at the height of the gold rush. Mudgee survived the aftermath of the gold rush because it is surrounded by fertile land, which produces superfine wool. Many fine buildings from the 1860s and 1870s stand in the main streets, creating the gentrified atmosphere of a town that knows prosperity.

But diversification is also a key to survival, and Mudgee is now world famous for its fine quality wines and to a lesser extent the production of honey. Sampling these products is how many people spent a delightful stay in the Mudgee district.

Wine has been produced in the area for about 150 years. These days about 40 vineyards grow, produce and bottle their wines for direct sale and for export. The overall wine growing area is quite compact so it is easy to visit several wineries in one day. The atmosphere is friendly, and beautiful views across the rolling fields of vines, delight the eye from every vineyard. Why not take a picnic lunch, eating al fresco besides the grape vines or sample the fine regional cuisine from the many award winning restaurants in the district.

Honey tasting is another delight in Mudgee. The variety of flavours is quite amazing - though the apiarists have to take their bees many kilometers to find the right blossoms. Most visitors love a beautifully mild flavoured honey from Paterson’s Curse. This weed covers vast acres, covering the land in a purple haze when in bloom and also giving pleasure to the bees. 

Also, do not forget to try Mead - the combination of wine and honey. Mount Vincent Mead affords not only a range of meads to try but also a panoramic view of Mudgee and surrounding hills.

Why not finish the day with a steak and bottle of red at a local grill and carvery or a bistro style meal at the adjoining Mudgee Soldiers Club. Mudgee really has become a gourmet’s treasure trove with plenty of restaurants catering for all tastes and styles.

Spend a Saturday morning leisurely walking around the shops and boutiques which make Mudgee a regional shopping attraction, some Saturdays there are markets in St Johns Church or down in the beautiful Lawson Park, many Craft stalls sell local pottery and other craftwork or why not explore the historic buildings and museums of Mudgee and nearby towns. 

For a longer stay, explore the nearby gold-mining towns of Gulgong and historic Hill End. You can even do some fossicking, hiring your gold pan from the Mudgee Tourist Centre. Dubbo Zoo is only a leisurely 1.5 hour drive and a perfect day trip for the family.

Most people head back home with a great degree of reluctance.