The roar of the V8s, the cheer of the crowd, and the thrill of the race is what it’s all about! But what do you do when engines have cooled and the race teams take a well earned rest? There are plenty of attractions, tours and businesses to visit in Bathurst and some hidden gems that will soon become your new race time favourite.
Explore the expansive collection at the National Motor Racing Museum
Of course no trip to Bathurst is complete without a visit to the mecca of Australian motor sport the National Motor Racing Museum is an absolute must do for any race fan. With hundreds of vehicles spanning from the early days of motorcycle racing to the modern v8s and memorabilia. During the Bathurst 1000 the museum is only accessible to Bathurst 1000 ticket holders as it is past race entry point. If your in town for the whole week take a look at the 4 museum pass to get entry to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Bathurst Rail Museum and Chifley House Museum at a discounted rate.
Visit a Distillery, Brewery, Winery or Country Pub!
Bathurst has a great range of options available for those looking to try some local flavours. Whether you want to sample the local brew at Reckless Brewing Co, taste some award winning gin, whiskey and vodka out at the historic Bathurst Grange Distillery, or take a country drive out to taste the cool climate wines at one of our local vignerons. You will be delighted and surprised at the quality and charm of our region. Not to mention all of the pubs! Bathurst has a great pub scene with everything from the Oxford Hotel where Valintino Rossi has made it his local when in Bathurst, to the country charm and atmosphere at The Rockley Pub owned by celebrity chef Matt Moran. Take a look at our pubs page to discover your next favourite local and plan out your pub crawl.
Tour Bathurst Selfie Circuit and go in the running to win some awesome prizes
Every year the stores and shopfronts of the Bathurst CBD decorate their windows with dazzling displays and support for their favourite race teams. It has always been a local favourite to wander the town and see who has the best displays but this year we are running a competition as well. Simply visit participating stores and post to Instagram with the right tags to go into the running to win one of two race time prize packs including 2 authentic Bathurst 1000 posters from 1996 & 1997 as well as 2 buy local gift cards to spend at the amazing participating businesses. Check out all the information here about how to find the stores and how to enter to win!
Take a Road Trip Around the Region
Historic villages, gold mining, and outdoor adventure awaits you in the Bathurst region! If you have some time on your hands or your looking to stay an extra day, pack a picnic and hit the road. Just 40 minutes north of Bathurst the gold rush comes to life in the oldest surviving Gold mining town in Australia Sofala, you can take a wander through the historic town, visit the pub or general store and learn about the early days of the gold rush with our Sofala Walking Guide. A short drive from Sofala, Hill End is the site of largest single mass of gold ever found the Holtermans Nugget. Here you can visit History Hill Museum & Underground Mine to explore their extensive collection of gold rush artefacts and 175 meter mine shaft, or even try your hand at gold panning with Jhob’s Gold panning Tours.
If you are looking for adventure and have a four wheel drive, look no further than The Bridle Track the premier 4×4 trail of the Bathurst region. With 13 free riverside camping reserves along its length the track is the perfect spot for fishing, camping and exploration. Read all about our four wheel drive trails online or drop into the Visitor Centre to pick up a map.
Drop in to the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre
There is plenty more to do in the region, attractions to see, tours to do, restaurants to visit and shops to browse. For all your information needs come by the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre to find out about all of the local information you need to make your Bathurst visit special.
