AUST. ORANGE REGIONAL DISCOVERY

Day 1 Orange to Millthorpe – 33 kms

Start with a mid-morning departure from Orange. Cycle across picturesque sheep and cattle grazing country. Arrive in the quaint Millthorpe village for lunch and accommodation check in. Plenty of time to explore the numerous arts/craft, clothing and produce stores. Your B&B accommodation is an easy walk to hotel dining 7 days or restaurants some days.

Day 2 Millthorpe to Carcoar – 62 kms

Today’s destination is the National Trust classified historic village of Carcoar. Descend to Blayney where the Iron Bark Espresso serves good coffee and buy lunch for the recommended village lunch stop. Your final most scenic 9 km ride into Carcoar is on dirt road before arriving for your overnight DB&B accommodation. Views at sunset from the railway station (not operating) can be fabulous.

Day 3 Carcoar to Cowra – 62 kms

After a short ride to Mandurama take to the undulating Belubula Way through attractive farmland. Your final 22 kms provides expansive views to the western plains. As you enter Cowra take a short detour to visit the site of the infamous Cowra POW camp (excellent interpretive displays) and the beautiful Japanese Gardens nearby is well worth the entry fee. Your accommodation is central to a range of dining options in this prosperous regional centre.

Day 4 Cowra to Canowindra – 40 kms

Time for a leisurely breakfast before taking the flat backroads to Canowindra. Rosnay Organic Farm and Winery is a fine destination for lunch. The Statham family grow wine grapes (20ha), olives (10ha) and figs (1/2ha) and make delightful produce that you can sample and purchase. A short cycle into Canowindra is rewarded with entry to the rustic and attractive main street with your accommodation nearby. A total of 34 buildings and features in the town and environs are listed in the New South Wales State Heritage Register.

Day 5 Canowindra to Cudal - 42 kms

Consider booking an early morning hot air balloon flight. Various café breakfast and take-away lunch options. Visit the Ages of Fishes Museum before leaving town. Cycle mainly on backroads with numerous suitable locations for a road-side lunch. Ride on the Escort Way for the last 18 kms into Cudal and your overnight DB&B accommodation. Take time to ride or walk along the Boree Creek at dawn or dusk – you may be lucky and see platypus!.

Day 6 Cudal to Orange - 41 kms

After breakfast cycle quiet back roads before a 15 km ascent and be rewarded with a visit to a choice of two attractive wineries both offering a light lunch. You should arrive back in Orange by mid-afternoon with plenty of time to drive towards home or to relax, explore the local retail scene and dine at one of Oranges many fine eateries.

You’ll cycle mainly on quiet sealed country roads (75%), unsealed gravel back-roads (20%) and the balance on busier main roads. Gradients are generally moderate (1–5%), with gently rolling hills and plenty of flat/un-undulating stretches to recover.

Daily distances average about 55 km per day over the 6 riding days, with shorter or easier days mixed in so riders have time to rest or explore local towns.

Spring (September-November) and autumn (March -early May) offer pleasant temperatures (between ~10-25°C), crisp mornings, fewer bugs, and beautiful bloom or autumn foliage. Summers can be hot and winters cold, especially in early mornings.

You’ll ride through farmlands, rolling pastoral landscapes, historic gold-rush villages, vistas across valleys, vineyards, orchards and scenic lookout points like those near Mount Canobolas. Towns and villages like Millthorpe, Carcoar, Cowra and Canowindra offer quaint architecture, country hospitality and chances to sample local produce.