Kandos

A gateway to the spectacular Capertee Valley, Kandos is a great base for outdoor adventure, with UNESCO World Heritage wilderness on your doorstep. Intriguing heritage, a raft of enjoyable things to do and its location within the Mudgee wine region adds to this country town’s appeal.

Historic country buildings in the country town of Kandos, Mudgee

The edge of wilderness

Kandos is the gateway to the Capertee Valley, the second-largest canyon in the world, and a fantastic spot for bushwalking. East of Kandos is Dunns Swamp, a popular spot for camping, bushwalking and kayaking, on the edge of the World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park.

Kandos is on the scenic Bylong Valley Way, which links the Golden Highway near Sandy Hollow in the Upper Hunter with the Castlereagh Highway at Ilford, southwest of Kandos. The touring route is about 140km and the sealed road winds its way through stunning national park wilderness.

Mini steam train sits alongside a Kandos train station sign in Kandos , Mudgee

Things to do

Kandos is known as the ‘town that built Sydney’ because of the limestone quarried and conveyed on an aerial ropeway to the local cement works, which closed in 2011. Explore this history and learn about 20th century machinery at the Kandos Museum, which is found inside an old church.

Don’t miss the Kandos Gardens Fair in April and the Kandos Street Machine and Hot Rod Show in January, when the whole town joins in the party. On the other side of the coin, Kandos’s vibrant arts community is celebrated at the biennial Cementa, a dynamic contemporary arts festival.

Woman enjoying an afternoon kayak through Dunns Swamp in Wollemi National Park

Wineries and watersports

The Mudgee region’s wineries and cellar doors are all within easy reach from Kandos. There’s also a big range of watersports at nearby Windamere Dam on the Cudgegong River, where fishing is very popular.

Getting there and where to stay

Kandos is a 3hr 15min drive from Sydney and just under an hour from Mudgee. You can also fly into Mudgee Airport or take the train and coach. You’ll find plenty of places to stay in Kandos, including friendly motels and pub rooms. Or stay within forest at the Wollemi Adventure Resort which sits amongst 60 hectares of native bushland.

Things to do and places to stay

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