Surprisingly Diverse Lithgow

by Alison Carmichael-Rulten  20/10/2015 | 2:05 0 Posted in Australia, New South Wales, Travel Talk 

When it comes to discovering Lithgow you will find there is a multitude of options to explore.  No matter what you would like to do, see or experience the town and its surrounds, has loads of surprises – you could keep busy weeks.

Firstly… it is surprisingly close to Sydney.  Lithgow is just an easy two-hour drive by car, yet it feels like a world away. 

Secondly… Lithgow offers a surprisingly diverse range of activities to enjoy.  In town, there's shopping, dining, wandering around historic building or visiting museums.

And finally… it is surprisingly exciting with the surrounding areas providing even more unique things to discover.  There's some heart pumping activities to enjoy such a abseiling, watersking, and canyoning to name but a few or for those seeking quieter activites there is swimming, fly fishing, golf and walking.

“We have the best of everything in Lithgow: the majestic Greater Blue Mountains escarpments glowing in the afternoon sun, the rolling pasturelands of the central west, the industrial heritage of our nation and some of the best examples of colonial Australia to be seen anywhere," says Lithgow City Council Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham.

Accommodation:

While Lithgow offers a variety of things to enjoy on a day trip, staying a few nights or more will give you an opportunity to explore further.  Luckily when it comes to a place to rest your head Lithgow has a range of accommodation options,  everything from camping under the stars, little cabins perched daringly on top of hillside, cosy self-contained cottages and B&B's to a Motels with all the frills.  There is something for everyone’s budget. 

However, if your looking for 4-star, the closest motel to the town centre is the Zig Zag Motel with 50 deluxe rooms and suites. 

A benefit here is the motel provides complimentary WiFi, swimming pool and their Switchback restaurant, which opens for breakfast daily and dinner most nights are all on site.  The stylish restaurant's evening menu boasts contemporary Australian Cuisine with a twist of Oriental and European influences. 

You can also contact the Lithgow Visitor Information Centre on 63 503 230 for help with your accommodation needs.

Shopping:

If you want to indulge in a little retail therapy you will find plenty on offer however, in our option you can’t go past Bianca Villa – a special little shop at 7 Main Street.  The store is very on trend and it's packed with loads and loads of beautiful gift and homewares – all at very affordable prices.  Afterwards why not pop into Bellisimo at 27 Main Street for a light bite to eat or a delicious coffee.

But wait there's more:

There is also a surprising array of museums, spectacular lookouts and seven accessible national parks (including the Blue Mountains World Heritage area) to explore.  Lithgow also boasts the largest display of small arms in Australia and the National Small Arms Factory and Museum – the first modern manufacturing plant in Australia – is still operating and has equipped the Australian army with weapons for over ninety years. 

Just minutes from the city’s centre you can be walking through historic villages, enjoying a picnic beside a clear flowing creek or enjoying the town’s extraordinary industrial heritage.  It is often said that Lithgow is like one giant movie set and its historic villages have formed the backdrop for many international renowned film makers movies. 

As early as the 1840’s coal was being extracted to fuel the new colony and the mining sustained the town throughout two world wars and beyond and the areas strong aboriginal heritage can be seen at Maiyingu Marragu, a natural rock art gallery accessed off the Wolgan Road.  Here you will enjoy stencil artworks including boomerangs, hands and other symbols.

However, it is the spectacular lookouts of the widest enclosed canyon in the world and the diversity of Lithgows natural wonders that will stay in your memory forever. The Hassans Walls Lookout is just minutes from the centre of town and features 180 degree views of rolling valleys and mountian escarpments.

Lithgow also has many heritage sites and some that are worth a look include:

  • Former Station Master's Residence (now Caddie's Restaurant), a sandstone cottage designed by John Clifton and built in 1869
  • Zig Zag Railway, designed by John Whitton, built by Patrick Higgins
  • Ironworks Blast Furnace, Eskbank, 1875 to 1930
  • Eskbank House, Bennett Street, built by Thomas Brown in 1842
  • Lithgow Valley Pottery Site Kiln, 1875 to 1908
  • Lithgow Court House, corner Bridge and Mort Streets, a brick building in the Arts and Crafts style
  • De La Salle Cottage (formerly Cooerwull Academy), Rabaul Street, a stone building in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, built circa 1882
  • Methven, Lidsdale Road, a sandstone house built by Andrew Brown in the 1870s
  • Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum

 

Events:

The area is rapidly becoming known as a place that hosts not only local but national events and a full list of just what is on offer can be seen at http://www.tourism.lithgow.com

Every year Lithgow celebrates Halloween with a night of ghoulish glee on October 31. Featuring spectacular Vivid-style lighting displays and spooky decorations, the main shopping strip is transformed into a fun-filled pedestrian zone with five themed precincts packed with market stalls selling local produce, dining options for every budget and non-stop entertainment across two main stages.

While the Halloween event is for the people of Lithgow to celebrate their community, to support local shops and provide a safe 'Trick or Treat' environment for children since 2014 locals want to share their community spirit with others so visitors are welcomed.  To see more on what's happening each Halloween click here

Goddess Tip:

For more information or idea's for day trips or longer stays visit the Lithgow Visitor Information Centre.  The centre is unique and it has been built in the shape of a Miner's Lamp to honour the heritage of Lithgow as a mining, manufacturing and industry town.  It's on the Great Western Highway.

Hi, I'm Alison Carmichael-Rulten the Publisher of Vacation Goddess, and I want to thank you for visiting Vacation Goddess – the one-stop shop for insider travel news, deals, 'Guest Goddes's stories, and of course our personal travel experiences. Plus, as we love to cruise we also try to find some amazing cruise deals for you too. From luxury, longer escapes right down to weekend breaks we know you love everything travel related. Here at Vacation Goddess, we hope you will find loads of inspiration and of course some amazing travel deals. We love a holiday at a great price and that's why we seek out what we call 'Champagne Experiences, on a Sparkling Wine Budget.' We constantly showcase a variety of special deals and offers and from time to time some very special competitions. Our recent 'Win a Trip to London' competition received over 24,00 entries. We invite you to visit us often, join our mailing list and please tell your friends

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