Bathurst

Bathurst was proclaimed in 1815, the first inland town established by the British in Australia, and its centre still shows it: a formal grid around King's Parade, a domed courthouse of 1880, wide streets and rows of Victorian buildings from the gold money that followed the 1851 discoveries nearby. What the town is best known for now is Mount Panorama, the 6.2-kilometre circuit on the hill above it, which is a public road with a 60 km/h limit for most of the year and hosts the Bathurst 1000 touring car race each October. Visitors can drive a lap at the speed limit. The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum holds a significant collection including a T. rex skeleton cast.

What you actually see

• Mount Panorama - the racing circuit driveable as a public road, with a steep climb and Conrod Straight.
• The colonial centre - the 1880 courthouse and Victorian streetscape.
• The fossil and mineral museum - the Somerville collection and dinosaur casts.
• The race weekend - the Bathurst 1000 filling the mountain each October.

When to go

Spring and autumn for mild weather; October brings the race, when the town is full and accommodation is booked a year ahead and priced accordingly. Winter is cold with frost. The circuit closes to the public during race events.

Honest expectations

Outside race week the circuit is a normal road with strict speed enforcement and cameras. The town is a working regional centre rather than a tourist destination. Winter nights drop below freezing regularly.

Nearby

Hill End and Sofala lie north; Orange and Millthorpe are west.