Accommodation
(for camping see section below)
For each of the cornerstone towns and localities accommodation, food and areas of interest are listed. The CWC committee continues to work to build options so more people find the trail a great cycling opportunity.
As many of the places you will visit are small we will try to share some local knowledge re accommodation and refreshments. Be mindful that accommodation can be scarce, especially in school holidays, so if your not a camper, book some accommodation!.
But firstly, check the local council visitors centre for special events and accommodation. If you aren’t camping all the way, you should be able to get accommodation at Dubbo, Mudgee , Wellington, Dunedoo and Gulgong at the last minute, but Ballimore, Wongarbon, Geurie, and Mendooran should be booked before you leave.
Mudgee and Gulgong offer a myriad of accommodation both in hotels, motels, and Bed & Breakfasts. Contact the Mudgee Visitors Information Centre.
Birriwa
There are no services at Birriwa but you can get refreshments on the way:If you would like a lovely break on a farm for morning or afternoon tea, lunch, or just for fresh water and a farm tour, you can stop off at ‘Mayfield’ at 591 Bus Route South. It is just a few kilometres from Birriwa. Call Sue or Geoff to make arrangements on 02 63758291. Enquire about their cottage accommodation, which can accommodate 6 people. A few campers are welcome too and given notice Sue can arrange dinner for you all. Almost next door to Mayfield is the Halfway House, a farm stay on ‘Roxanna’. Suits 1-3 cyclists. Call Victoria or David on 0428758281, email [email protected]. All needs catered for or you can cater for yourself.
Along Tucklan Road, ‘Bolinda Vale’ offers accommodation on a fully operational grain/livestock farm contact Lucy Watts on 0428 758 284. Listed on Airbnb as ‘Dunedoo Shearer’s Huts‘. Located on the bike trail track between Birriwa and Dunedoo on the Tucklan Road. Offering beds for up to four. Camping and meal options available.
Dunedoo
The Royal Hotel (Catherine 0408 448 172) has accommodation with a continental breakfast and secure bike lockup. There is a motel and a Caravan Park and a B&B farm stay in the district. A great stay is Sharon Nott’s cottage: ‘the Caddy Shack’ (0428 859 509):
Swan Motel (02 63751112).
Sue Graham’s Redbank Gums B&B, (0428751218).
Sue Stoddart’s flat (0458524445),
Jacquie’s Rose Cottage (0488061013).
Bullering Guesthouse is an option for those travelling as groups with a number of bedrooms. Call Anne on 0407789747.
A new property “Strathroy” will be available by Jan 2022. Accommodates 7 or 8 people in different combinations in 4 rooms. Call Ben Phillips on 0429042677 for bookings.
Refreshments or lunch, or takeaway meals for the cycle trail are available at the White Rose Cafe in the main street. They also do a good cooked breakfast, and a number of accommodation venues cater. Other food options include two bakeries in town; and good dinners at the Dunedoo Hotel, the Dunedoo Bowling Club (only on Friday and Saturday nights) and the Dunedoo Sports Club.
Cobbora, Sally Dent of “Cobbora Station” (on Airbnb or call 0498542689). Sally offers two formats of accommodation one farm cottages or the other woolshed camping located on neighbouring property “Ellismayne”. Sally at Cobbora Station also takes bookings for morning teas, lunch and afternoon tea. Looking for somewhere to rest up, refill waterbottles, toilet stop and get out of the weather – Cobbora Hall is available, ring ahead to Rob or Penny on (02) 6375 1540. For the history of the hall click here If you go to Cobbora you can travel an alternate route using 3km of private road to avoid 11 km of highway riding to or from Mendooran. (Call David Allworth on 0408726038 or email [email protected] to organise permission and to obtain maps a few days before travelling.)
Mendooran
Dinner, lunches or accommodation at the Royal Hotel (02 6886 2043), or plus free Caravan and Camping at the Royal Hotel ; The Royal will also pack lunches with fruit and refreshments for cyclists to take on their way.
Accommodation and breakfast at Anna’s Mendooran B& B (02 68861044), which has 12 individual rooms. Fabulous verandah views.
Castlereagh Cottage. 14 Yalcogran Street Mendooran. Call Lee on 0429855096. Can sleep 8 guests with more planned! Looks great !
Janelle at Mendooran has 3 new cabins, very handy, off Forest Road: 0427861319 .
Another place to stay is Manusu House and Cabin (0428400010). Note – repainted and refreshed !
There is free camping on the Castlereagh River banks (toilets and showers (not hot) + picnic tables). The Mendooran Showground has good facilities (powered sites,hot showers and toilets) contact Louise Monks on 0429 688 611. On the very edge of Mendooran is the Black Gate Distillery Hip Camp – link Black Gate Distillery – Hipcamp in Mendooran, New South Wales .
