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Mudgee
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The large, old country town of
MUDGEE
, in the Kamilaroi language meaning "the nest in the hills", is the centre for an often-overlooked wine region about 120km north of Bathurst. The town is set along the lush banks of the Cugewong River, and the countryside appears to have more grazing cows and sheep than vineyards. The wines, once referred to as "Mudgee mud", have improved in the past few years: the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines are the tastiest, although the area's Chardonnays are gaining a good reputation. You can reach Mudgee via Hill End, but it's a bumpy unsealed route, and you're better off approaching via Sofala on an 88-kilometre sealed road (except for a small section) - watch out for sheep.
When you arrive, head for the
tourist information centre
at 84 Market St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3.30pm, Sun 9.30am-2pm; tel 02/6372 1020,
www.mudgeewine.com.au
) to pick up a copy of the
Mudgee Region Visitors' Guide
, which has detailed winery information and maps. Mudgee's proximity to Sydney means that
accommodation
is booked out at weekends, when it's best to call in advance. Some places worth targeting are the
Federal Hotel
at 34 Inglis St (tel 02/6372 2150,
www.pubstay.com.au
; $35-50); the central but more upmarket
Wanderlight Motor Inn
, 107 Market St (tel 02/6372 1088, fax 6372 2859; $70-90), which has a pool and spa and some units adapted for disabled travellers; and the gay-friendly
Parkview Guest House
, 99 Market St (tel 02/6372 4477 or free call 1800 621 531; $115-150), a quiet, centrally located B&B built in 1859. Other heritage houses worth staying at for the charm factor include
Bleak House
, 7 Lawson St (tel 02/6372 3030,
www.bleakhouse.net
; $115-150), with private verandahs overlooking the Cugewong River, and the
Lauralla Historic Guesthouse
, Lewis and Mortimer streets (tel 02/6372 4480, fax 6372 3320,
www.bedandbreakfast.org.au
; $115-150) a classic Victorian-style home offering "murder mystery" and wine weekends.
Campers
should head for the
Mudgee Valley Village
, corner of Bell Street and Gulgong Road, 1.5km west of the centre (tel 02/6372 1236), which has a pool, kiosk and barbecues. With the exception of the award-winning
Grape Vine Restaurant
at
Lauralla Historic Guesthouse
, Mudgee isn't really a town in which to eat out, so your best bet for a
meal
is the pub food at places such as the
Lawson Park Hotel
, a great old country pub on Church Street, which does roasts on Monday and Tuesday and pasta specials on Wednesday night. You could also lunch at one of the wineries such as Poet's Corner; or try the tearooms (Thurs-Sun 10am-4pm only) attached to the
Parkview Guest House
, for refreshments on the verandah or in the courtyard. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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