Armidale is a picturesque country town located in New England’s high country. Situated between Tamworth and Port Macquarie, Armidale is known for its powerful waterfalls, deep gorges, cool climate vineyards, and farm to table culinary scene.
Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Armidale.
Day 1
Start the day with warm, freshly baked pastries at Goldfish Bowl Bakery
Goldfish Bowl Bakery is an Armidale institution. Located a convenient 4 minute walk from The Comfort Inn Armidale Centre, Goldfish Bowl features a specialised on-site coffee roastery, organic bakery, and courtyard cafe. In warm weather visitors can enjoy cold press coffees in the charming outdoor courtyard with the locals, while during cooler seasons breakfast is best enjoyed in the cafe’s trendy interior.
Immerse yourself in art at the New England Regional Art Museum
The New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) is a leading cultural and art destination in Australia, and home to one of the nations most significant art collections outside the capital cities. NERAM’s collection includes significant works by Arthur Streeton, James Gleeson, Suzanne Archer, Brett Whiteley and more, as well as a comprehensive collection of awe inspiring Indigenous Australian art. Under the stewardship of director Rachael Parsons, NERAM’s 2021 exhibition schedule includes Hinton: Treasures of Australian Art, and Safe Space: Contemporary Sculpture.
Explore the New England National Park
The New England National Park is a must-see destination in Armidales New England region. With awe inspiring granite boulders, pristine clear waters and powerful waterfalls populating the World Heritage listed wilderness, the park offers magnificent views, with vantage points offering uninterrupted views of the park’s Gondwana rainforest, the Bellingen valley, and the Pacific Ocean. Wildlife lovers will enjoy the parks abundance of lyre birds and rock wallabies amongst the forests snow gum eucalyptus and banksias, and nature lovers will marvel at the parks Antarctic beech rainforest, a rare Gondwana relict of rainforests on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia. The Antarctic beech rainforest requires altitudes of 500-1500 metres in wet, fire-free bush land to grow, and prospers along the borders of the Great Dividing Ranges in the New England National Park.
Unwind at the White Bull
Unwind after a busy day at the White Bull, a recently renovated regional pub originally built in the 1870s. Located a short 7 minute walk from The Comfort Inn Armidale Centre, the White Bull offers upscale pub meals in a relaxed country hotel setting.
Day 2
Catch your own springwater trout
New England is renowned amongst fishing aficionados for its trout streams. With trout waters stretching the region’s tablelands from Glen Innes to Tamworth, Walcha and Dorrigo, Armidale is the perfect location to try trout fishing. Deano’s Springwater Smoked Trout Farm, located a short 25 minute drive from The Comfort Inn Armidale Centre via the New England Highway, is an award winning trout farm that began 21 years ago as a hobby and passion. The farm features 8 x 35 square metre spring water growing ponds which are used to harvest rainbow trout, brown trout and Atlantic salmon. All fish are grown outdoors in spring water, and feed on natural insects, supplemented with organic pellets.
Deano’s offers tours and catch-and-keep fishing, as well as a comprehensive range of smoked trout products to purchase, and the Uluru Almond smoked trout fillet with paprika, turmeric, almond, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cumin, coriander and pepper is a must try.
Related:Joy helicopter rides and picnics in the wilderness – name a better way to experience Armidale
Visit a cool-climate winery
Located just 4km off the New England Highway, Why Worry Wines is a stunningly remote vineyard offering uninterrupted views of New England’s rolling hills and wilderness. Known for its Verdelho and Sparkling Cuvee Brut, Why Worry offers wine tastings as well as weekend lunches in a classic New England setting at it’s cellar doors. Bookings are essential for weekend lunches.
Enjoy a local draught at the New England Hotel.
The New England Hotel, located around the corner from The Comfort Inn City Centre Armidale, was first tapped in 1857 and still serves Armidale’s locals to this day. The pub’s menu offers a range of pasture to table mains, including Wagyu rump, Atlantic salmon, and Nambucca oysters, served natural or kilpatrick.
Need a place to stay?
Ideally located in the central business district of Armidale, The Comfort Inn City Centre Armidale is the perfect place to stay when visiting Armidale and the New England High Country. With a central location, the hotel is convenient to local attractions with the Armidale Plaza Shopping Centre a five-minute walk away, the University of New England a 10-minute drive away and the Armidale Golf Course just an eight-minute drive. Visitors can enjoy a variety of popular local restaurants, cafes, nightlife and the Armidale City Bowling Club, all within a short walk from the hotel. The hotel provides an ideal base for exploring the stunning National Parks and rich culture and history of the region. Book your next stay with Choice Hotels.