Crackerz Bakery in Bandulla Street in Mendooran serve good breakfasts and lunches and will also make a packed lunch for you to eat along the way. If you will arrive late or want to leave early, call them on 0428852553.
Call in at the Cheese factory or their shop outlet in the main street – handmade Blue Sky Cheese – link to their Facebook. Give them a call to check on times. phone 0448344027. Black Gate Distillery (phone 02 68861123) website Black Gate | Black Gate Distillery | Mendooran on the edge of Mendooran is a popular place to visit for tastings but call ahead to book.
Ballimore
Offers camping and room accommodation at their pub ‘The Hair of the Dog’. (02 6886 5131). The pub welcomes cyclists and has had great feedback from cyclists, but please note they sometimes don’t open until 4pm. The pub does fill up, but camping is available. If you are going past Ballimore you might like to stop at Wongarbon: Susie and Tim Gratton (0422 615945) can make you a great morning tea if pre-warned! But they welcome all cyclists if they can fit them in!. Also, they have a quality little B&B behind the PO, ‘’Peppercorn Cottage’, which sleeps 4. Food, meal orders, can also be made prior to arrival. Vegetarians included.
Dubbo: offers a myriad of accommodation both in hotels, motels, camping and Bed & Breakfasts, and special camping at the Zoo (02 6884 1700). Contact the Dubbo Visors Information Centre.
Wongarbon has accommodation nearby on Barbigal Road: Billy’O Bush Retreat (0418 431334). Susie and Tim Gratton (0422 615945) can make you a great morning tea if pre-warned! But they welcome all cyclists if they can fit them in!. Also, they have a quality little B&B behind the PO, ‘’Peppercorn Cottage’, which sleeps 4. Food, meal orders, can also be made prior to arrival. Vegetarians included. Or dinner is available at The Ploughmans Rest Tavern, which is open most days. Check their hours.
Geurie has great coffee shops that welcome cyclists. The Geurie General Store provides a range of goods (02) 6887 1301. Accommodation at the Mitchell Inn Hotel 02 68871311.
Wellington: offers lots of accommodation both in hotels, motels, and Bed & Breakfasts – search via the Information Centre or other.
Goolma
The Goolma Hall is managed by the Goolma Amenities committee. The black tank on the Goolma hall has a tap and you can get rainwater there to fill any water bottles. You can also use the hall if you make prior arrangements for a donation of $20. The hall has a kettle and good tap water – a great place for a group to get out of the weather and have the comfort of table and chairs. Call Leslie Tink on 63740220. Best to do this at least the night before so she can arrange the key. People arrange to camp at the Hall which has kitchen and provides good shelter. Bring your own sleeping bag and mat.
Also you can arrange morning tea or lunch from local Jean Ellis on 02 63740246. (Do leave a message if Jean is out). Jean can also accommodate two at her farmhouse. Just next door is the “Cottage at Goolma” which can be found on AirBnB searching under Goolma, NSW, and is listed as “Historic Cottage in the Central West” or email Louise at [email protected] The cottage accommodates 6. Both locations can be used together and meals can be supplied by Jean as a cooked meal, or a hamper. This is within 1.5km of Goolma centre and is great place to start and finish the ride.
You can camp in bushland near Goolma. At the junction of Gorries Lane and Goolma Rd continue along Goolma Road towards Dubbo, only about 100m, to a picnic table etc – another 300 m or right hand side is a large area mostly of bushland with an old church next door, and the Goolma Creek flowing by. It is used for casual camping. (Part of an old railway line that was never finished).
Generally : If in your travels you find a great place to stay or great food or hospitality and you want to share the information – please let us know or share on our Facebook. Also when you book your first place of accommodation ask if they can let you park your car for the week. Otherwise ask on Facebook.
Camping
The following are notes on Camping comes from CwC cyclists who have been there. Check on Facebook if you have any specific questions and we will endeavour to update this list in more detail. Carry snack food and water always.
Gulgong Gulgong Showground is popular – with good facilities (0484 532 520) The Tourist Park -very clean showers but a bit noisy at night from the trucks on the highway. If you are staying in an unpowered site you are not supposed to use the camp kitchen but there is access to the BarBQ area.
Dunedoo Caravan Park – nice and quiet, grassy spot with a great camp kitchen (0448 992372). You can also camp behind Sharon Nott’s cottage: ‘the Caddy Shack’ with access to shower and toilet (call 0428 859 509).
Cobbora – You can book to camp at Cobbora. Call Sally Dent on 0498542689. see more notes in accommodation section above.
Mendooran Rest area Campground – beautiful grassy spot next to the river close to town but only cold showers (which we didn’t mind as we were hot). You can also camp by arrangement next to the Royal Hotel at Mendooran. The Mendooran Showground also has camping with plenty of undercover areas if you do not want to put up a tent. Contact Louise Monk mobile 0429 688 611 – cost $10 to $15 for a site.
