From the gold rush towns of Sofala and Hill End to remote sheep stations, Central NSW provides the visitor with an unforgettable bush experience - where history comes alive before your very eyes. The region's history can be read in its architecture - from humble slab huts to the lavish hotels and mansions built during gold and farming booms. Places such as Gulgong, Ophir and Sofala are a window on our pioneering past.

But Central NSW doesn't stop there. After a day exploring the wide open spaces you can sample the superb food, wine and hospitality of the region particularly in the Cowra-Orange-Mudgee district. Central NSW offers a diverse range of discovery-type experiences, a highlight of which is the famous Taronga Western Plains Zoo. There are many National Parks and nature reserves to discover - including Wollemi National Park in the south to the Warrumbungles in the north - and many opportunities to explore underground at Abercrombie Caves and the Wellington Caves and Phosphate Mine.

For an experience of a different kind discover space and learn about astronomy at any of the observatories in the region - Siding Springs and Skywatch near Coonabarabran, Darby Falls near Cowra, Gilgandra, Dubbo and the Radio Telescope at Parkes.