The moment you drive down the sweeping entrance into Mudgee, you know you have discovered a gem.
Unlike so many country towns of central NSW where the petrol station may be the only place to rest up on a long journey, Mudgee opens with the inviting sign ‘If you lived here you would be home right now’, fair enough it is the advert for a local Real Estate agency, but even so, as you drive in the stunning Poplar trees that usher you onto a humming main street, lined with blossom trees and cafes speckled down the footpath, you know you could park the car for a good few days.
Mudgee is the second eldest town west of The Great Dividing Range and takes it’s name from a Wiradjuri Aboriginal word that translates to ‘nest among the hills.’ Originally a pastoral area, the first settlers to the area were in 1838, and though slow to start the area took to settlement by the mid 1850’s with the discovery of gold in the area. Very similiar to how hospitality started in Australia, these settlers brought with them an involvement with food and alcohol and some of the first establishments in the area were hotels (1843).
Today Mudgee hosts a population of around 10,000 and is the main township supporting the other smaller townships within the Mid Western Region including Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos.
The first point of call needs to be the Mudgee Tourist Centre. As soon as you walk in the door you are guaranteed to be welcomed with a smile – these people are used to entertaining and receiving guests! As I quickly span over the promotional material around, I begin to understand the culture of this town – food, wine and luxurious accommodation appear to be the specialty! Though keen to get into the food and wine, my first priority is somewhere to stay. They are keen to recommend and provide many options as well as an overview print-out ; Evanslea Guesthouse because it’s near the river and for the scenic feel, Bleak House for the decadence, Cobb & Co Court for the convenience or Mudgee Homestead for the self contained option. I go with Evanslea – a fantastic choice I quickly find as not only do I receive my room, but a delicious hot breakfast will greet me each morning as well as dinner should I choose.
I arrive at Evanslea and am once again treated like a royal guest! It is obvious why so many people make Mudgee their regular weekender, as not only do they receive you warmly but after chatting to the lovely host Vicky Hudson I begin to realise the culinary experience that Mudgee will offer me over the next few days of my stay…restaurants, wineries, tours…the list goes on and on…I can barely wait!
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