Ballimore: The Hair of the Dog Pub- there is free camping across the road from the pub or pay a small fee to camp within a fenced area. It is a very friendly place everything we could wish for.
Camping accommodation is available in the Ballimore Hall, Federation St. No need for a tent but you will need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat, unless you like lying on floorboards. Spacious hall has good cooking facilities, undercover parking for bicycles and toilets. No showers at this point of time, this is work in progress. Contact Anne on 0448 387 441 or [email protected] about arrangements.
Wongarbon. Nearby is Bill’O Bush Retreat on Barbigal Road. Great service with cooked meals – call 0418431334 and mention you are on the bike trail.
Geurie Racecourse on Comobella Rd- lovely grassy site with lots of shade and hot showers;
Wellington Riverside Tourist Park – very clean, grassy site with large well equipped camp kitchen. They welcomes cyclists and have on-site cabins and camp kitchen (02 68451370). Contact the Wellington Visitors Information Centre.
Goolma – You can camp near the community halls, where there is fresh water in the tank and public toilets. No shower. (refer to extra notes in Accommodation above). Or treat yourself to camping at Jean Ellis’s country home 2 km from Goolma- very welcoming lady who will also let 2 stay in the house. Jean cooks a delicious meal with mainly homegrown food. Call before your trip on 02 63740246
Dubbo and Mudgee – many options. Billabong Camp at the zoo and Mudgee Riverside Caravan and Tourist Park are two great options. The Mudgee RC&TP is right in the middle of town and with great walks or rides along the Cudgegong River.
Tours – Transport
Tours, transfers and luggage
There are currently commercial operators offering a variety of tour support, luggage transfer and cycle breakdown support.
AllTrails Bicycle Tours operates a scheduled, fully supported, 8-night group tour of the full CWC (next one December 2023). Accommodation, transfers, breakfasts, dinners, snacks & morning teas all provided. [email protected]. 03 9802 4465. Link to website Central West Cycling Trail Tour – AllTrails Bicycle Tours
Australian Cycle Tours: Australian Cycle Tours operates regular self-guided and supported tours of the Central West Cycle Trail, with itineraries ranging from 5-8 days. Call the team on 1300 114 966, email them on [email protected], or visit their website: https://www.australiancycletours.com.au.
Cooper Cycle Tours: Mick Cooper (Dubbo) can be contacted on [email protected] , mobile 0437136169 or go to Cooper Tours Facebook. Services include fully supported Tours, Self guided tours, Bike hire and trail support.
EZYride E-Bike Hire operates from Mudgee but can drop bikes out and pick up from Mudgee, Gulgong or Goolma. Ring Brett on 0407210121
PedalVentures: PedalVentures Cycle Tours operates regular self-guided and supported group tours of the Central West Cycle Trail including CWCT hybrid tours, with itineraries ranging from 4-8 days. Call Shawn on 0434 946 930, email them on [email protected], or visit their website: https://www.pedalventures.com.au.
Bike by Train
If you don’t have a car you may want to travel by train or bus to the CWCT. Options are:
XPT to Central West (Wellington -Dubbo)
Catch the XPT from Central Station in Sydney towards Dubbo. You will need box your bike and have it it booked on as luggage. There are limited number spaces for bicycles – only 5 available.
At Dubbo Mick Cooper maybe able to to pick you up from the railway station, put your bike together in the bike shed and leave the box there; when finished, re-box there and he can deliver you back to the station in Dubbo. Contact on on [email protected], mobile 0437136169 or go to Cooper Tours Facebook.
For the XPT your boxed bike should be less than 20kg with dimensions of 138cm x 75cm x 23cm. Dubbo carries 4 x boxes in stock, Central Station carries boxes. You will need to purchase a ticket for you and your bike (booking class BK and will cost $12.10 for your bike) and reserve a bike box beforehand. Be there at least 30 mins prior to departure for loading. Phone No. 13 22 32
Metropolitan train to Lithgow then by coach to Mudgee, Gulgong, Dunedoo and Mendooran
You can travel on the metropolitan trains from Central Station to Lithgow. According to TransportNSW “You can take your bicycle or surfboard on metro services for free at any time. You can use the multi-purpose areas in the first and last carriages for space to stand with your bike.” So no need to box your bike for this part of the trip.
There are NSW Train buses to Mudgee-Gulgong-Dunedoo and Mendooran, and for this part of the journey your bike will need to be boxed. However, these buses are often only lightly used, 6-12 passengers and when the bus is fairly empty they could accommodate a bike – wrapped or bagged- but no guarantee. Dimension of coach luggage door just over 95cm high so box or bagged bike can stand up.