Central West / NSW
Orange is situated on the Mitchell Highway, linking the city to Molong, Wellington, Dubbo and Bourke to the north west, and to Bathurst to the east and from there to Sydney via the Great Western Highway (260km). Due west are Parkes (100km) and Forbes (125km), which is midway along the Newell Highway, running from Brisbane to Melbourne.
The city of Orange sits at the foot of an extinct volcano, and is located in the Central West region of New South Wales, four hour’s drive west of Sydney. Nearby is Mount Canobolas, with commanding views of the district. You can walk the City Heritage Trail, connecting 40 historic sites on Orange's tree-lined streets. Wander through churches with stained glass windows and pressed metal ceilings. You can vist the monument of Banjo Paterson, who wrote ‘Waltzing Matilda', and was born in Orange.
Orange's fertile volcanic soils produces apples, pears, and many stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums, also olives, fungi and grapes.. However, unlike it's name, Orange does not grow oranges because it is too cool. You can sample the region's bounty at the farmers markets, held every second Saturday at the Orange Showground. You can also pick your own apples, cherries and berries from the orchards.
Orange has a rapidly expanding wine industry, and coupled with the further development of Orange as a gourmet food capital, is evolving Orange as a popular tourism destination. The Orange wine region is a circle around Orange, within the areas of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney. The cool temperatures during most of the growing season coupled with dry autumn conditions are ideal for grape growing. Pinot gris, viognier, tempranillo and Italian red wine are some of the cool-climate varieties which are fast attracting a reputation for Orange. Sample the region's delectable food and wine at the Orange F.O.O.D Week in April or later in the year at the Orange Winefest in October., where you can make your own wine and bid for wine bottles painted by local artists at auction. Or you can take a wine run to some of the 40+ wineries throughout the countryside.
Orange has a temperate oceanic climate, with warm summers and cool mornings. The city is relatively wet for an inland location due to Mount Canobolas. It has cool winters with frequent morning frosts, and sometimes in the cooler months it snows.
Longitude:
149.096114
