Bingara  New South Wales

The squatters who followed the trail blazed to the Gwydir River by explorer Allan Cunningham scarcely had time to stake their land claims before gold was discovered near Bingara in 1853.

Things haven’t been the same since in this part of New England they call The Fossickers Way. The All Nations Gold Mine kept producing until 1948 and, in between, there have been copper and diamond rushes.

Despite the intensity of mining over the years, Bingara remains a fossicker’s paradise and local 'fields' keep turning up traces of gold, gems and crystals.

Set on the shores of the vast Copeton Dam, Copeton Waters State Park is a camping wonderland offering adventure playgrounds, great fishing for yellowbelly, Murray cod, catfish and redfin, walking tracks and sporting and boating facilities.

The outlying region offers plenty of scope for a gentle walking holiday in the magic of the bush set in the hills and valleys of the Bingara Shire. The town itself has a small but select range of designer, antique and craft shops.