Bathurst is a great family destination that is under 3 hours from the Ryde area. From gold rush history to car racing and much more, there’s plenty to entertain the whole family.
Below you will find all you need to know about Bathurst to ensure you have a great time!
Distance: Approx 200km / 2 hour 40 mins driving
Route: Travelling West over the Blue Mountains
Where to Stay
This is by no means a definitive list but here are some of our family favourites for you to consider:
- Big 4 Caravan Park Bathurst – offering fully self-contained cabins along with camping sites this option has BBQ facilities, a kids playground, jumping pillow, pool and more. Find all the details here.
- Barcoos Farm Stay – located 10-minutes from Bathurst central, these guys also offer both self-contained units and camping options. Kids will love daily fresh eggs and taking part in the many farm activities including feeding/playing with animals, pony rides, hayrides and more. Basic breakfast provisions are included. There is also a playground and trampoline for kids to enjoy. Get all the details here.
You will find plenty more options on Trip Advisor and also on sites like Air BNB.
Where to Eat
- 1. Dogwood BX – American inspired diner. Think burgers, ribs, chicken wings, fish tacos, mac n cheese and lots of beer! (They do have vegetarian options including tofu wings!). Find their full offering here.
- 2. The Hub – these guys serve all types of food but have some particularly delicious-looking vegetarian and vegan options plus lots of gluten-free meals. They have colouring-in pencils and paper for the kids too! You can view their options here.
- 3. Annie’s Ice Cream Parlour – this is a really fun traditional-looking ice cream parlour – you will find all types of ice cream, waffles, sundaes and more. Find all their drool-worthy creations on their Facebook page.
Where to play:
Bathurst Adventure Playground looks WOW and with a $1m budget, this park will surely impress!
The dinosaur theme will have kids digging for bones and fossils, saying Hello to dinosaur statues and, of course, enjoying all the other activities playground has to offer.
From climbing the rock walls, going down the slides, zipping across the flying fox, zooming around the scooter tracks, hiding in the maze, taking a turn on the swings, climbing the web/rope climbing structure, making use of the water play, playing a tune on the musical bridge, checking out the open chubby with the nearby dinosaur eggs and more, they’ll be VERY busy indeed!
Images from Ric McConaghy
You can check out the full list of parks that Bathurst Regional Council has here.
To-Do List
There are so many options but here are our top 5 family favourites!
- 1. Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum – see a T-rex!!. More info here.
- 2. Abercrombie Caves: tour the beautiful caves yourself or with a guided tour or you can even take a bushwalk. A must visit! Find out about the various caves and other activities here.
- 3. Machattie Park – Built on the site of the old Bathurst Gaol, these beautifully manicured gardens are a sight to behold, and the kids can stretch their legs!
- 4. Mt Panorama – you can’t come to Bathurst and NOT check out Mt Panorama. If you’re a car buff, you won’t want to miss the National Car Museum. Find out what’s on at Mt Panorama here – you can even do a lap on it yourself!
- 5. Pan for gold! Visit Bathurst Goldfields for info on their tours (including blacksmith shop) and panning!
Looking for more family-friendly getaways? We’ve written about some other great trips here.
