Country NSW with kids: A handy holiday guide
Country NSW
Explore Central and Country NSW with your family
With its diverse natural landscape, immersive museums and rich history, Country NSW offers an exciting rural escape for all ages.
Did you know there are over a thousand natural and culturally significant sites in Central NSW? This is a region of abundant national parks, wineries, mines, ancient and modern history, fabulous fresh produce, lakes and parks.
From museums and motor racing in Bathurst to wildlife encounters in Dubbo and country music history in Tamworth, this captivating region provides the ultimate mix of playtime and learning for kids and grown-ups alike.
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A NSW winery for the whole family
This is the cellar door you’ve been searching for! Less than 15 minutes from the town of Orange, littlies will be enthralled by the petting zoo and sandpit complete with toy bulldozers.
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Your Country NSW family holiday guide
A HUGE region of this enormous state, Inland NSW towns hold an amazing number of treasures for families – each as different as the next!
Get a taste of motor racing fame in Bathurst, camp out at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, and let loose at Australia’s largest Elvis Festival in Parkes!
Head further inland to experience the sun-baked sand dunes and lush wetlands of the Outback; the picturesque New England towns of Armidale, Glenn Innes, Inverell, and the capital of country music, Tamworth; the fresh fruit fame of Young and Goulburn; and the charm of the Southern Highlands.
Central West NSW
Bathurst, Parkes, Cowra, Orange, Mudgee, Lithgow
From motor racing in Bathurst to gold mining legends in Parkes and stunning countryside settings to explore in Cowra, there’s so much for families to do in Central West NSW.
Each town and each region of Central NSW has at least one monumental claim to fame! Cowra was the scene of an infamous breakout by Japanese POWs in WWII but is also the heart of agronomy. Parkes is the home of the CSIRO Radio Telescope made famous in the Aussie film, ‘The Dish’, and also hosts all things Elvis at the annual festival each January. Bathurst has a strong gold rush heritage and is the spiritual centre for Australian motor racing at Wahluu/Mount Panorama.
New England region
Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, Glen Innes, Guyra, Tenterfield
Tamworth – Australia’s Country Music capital – is nestled in the New England Region of NSW where national parks, waterways, horse riding trails, gold and gem fossicking, trout fishing and, yes, plenty of country music, are on the holiday checklist of fun activities! Other towns to check out include Inverell, Glen Innes, Guyra and Armidale.
Dubbo
Dubbo boasts both Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Dubbo Gaol! Check out the top things to do in Dubbo with kids and our favourite Sydney to Dubbo road trip routes.
Outback NSW
Broken Hill, Bourke, Cobar, Lightning Ridge, Brewarrina
Southern Highlands
Bowral, Berrima, Robertson, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Bundanoon
Southern Tablelands
Boorowa, Young, Goulburn, Yass
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Opening image: A family feeding a giraffe at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. © Destination NSW