Weekend away - Mudgee, NSW

Blossoms are out right across the Mudgee area.

To get there you cross the Blue Mountains and their vast, low, wide and spectacular canyons.

Everything about Mudgee and its surrounds is iconically Aussie. Gum trees, farms, gorgeous small towns, big skies. At the moment it is in severe drought but some recent rain has helped green things up.

Another iconic Australian rural scene, just 5 minutes from the Mudgee town centre.

Kangas hanging out with friends.

I keep saying iconic. But a leaning river gum over still waters ... pretty typical of so many inland NSW areas.

These days grape vines wrestle with gum trees for iconic rural status.

Mudgee is home to some particularly fine wines produced in beautiful vineyards. It's just far enough away from Sydney not to be overrun by tourists ... yet.

The town centre is home to a handful of very handsome, well preserved buildings. It's a particularly pretty inland town.

We brought some much needed rain showers with us.

Just after the rain, and on sunset.

A short drive from town and you're in the country again.

Mudgee is several hundred kilometres inland but the distance hasn't worried these pelicans.

We took a drive an hour north from Mudgee to a place I'd never been before - an exquisitely beautiful national park on the Goulburn River. `River' is a relative term, at the moment the drought has reduced it to a creek.

Even without knowing much of its history you could tell it is a sacred place.

You end up at a formation called `The Drip', so called because water seeps and drips from the cliff top. It was too wet that day to really tell the difference and we were soaked by the time we got there - but it was worth it.

This was my favourite shot of the weekend - it reminds me of so many dreamy Australian landscape paintings from the 19th century.

Back to our accommodation on a local farm.

It's a gorgeous area - but please keep it secret.