Mudgee is a township in the Central West region of the Australian state of New South Wales. Together with its neighbour Gulgong, Mudgee offers a fantastic historical heritage and a host of great small wineries.
Mudgee's name comes from a local Aboriginal phrase meaning "nest in the hills", reflecting the town's position amongst hills created by long extinct volcanoes.
From Sydney, Mudgee is an easy 3.5 hour drive (261 km). Take the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains or alternatively the Bells Line of Road through Windsor. Turn off for Mudgee just past Lithgow.
From Newcastle, Mudgee is a 3.5 hour drive (290 km). Take New England Highway to Singleton. Turn off for Jerry's Plains, through Denman, Sandy Hollow, Merriwa. Turn off for Mudgee approximately 10 km past the Cassilis intersection.
From Canberra - a 6 hour drive (471 km) through Yass to Boorowa, Cowra, Canowindra, Molong, Wellington to Mudgee. Alternatively Cowra to Bathurst, Sofala, Ilford and Mudgee.
From Brisbane - an 11 hour drive. Follow the Newell Highway to Dubbo then head east for Mudgee or alternatively the New England Highway to Tamworth, then through Gunnedah, Tambar Springs to Coolah and Mudgee.
NSW Trainlink coach connections are available from Lithgow, meeting the morning Dubbo XPT. NSW Trainlink Intercity trains service Lithgow every 1-2 hours from Sydney, with and additional afternoon/evening service running to Mudgee every day but Saturday.
There are flights from Sydney by Pelican Airlines +6149650111 . Charter flights are available, and you will need to get a taxi into town, and surrounding country. The airport is around 10 minutes drive from town.
Mudgee has a local bus service connecting the surrounding suburbs 4 times a day on weekdays only.
Many of the attractions of Mudgee are in the surrounding areas, and although the town centre is nice, being in town for a few days without a car or bicycle could be frustrating to a traveller.
There is much to do in Mudgee, whether you have an interest in local produce or whether you have a more adventurous interest. There are annual events which attract many tourists every year, particularly during long-weekends. Some of these include:
Being a country town, there are also national parks near by which have some hiking tracks. While some of these do not allow camping, they do make for a good day's activities for families. Additionally, Mudgee has a large number of motocross enthusiasts, and has regular race days which attract big crowds, as well as motocross tracks where you can bring your own motorbike and hit the dirt. These tracks include:
Mudgee has a variety of restaurants and pubs to suit all people, and most carry locally produced wine to go with almost any meal.
These include:
For those who would prefer to enjoy fish and chips or take away pizza in one of Mudgee's many parks, however, can choose from:
Some (but not all) of the surrounding wineries also serve food. Check in advance, and bookings are usually required.
Mudgee is a 90-minute drive away from the city of Dubbo.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division