Explore Blayney

Blayney is a charming country town in Central West NSW, surrounded by rolling hills, farms, and historic streetscapes. From Southern Skies Motel, you're a short drive from historic villages with great cafés, the wine country around Orange, Mt Panorama at Bathurst, Abercrombie Caves, and scenic bushwalks along the Belubula River.


Situated at almost 3,000 feet, Blayney enjoys a four-season climate with vibrant autumns, crisp winters, blooming springs, and warm summers perfect for drives. Walk into town on the accessible Belubula River Boardwalk for lunch, picnic at Carcoar Lake, or let kids play in Heritage Park nearby. Blayney is 236 km west of Sydney (about three hours by road) and just 35 km from Bathurst and Orange, making it a great base for exploring the region. Whether you’re here for the Bathurst 1000, a weekend in Orange, or a road trip

Millthorpe & Carcoar 

Two of NSW's prettiest heritage villages are both classified by the National Trust. Millthorpe is famous for its cafés, fine dining (Tonic), antique shops, and boutiques. Carcoar feels like a film set, with 19th-century buildings tucked into a green valley: an easy half-day outing or a full-day outing.


Distance/drive time: 12 km / 10 min drive

Best time to visit: Year-round, but we recommend Autumn for spectacular colour.

Bathurst & Mt Panorama

The legendary Bathurst 1000 mountain, plus the Bathurst Heritage precinct, the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, and the National Motor Racing Museum. Drive a lap of Mt Panorama at the legal speed limit - it's a public road outside race days.


Distance/drive time:35 km / 30 min drive

Best time to visit: Year-round; Bathurst 1000 (October) is the headliner.

Orange

One of Australia's top cool-climate wine regions. Cellar doors, hatted restaurants, the FOOD Week festival (April), and the Orange Wine Festival (October). Pair it with a walk up Mt Canobolas for sweeping views.


Distance/drive time:36 km / 30 min drive

Best time to visit: Year-round; FOOD Week April; wine harvest Feb–April

Abercrombie Caves

One of the world's largest natural arches and a network of limestone caves used by bushrangers in the gold-rush days. Guided tours, self-guided walks, and platypus-spotting in the creek.


Distance/drive time:50 km / 45 min drive

Best time to visit: Year-round; cool inside all year

Carcoar Dam, Wind Farm & Belubula River Walk

Just outside town — Carcoar Dam is a peaceful spot for a picnic and a fish, the Blayney Wind Farm Lookout shows the rotating turbines up close, and the Belubula River Walk is Blayney's newest nature trail, running from Dakers Oval to Heritage Park.


Distance/drive time: Within 12 km of Blayney

Best time to visit: Year-round; the dam & river walk is best from September to May

Sydney 

Blayney is an easy three-hour drive from Sydney via the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains. The drive is a beautiful route in its own right, dropping down the western escarpment of the Great Dividing Range past Lithgow and Bathurst.


Distance/drive time: 236 km / 3-hour drive

Best time to visit: Year-round; The Blue Mountains are spectacular in autumn.