About Country Food Trails

Country Food Trails offers thoughtfully planned, intimate food and wine tours for down-to-earth foodies.

Locally grown
Locally made
Locally farmed
Locally produced

I can’t wait to share Orange and the Central West with you. But first, here’s the story of what led me here.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my successful international tour business, Red Door Tours, came to a sudden standstill. I’ll confess, my heart broke a little at the thought of putting my beloved textile safaris of India and Morocco on hold. With many returning guests already planning their next exotic adventure with me, it was a devastating blow to us all.

I’m grateful to live in my beautiful hometown of Orange, NSW. I seized the opportunity to start a business that would allow me to share my region with food and wine-loving visitors.

I’m passionate about showcasing the incredible food, wine, history, and natural beauty we have to offer.

That’s how Country Food Trails was born. I consider myself the poster girl for pivoting in 2020 … obviously I have a sense of humour!

Sure, you can google, ‘What to do in Orange,’ but you won’t get the knowledge and local contacts we can offer. I’ve uncovered unique experiences to create a range of unforgettable tours.

If you’re looking for a flexible, fun and down-to-earth tour of Orange, you’ve come to the right company. Read our testimonials to hear what guests have said about our tours.

Join me for a glass of local wine, a picnic in the vineyard or a glimpse into the fascinating history of the region.

Cheers!

Nicole

Meet the Team

Nicole Farrell

My favourite:

Cuisine: Thai

Drink: Virgin mojito

Vice: Chocolate (seriously addicted!)

Country: India & Morocco (I can’t choose!)

Local shop: I’ll show you on tour!

Sharon Seaman

My favourite:

Cuisine: Anything I haven’t had to cook

Drink: Pimms

Vice: Shoes (how can you have too many pairs?)

Country: Australia (there’s nowhere like home)

Local shop: Too many to choose

Why choose us?

Foodie focus

We love connecting you with passionate producers. Learn about sustainable agricultural practices and shop (and pick!) seasonal produce.

Local exclusives

As locals, our knowledge and contacts give you access to the district’s best-kept foodie secrets and exclusive experiences you won’t find in the guide books.

Flexible and fun

We’re here to give you a great day out making memories with loved ones. We’ll make sure everyone has a blast, and we can tailor our tours to your interests.

Global experience

We have global experience in designing and leading customised small group tours that create moments and memories to last a lifetime.

Down-to-earth

We’re friendly folk who want to give you a fun, informative and stress-free day visiting the best food and wine destinations in and around Orange, NSW.

Australian-owned

Our tours focus on Australian-owned and grown produce. When you tour with us, you’re supporting regional farmers and local small businesses.

Sustainability

We follow sustainable tourism principles, highlighting eco-friendly experiences and encouraging our guests to support our zero waste goals.

Community minded

We care about our community and donate to FoodCare Orange, an organisation helping vulnerable families access affordable fresh, healthy foods.

VIEW TOURS

Testimonials

Kate

The perfect day! Nicole was an amazing tour guide. She made everything so easy and was so accomodating. She took us to some great wineries and to a great spot for lunch! -

Bar El

I thoroughly enjoyed the tasting trail, which included wine tasting, a guided history tour of Orange, and breakfast with an Indigenous guide who taught us about edible Australian plants. Nicole and Erin were knowledgeable, chatty and welcoming. Great food and company! -

Kim Spicer

The tour was very informative. Our guide knew her stuff and was very personable.The walking tour itself was not challenging and was a good distance. Finishing with a drink at Duntryleague House was a great way to end the tour.Want to try the Indigenous tour next time. Thank you. -

Loved our adventure

Just had an awesome afternoon with Nicole doing her Heritage Trail. Such a lovely way to spend the afternoon. She is so knowledgeable and so so personable as well. Can't recommend her new business highly enough. Loved our adventure.

Margi Johnson

The Heritage Trail

Highly recommend

Great overview of the history and buildings of early Orange. Our guide Nicole was fantastic and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend the heritage tour and will definitely do another tour with Nicole when in the region again.

Theresa Gin

The Heritage Trail

A group of girlfriends and I recently spent a fabulous day with the bubbly and engaging Nicole from Country Food Trails. What a fantastic and fun experience and such a great way to gain a more intimate insight into Orange! Starting with the Heritage Trail, which was fascinating and informative, we then enjoyed the Bush Tucker component presented by the very passionate and entertaining Gerald and his assistant Erin. The morning concluded with a delicious cheese and charcuterie platter prepared by Nicole accompanied by some local Orange cool climate wine tasting at Ferment Orange Wine Centre. We spent the afternoon with the delightful Lee Bell from Dindima Wines and a special visit to Tawarri Olives at the foot of Mt Canobolas where we were treated with a tour of the olive grove and garden, olive oil tasting and a delicious homemade cake. Thank you, Nicole, for helping us put together such a wonderful itinerary for the day.  A real highlight of our stay.

Ange Flannery

The Farm Trail

A focus on sustainable agritourism

At Country Food Trails, we're committed to practising sustainable tourism and running zero waste tours. We use cloth napkins and reusable containers, cups and cutlery. And we'll happily take home food scraps to feed to our chooks.

As part of our commitment to reducing food waste, we've partnered with Love Food Hate Waste. We also contribute to Greenfleet to offset our carbon emissions.