MEANDERING THROUGH MUDGEE

It’s uninversally acknowledged in the tourism world that Mudgee punches above its weight. The town, with its many heritage-listed buildings, has a population of 12,000, and that swells to 18,000 or so when you add in the inhabitants of the surrounding old mining villages of Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos.

But Mudgee’s two major industries — mining and winemaking — have made their mark on what would otherwise be a largish country town. Residents and visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to cafes and bistros in town and the surrounding wineries boast dining options that rival those in Sydney 275 kilometres away on the other side of the Blue Mountains. In the past decade, Mudgee has emerged as short break destination, three and a half hours by car from Sydney, but light years removed