Wingham
Bent on Food, Wingham
Wingham
Located on Biripi lands, Wingham is a historic town in the Manning Valley on the banks of the Manning River. Many National Trust-listed Federation buildings fill the town and Wingham takes great pride in its heritage, celebrated in green spaces and museums.
Highlights
History & heritage
Take the Wingham Heritage Walk, a five-kilometre path through the historic town centre and beyond to the river. The self-guided walk takes around two hours to complete and includes the School of Arts (1907), post office (1884), courthouse (1938) and police station (1909). A brochure with the route can be obtained from the Manning Valley Historical Society Museum in Farquhar Street.
Explore more of Wingham’s eventful and sometimes dark history at the museum, which overlooks the central park and has a wide range of artefacts from its past. Most notably, the museum houses the original cell where Aboriginal bushranger, Jimmy Blacksmith, was held following his capture by local settlers – an event made famous by author Thomas Keneally in his book (and subsequent film) The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith.
Nature walks
Walk from town to the Wingham Brush Nature Reserve, a rich and rare rainforest that is home to a colony of grey-headed flying foxes and fig trees. A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk links to several walking tracks through the nature reserve.
Wingham is a great base for visiting nearby natural attractions. Take a scenic 50-minute drive north to the spectacular Ellenborough Falls, one of the Southern Hemisphere’s longest single-drop waterfalls. In the Tapin Tops National Park, the Rowleys Peak lookout provides panoramic views after a heart-pumping 45-minute trek to the top.
Ellenborough Falls near Elands, Forster
Festivals
In October the three-day Wingham Music Festival is a celebration of artistic expression, culture, and community. Featuring local and established musicians, the festival takes place in the historic Wingham Showground.
Wingham Music Festival, Wingham - Credit: Merryl Kemp Photography
Fresh produce
The countryside around Wingham has rich farmland amid rolling hills. For tasty local produce, try Bent on Food, a cafe, restaurant and shop. The Wingham Farmers Market is on the first Saturday of the month and offers fresh locally grown produce.
Bent on Food, Wingham
Where to stay
Accommodation options include motels, guesthouses and farm stays. Surrounded by ancient rainforests and eucalypt forests, Dingo Tops campground makes for a beautiful and secluded site to base yourself for explorations in Tapin Tops National Park.
BellbirdHill Bed and Breakfast, Wingham - Credit: Peter Trood
Getting there
By car, Wingham is three hours and 45 minutes north from Sydney and a two hours from Newcastle Airport, which services most major Australian cities. Coaches and trains also run from Sydney, via Newcastle. You can make this a memorable stop on a North Coast road trip.
