Tamworth

Tamworth, NSW is probably best known for the Country Music Festival held each January but I can assure you there is a lot to see all year round in this large country town. Some features we enjoyed include:

• Country Music Hall of Fame – open 7 days a week 
• AELEC – The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre. This complex needs to be seen to be believed with indoor arenas, undercover stables and a large outdoor area for horse jumping and dressage practice. 
• Tamworth Sports Dome – Another great facility located alongside AELEC and near the Golden Guitar. Indoor netball and basketball courts, outdoor courts, hockey fields, referees rooms, as well as Physiology and Allied Health service 
• The Longyard Hotel   
• Visitor Information Centre (VIC) – alongside the giant Golden Guitar on the New England Highway (Goonoo Goonoo Road (pronounced Gunna Goonoo)). Cafe, souvenirs and, of course, Country Music CD’s.  
• Agquip - huge field days held in nearby Gunnedah
  
• Bicentennial Park - exercise areas, Children's playgrounds for all ages. Hopscotch Restaurant & Bar (popular for coffee overlooking the play areas) 
• Peel Street (main shopping area) is dotted with statues of famous country singers like Slim Dusty and Joy McKeon and Smokey Dawson 
• Lake Keepit - popular for boating, fishing, camping and caravanning.  
• Small villages - Nemingha, Piallamore, Dungowan, Woolomin, Hanging Rock, and Bendemeer where platypus are often spotted in the river
• Chaffey Reservoir Dam
  
• Nundle – an historic gold mining town on Fossickers Way. TIP - visit the Nundle Woollen Mill, one of the last spinning mills still operating in Australia.   
• Moonbi lookout - stairs built up the side of a large rock, created in 1938. Great views over the peel valley towards Tamworth.
• Kootingal – small town about 18 kilometres from Tamworth (Great Pub).   
• Growers Market (Saturday morning) near Bicentennial Park - a variety of home grown and homemade products like herb pots, duck eggs, biscuits, plants, fruit, croissants, olive oil etc.   
• Tamworth Library (Central Northern Regional Library). Large library with great services including internet access. Three return chutes – Books you Loved – Books you Didn’t – Everything Else.  
• Peel Street Markets – held 3rd Saturday every month. Stalls are set up on either side of Peel Street. 
• Lovely pubs and restaurants
  
• Diggers Club - good meal
• Dragon Palace a beautiful Chinese Restaurant just a short walk from our caravan.

We stayed at the BIG4 Paradise Tourist Park on Peel Street which is within walking distance to the main street and has loads of facilities as well as very friendly staff. This park has one of the best camp kitchens and outdoor barbeque areas I have seen which is big enough to cater for large groups - what a great asset for crowds visiting during the Country Music Festival.

I really enjoyed exploring Tamworth and it's surrounding countryside - the RvTrips team will be back.