A pet-friendly guide to Orange

Where to wine & dine

High-altitude, mineral-rich volcanic soils and passionate producers have made Orange one of the country’s most superb wine regions. Happily, many of the best wineries welcome four-legged visitors to join the adventures. They can even swap stories with the resident winery dogs, who are often seen mooching around the cellar door or napping in the sun.

Credit: Cargo Road Wines, Orange

Some of the top dog-friendly wineries in Orange include Philip Shaw Wines, which features a cellar door set in a 150-year-old barn; Ross Hill Wines, where there’s plenty of outdoor space for wining and dining; Heifer Station Wines, where you and pooch can enjoy a picnic on the grounds; Stockmans Ridge Wines, which also hosts live alfresco music and events; and Small Acres Cyder, where the resident alpacas will keep you company while you sip tasty apple cider.

James & Chrissy Robson from Ross Hill Wines - Credit: Ross Hill Wines

If you want someone else to do the driving, Country Food Trails will chauffer you, your pooch and your friends around to wineries where pets are welcome.

Credit: Country Food Trails

If you want to sample some of the region’s favourite gourmet delights, many cafes have outdoor seating where dogs are welcome. The Agrestic Grocer serves breakfast and lunch daily, accompanied by local wines and beers, and there’s a large grocery section stocked with award-winning produce. Nile Street Cafe and Groundstone also have outdoor seating, great coffee and all-day menus.

The Agrestic Grocer - Credit: Lucas Martin

Where to frolic

Start with a stroll through the 17-hectare Orange Botanic Gardens, where dogs (on leash) are welcome to sniff the thousands of native and exotic plants in the collection. The gardens are beautiful all year-round, but particularly spectacular in autumn – Orange is known as the ‘Colour City’ for good reason. Lake Canobolas is one of the region’s most famous landmarks, and leashed dogs are welcome to explore the surrounding trails with their people.

If your pooch would like to learn some new skills on holiday, Anzac Park on the eastern edge of town has agility equipment including an A-frame, balance board and rings to run through. Pretty Cook Park – filled with huge trees, a rose maze and duck ponds – also welcomes dogs on-leash. An off-leash path runs beside the green expanse of the Duntryleague Golf Club, and it’s a great spot for kids to ride their bikes.

Orange Botanic Gardens - Credit: Orange360

Where to stay

Holiday houses and country cottages are the best options if you want to bring your pet to Orange. Cottages in Orange operate four beautiful three-bedroom homes plus a one-room studio, all with fully fenced gardens and extras for your pup like a water bowl, toys and treats. Four-bedroom Melrose Cottage is set on a working apple orchard 10 minutes from town. Dogs will love romping through the rows of fruit trees or sprawling on the huge wraparound verandah, and it’s just a short stroll to nearby dog-friendly wineries.

Melrose Cottage - Credit: Biteriot Operations

Occupying a historic building in Mandurama on the outskirts of Orange, Hilton Homestead is perfect for families and their pets. The homestead features six country-style bedrooms, two luxury bathrooms, and an outside dining area with a barbecue amid an expansive garden. In nearby Blayney, heritage-listed The Millhouse was built in 1865 and is the centrepiece of the delightful 2.6-hectare Athol Gardens. Budget travellers can check in to the Canobolas Caravan Park or Colour City Caravan Park, where pets are welcome at the caravan and tent campsites (though not in the cabins). Also nearby in Millthorpe, the Millthorpe Boutique Motel loves four-legged guests as much as their owners.

Credit: The Millhouse at Athol Gardens