Sofala is a small village located
approximately 250km north west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located beside the Turon River. Originally settled
during the Gold Rush in 1851, it is now Australia’s oldest surving gold rush town.
Sofala is just of the main Bathurst-Ilford
Road, with only local traffic through the town itself. Sofala is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the peace and quite
of the countryside. The area is well know for attracting landscape artists and the occasional gold prospector. It was also
the setting for some of the scenes from “The Cars That Ate Paris” (1974) and “Sirens” (1994).
GOLD PANNING
Fossick
for gold in the Turon River with equipment bought or hired at the souvenir shop.
BUSH
WALKING
Explore the Upper Turon for reminders of the gold rush, including diggings, gravestones, buildings and
a Chinese miner settlements.
SWIMMING
Swim in wonderful
deep bush swimming holes against a shear cliff backdrop with Tarzan rope to swing on - a lovely way to keep cool in summer.
Please ask us if there is water in the river during dry summers.
TROUT FISHING
The crystal clear
Turon River is a freshwater trout stream and perfect for all dedicated fly fisherman. The season extends from the October
to June long weekends. Please bring your own fishing gear and license.
DRIVING TOURS
Take a 'self-drive'
tour which covers a number of interesting destinations around Sofala, we are more than happy to help you plan your drive.
Upper
Turon
This drive includes the Church of England cemetery (with graves dating from 1851), the old Sofala school (1881),
the original hospital (1860s), the original diggings, the privately-owned Western Goldfields Museum, the Chinese settlement,
Ration Hill and Pennyweight Creek.
Lower Turon
On the same sheet are clear instructions for those interested
in exploring the Lower Turon. This drive includes Spring Creek, the remains of the 'Queenslander Battery', a picnic spot where
you can still pan for gold and the unusual Wallaby Rocks - a good place for swimming or a picnic.
