Orange Regional Discovery Tour

This circular tour radiates out from Orange, a regional food and wine hub in Central NSW, riding mainly quiet backroads through sheep and cattle country, vineyards and historic villages. Overnight stops include the arts-and-crafts village of Millthorpe, the National Trust-classified village of Carcoar, Cowra with its POW camp site and Japanese Gardens, heritage-listed Canowindra and Cudal, where platypus can sometimes be spotted along Boree Creek.

The route peels back the region's many layers, from its geography and gold-rush history to its farming, art and regional produce, with winery lunches, an organic farm visit and plenty of time to meet the locals. It can be ridden self-guided with daily luggage transfers and detailed tour notes, or as a supported group tour with a back-up vehicle, more meals and a celebratory final dinner at one of Orange's renowned restaurants.

Highlights:

• Cowra's Japanese Gardens and POW camp site
• The National Trust-classified village of Carcoar
• Canowindra's winding heritage main street and optional hot air balloon flight
• Rosnay Organic Farm and Winery, plus fine pinot noir and organic wines
• Quality art and craft boutiques in Millthorpe
• Winery lunch on the final day back into Orange

Surface and terrain: 75% quiet sealed backroads, 20% gravel roads and 5% busier main roads. Gently rolling hills with moderate 1-5% gradients, plenty of flat stretches, and a 15 km climb on the final day.

Weather:
Spring (Sep-Nov) and autumn (Mar-early May) are best, around 10-25°C. June to August is cold, and December to February hot, especially on the plains west of Orange.

Suitable for:
Riders comfortable with around 50-55 km a day over rolling terrain with some gravel, who enjoy regional food, wine and history. The supported tour suits small groups wanting a more social, fully looked-after experience.