Parkes
Parkes Elvis Festival, Parkes - Credit: Parkes Elvis Festival
Parkes
Named after the father of Australian federation, the town of Parkes was once best known for its radio telescope that helped broadcast the moon landing. Today, this beautiful heritage town in Country NSW is famous for the hordes of Elvis fans who make an annual pilgrimage to honour the King.
Highlights
Parkes Elvis Festival
The iconic Parkes Elvis Festival is an unmissable event held in January to celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday. Elvis impersonators and fans flock here every year to pay tribute to the man who showed the world how to shake their hips. Come for the fun and the spectacle, it's worth slipping on your blue suede shoes to see what all the buzz is about.
Parkes Elvis Festival, Parkes
Things to do
In July 1969, 600 million people around the world watched Neil Armstrong famously step onto the surface of the Moon, and one of the reasons why can be found right here in Parkes. The CSIRO Parkes Observatory's radio telescope, which Australians irreverently nicknamed ‘The Dish’, helped broadcast the Apollo 11 Moon landing, giving Parkes a permanent place in the history books.
The telescope is still a world-leading instrument today and is in continuous operation. With a diameter of 64 metres, it’s also one of the largest single-dish telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere. You can visit the observatory and see astronomy and space science exhibitions plus 3D theatre shows.
The Henry Parkes Centre, named after the colonial politician credited as the father of Australian Federation, incorporates the Parkes Visitor Information Centre and four impressive museums, including the Parkes Antique Motor Museum and the King’s Castle Elvis Exhibit, which contains a collection of Elvis' personal artefacts. Learn about the town's legacy of flight at the Parkes Aviation Museum.
Henry Parkes Centre, Parkes
Gold fever struck the Parkes region in 1861. Look for relics on Bushman's Hill, the site of one of Parkes' first gold mines in 1900. Today it's also home to the Wiradjuri Amphitheatre, telling the story of the area's Indigenous people. Visit Peak Hill, a 35-minute scenic drive north of Parkes, which has a heritage open-cut gold mine opened in 1893. There are free self-guided tours, walking trails and picnic areas. The Newell Gold Trail runs between West Wyalong and Peak Hill and connects nine important sites.
Peak Hill Open Cut Gold Mine, Peak Hill - Credit: Five Hours West
Eat and drink
Start the day with coffee at Roasted Kombi or Deja Brew. Bellas is a licensed Italian restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. The Railway Hotel offers the quintessential country pub experience. Just northwest of Parkes is the Trundle Hotel, a heritage-listed pub built in 1912 that boasts the longest verandah in NSW.
The Railway Hotel Parkes, Parkes - Credit: The Railway Hotel Parkes
Getting there and where to stay
Parkes is just under five hours’ drive from Sydney, almost eight hours from Melbourne and around three hours from Canberra. You can also travel by train direct from Sydney on Mondays. Parkes Airport is just 5km from the town centre and Regional Express services the airport with regular flights from Sydney. There are various accommodation options in Parkes. The Buchanan 1894 is a beautifully restored guesthouse set in an elegant Victorian mansion. The plush apartments have period features and are surrounded by lush gardens with a saltwater swimming pool.
