Orange, NSW: Exploring the Central Tablelands in the new Ineos Grenadier
We saddled up the new Ineos Grenadier, piloting a path from Sydney to Orange to explore the NSW fruit bowl.
They say that nothing rhymes with “orange”.
Think about that statement for too long and you’ll probably need a cold compress and a muscle relaxant because it’s a mental path to frustration.
But one thing that sounds just peachy when associated with orange is wine — and when you add “region” to that, well, things start to look, smell, taste and feel much rosier than a dead-end mind game.
The heritage town of Orange and its surrounds in the NSW Central Tablelands haven’t always been known for making wine.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.In fact, it’s a relatively recent phenomenon for this two-centuries-old township — the first grapevines here were planted less than 50 years ago.
Instead, it was another form of local produce sharing its name with a colour — gold — that forged Orange and funded its treasured architecture, providing yet another reason for ROAM to explore the richness of this region.
Less than an hour by plane from Sydney, and situated 58km west of Bathurst, the common road routes to Orange from the harbour city each take just under four hours — departing north-west via the leafier, curvier Bells Line of Road or heading directly west traversing the entire Blue Mountains and its bounteous delights.
But we’re aiming for something a little more road-less-travelled.
Our steed for the trip is the updated 2026 Ineos Grenadier, a gloriously utilitarian but expensively engineered off-roader designed to appease English Cotswold types who mourned the death of the original Land Rover Defender.
Much like Orange itself, the Grenadier is all about reinvention, transforming an age-old concept into something modern and appealing, without any dilution of its character.
Indeed, Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe was such a fan of the original Defender that he offered to buy the tooling from Land Rover when production ended, though the British firm declined.
Ratcliffe decided to develop a spiritual replacement — named after his chemical company (Ineos) and his favourite pub (The Grenadier in Belgravia, London) — using highly respected engineering partners such as Eibach (suspension), BMW (engines), ZF (transmissions), Tremec (4WD componentry) and Recaro (seats).
Avoiding the Great Western Highway to Bathurst, ROAM leaves Lithgow via the undulating Magpie Hollow Road skirting Lake Lyell, then takes Sodwalls Road through Tarana, and finally O’Connell Plains Road and Lagoon Road to the small village of Rockley, populated by fewer than 200 people but with a main pub owned by award-winning chef Matt Moran.
Moran has also taken charge of the nearby family property, his generational roots in the area stretching back to the 1850s.
We felt it only right to drop in at the Moran farm to talk about his love of the Central Tablelands (also, the Grenadier he’s been driving the past nine months).
“It gets around the property better than any of the other farm cars and I’ve never got it bogged — it hasn’t met the tractor yet,” Moran tells ROAM.
As for dividing his time between Sydney’s eastern suburbs and the land, you can tell that being out here is restorative. “I’ve really fallen back in love with it all. I spend at least three weekends a month here and, you know, I’m very passionate about the area. I want to help the region. I want to help the area,” Moran says.
“I love the people and I’ve got a lot of friends out here now. One of my proteges, Tony Worland, who owns Tonic in Millthorpe — he bought that restaurant and opened that 25 years ago when there was only one little place that had Devonshire tea. Now there’s 30 businesses there.
“(Worland) helped create that town and give people employment, and there’s something of that (which) is similar to what we want to do at Rockley and the pub.”
As for where we’re heading, the heart of the Orange township and a stay at the stand-out Yallungah Boutique Hotel, “(Orange) is getting more distilleries and has some great wineries. Plus, it’s a food bowl and has some great restaurants.”
Rockley to Orange is an effortless 70-minute drive via Blayney and Millthorpe, especially in the MY26 Grenadier with its excellent BMW-sourced powertrain and its much-improved steering accuracy.
As we turn into Yallungah’s driveway, we’re greeted by yet another reminder of Orange’s grand past, courtesy of the restored 1896 Yallungah homestead that blends exquisitely with the new accommodation wing to the rear, featuring a striking hallway with huge ceiling height, artworks and lounges.
As we stroll into town for dinner (at the Union Bank), Orange’s wide streets, fascinating old buildings and crisp air act like a geographical valium.
This 200-year-old town may only be a few hours west of Sydney, but right now it feels worlds (and eras) away from the day-to-day grind. We might have to raise a glass of fine local produce to that.
Matt Moran enters the chat
The best of Orange and its environs with the award-winning chef and Ineos ambassador.
Spilt Milk “A great ice-cream shop — I mean, seriously good ice-cream shop. And I’m not just saying that — it’s one of the best,” Moran states, referring to Spilt Milk Bar which opened in 2019. Here they create both classic and special flavours including OG Honeycomb gelato (sourced from The Sugar Mill in Orange) and a coconut sorbet infused with Thai basil and rippled with sweet raspberry jam. Yes, Thai basil! 45 Sale Street, Orange; spiltmilkorange.com.au
Hey Rosey “I went there the other week — such a great little wine bar,” Moran says. Know he’s also not exaggerating when stating “little” given this 3m fronted establishment is intimate at 20 seats. Still, it hums with life — the bar counter turning into a cosy kitchen-prep space, serving local produce alongside a broad and always evolving wine list — enriched by vinyl tunes. 301 Summer Street, Orange; heyrosey.au
The Union Bank “Orange has a couple of great pubs — the Union is one of them,” Moran says, referring to The Union Bank (known locally as the UB) and its fine-dining Schoolhouse Restaurant with a seasonal menu and spectacular wine list, housed in a grand 1858 former bank building. 84 Byng Street, Orange; theunionbank.com.au
Tonic “Millthorpe is only 20 minutes out of town (Orange) and Tonic is a f...... great restaurant.” Opened in 2003, Tonic’s ever-evolving, multi-award-winning menu showcases local meats and predominantly Orange-region wines. An adjacent, circa-1913 former picture theatre acts as a private function room for Tonic and can seat up to 120 people. Cnr Pym and Victoria streets, Millthorpe; tonicmillthorpe.com.au
The Rockley Pub Purchased by Moran in mid-2021 and reopened the following year after various refurbishments, the 1875 Rockley Pub focuses on cracking traditional pub food, backed by a generous local wine list (with a few French and Italian staples) and boutique accommodation upstairs. After also acquiring several adjacent properties, Moran has plans to expand the Rockley Pub in the future. 2 Budden Street, Rockley; therockleypub.com.au
ineosgrenadier.com
