Cowra Canola Experiences

Each spring, the countryside around Cowra in Central West NSW comes alive with brilliant yellow canola, transforming rolling farmland and country roads into spectacular Fields of Gold.

From late August and throughout September, canola season is the perfect excuse for a country escape. Follow scenic drives through the countryside, explore nearby villages and attractions, take a guided tour, or get that highly rewarding bird’s-eye view on a scenic flight over the patchwork of gold and green below.

September brings even more reasons to visit, with the Cowra Community Markets showcasing local produce and handmade goods, and the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival adding another burst of spring colour.

Whether you explore by road, on foot or from the air, there’s more than one way to experience canola season in Cowra. Explore the experiences below and start planning your spring escape.

Want to know where the canola is looking best?

Ask a local.

Canola changes every year; what’s planted, where it’s planted, and when it flowers. Our team at the Cowra Visitor Information Centre keeps an eye on what’s happening across the region. Pop in before you head out and ask us about our scenic backroads and favourite safe places to stop. We’ll help point you in the right direction.

Canola Experiences

Canola Country Drives

Whichever direction you head, you’ll find the gold. Take the scenic road through rolling farmland, charming villages and sweeping country landscapes, with spectacular canola fields providing the perfect backdrop along the way.

To help you explore, we’ve put together some of our favourite scenic routes from Cowra – taking in beautiful backroads, great places to stop, local food and drink, and plenty of opportunities to soak up the colours of canola country.

Pack the camera, take your time and make a day of it.

Pick a route and go chasing gold.

See Cowra From Above

Take your Cowra adventure to new heights with a scenic flight over the spectacular Central West.

From the air, discover a completely different perspective of the region as you soar above rolling farmland, winding waterways, vineyards and the patchwork of countryside stretching out below. In spring, the landscape becomes even more spectacular, with brilliant fields of canola creating swathes of gold across the countryside.

Whether you’re celebrating something special or simply looking for an unforgettable way to experience Cowra, a scenic flight offers a view you won’t get from the road.

Take to the skies and see Cowra from a whole new perspective.

Guided Canola Tours

Eucalypt Tours is Cowra’s new local tour operator, offering small-group guided experiences that get you closer to the landscapes, stories and places that make this region special.

Launching this spring with their Cowra Canola Tours, Eucalypt Tours takes the guesswork out of finding the best of Cowra’s famous fields of gold. With local knowledge, a relaxed small-group experience and special access to locations you simply can’t experience on a self-drive adventure, this is the best way to see Cowra in spring.

Sit back. Relax. Embrace the Gold

Before You Go

Canola is generally at its spectacular best for a relatively short period and where you’ll find the brightest fields changes from year to year.

That’s where a little local knowledge comes in.

Call into the Cowra Visitor Information Centre before your drive. Our team can point you towards what’s looking good, suggest local scenic loops and help you turn your canola drive into a great day out in the Cowra region.

Enjoy the view. Respect the farm.

Those spectacular yellow paddocks aren’t just beautiful, they’re someone’s livelihood.

Please never enter a paddock, go through a gate or climb over a fence without the landholder’s permission. Trespassing can attract significant fines, crops can be easily damaged, and snakes are particularly fond of the shelter canola provides.

Stay behind the fence, take your photos from public areas and leave every crop exactly as you found it.

And remember, you’re travelling on country roads. Drive to the conditions, stay clear of the roadway and only pull over where it is safe and legal to do so.

Then turn up the playlist, take the scenic road and go chase some gold.

Look. Photograph. Enjoy. But please leave every crop exactly as you found it.