Why treechange destination Orange has almost got it all

It has award-winning wines, a hatted restaurant, fabulous providores, great schools, lots of family activities, a beautiful laid-back lifestyle, and quality homes roughly a third the price of those in Sydney. In fact, the only thing the NSW country town of Orange doesn’t have is … oranges.

“But we have everything else,” says Peter Fisher Real Estate agent Liz McAtamney, who moved there 25 years ago from Sydney.

“It has such a lovely country lifestyle, yet with so much good food and wine and the four changing seasons, and still only three to three-and-a-half hours’ drive to Sydney. Everyone just falls in love with it.”

The vineyards grab most of the attention, like Patina Wines’ beautiful estate, but save room for local beers from the Badlands Brewery, producers of ‘Dangerously Drinkable Beers’.

Top tucker’s on offer everywhere from the one-hatted Lolli Redini’s all the way to the Smoking Brothers’ Elwood eaterie with its beaut barbecued burgers.

And what’s not to love about those house prices? Its median now sits at $359,000, on Domain Group figures, up 5.7 per cent in the past year, and 12 per cent in the last five, representing some very good buying.

Many people agree, with a steady flow of Sydneysiders making the trek to the Central West, 255 kilometres away, for a treechange. “Once, it used to be just investors buying here,” says McAtamney. “But now we have more people finding jobs here and working remotely, so they’re able to live here full-time.”

Keen gardener and semi-retired office worker Susie Ogaard-Stephens, 56, moved to Orange in May 2016 with her parents in search of a more relaxed lifestyle. “It’s just lovely with the food and wine festival, all the local produce and a wonderful art gallery and medical facilities,” she says.

That increasing demand for homes in Orange has kicked its property market into touch, too. Four months ago, McCormack Barber agent Peter McCormack was running five to six opens a weekend, with a total of maybe only two to three buyers. Now he has two to three opens each week, with up to six potential purchasers.

“It was quiet for a long time, with houses spending an average 141 days on market,” he says. “Now it’s down to 45 days. There are just more people in town, fewer vacant properties, less for sale, and more and more are discovering the area.”

Search for homes in and around Orange by downloading the Domain app.