Visit NSW Canola Fields in Cootamundra

About NSW Canola Fields

The blindingly bright canola fields across southern NSW bloom every year around the start of spring, mostly throughout September, and they light up the countryside like no other time of year. 

Safety note: Please don’t enter the canola fields. You risk trampling the fields and ruining the crop, ingesting pesticide, or carrying pests on your shoes into the crop.

NSW Canola Fields History

Canola was first grown commercially in Australia in 1969 and the country is now the world’s second-largest exporter of canola seed.

How to Get to Cootamundra Canola Fields

Sydney to Cootamundra is around a 4-hour drive.

Head out of Sydney down the Hume Highway and turn off at Jugiong.

The canola fields are located on Old Gundagai Road, and Rosehill and Jugiong Roads near Cootamundra.

Where to Stay in Cootamundra

Cootamundra Caravan Park

For cheap, easy and kid-friendly accomodation, Cootamundra Caravan Park is the way to go. It has deluxe cabins, powered and unpowered campsite. It’s also pet friendly so you can bring your pooch too!

Cootamundra Heritage Hotel

Situated right next to a country club and gulf course, this heritage listed building offers the ultimate deluxe stay. Treat yourself and relax in the Kind Spa Suite.

Woodies Cottage

For a self-contained, country chic cottage vibe, Woodies is the way to go. Located in central Cootamundra, the cottage is fully furnished, has 4 bedrooms and accommodates up to nine people.

Where to Eat in Cootamundra

The Central Hotel

For classic pub style food, check out the central hotel. Equipped with indoor and outdoor seating and offering everything from steak and chips to vegetarian pasta.

Maxim’s Chinese Restaurant

Every country town has one and this one’s a ripper. Offering classic Chinese dishes and impeccable service.

Bah Bah Food & Wine

For something a little bit fancier, Bah Bah Food & Wine is the way to go, showcasing the beautiful produce of the region!

What It’s Like to Visit Cootamundra Canola Fields

Visiting the Central West and southern areas of NSW during the start of spring is an absolute delight. If you’ve never witnessed the fluorescent yellow canola in person, you may think your eyes (or even the farmers) are playing tricks on you. But this is all real, baby! 

Rolling hills of green pastures are suddenly contrasted by a bold line of yellow, with some paddocks making a patchwork effect or leaving gaps in the crop for towering gums to pockmark the countryside. Start counting now how many times you say, ‘Wow!’.

From germination to seed production, the life cycle of a canola plant takes about 3.5 months, depending on temperature, moisture, sunlight and soil fertility. Make sure you visit in late winter/spring to see them at their best.

Flying overhead you’re likely to see planes spraying the fields. Crop dusting refers to dropping actual dust on crops, so the pilots generally prefer the term ‘aerial application’ or ‘ag application’.

Regardless, these guys are really well trained and watching them in action from a distance is quite a spectacle. However, I suggest you stand back as the chemicals they drop are quite toxic and should not be breathed in!

Essential Gear

• Hat
• Camera
• Enclosed shoes
• Water
• Snacks

Tips For Visiting NSW Canola Fields

• Don’t enter the canola fields – this is private property and someone’s livelihood. Admire from a safe roadside zone or the car as you drive past
• Canola fields can be found in regions across southern NSW, so if you’re visiting somewhere where there’s lots of other people, go for a drive and find a quieter spot, there are plenty around
• Whatever you do, don’t forget your camera! 
• Make a road trip out of it and stop in at all the country towns along the way

NSW Canola Fields FAQs

Where are NSW canola fields located?

You can find canola fields across country NSW around towns like Young, Boorowoa, Temora, Harden, Cootamundra, Cowra, and Canowindra.

How do you get to NSW canola fields?

Take the Hume Highway out of Sydney and continue for a few hours until you reach the turn-off for either Boorowa, Harden, or Cootamundra. You’ll find canola fields sprawled along the back roads between all of these towns. 

When are the NSW canola fields open?

The canola is in bloom around the start of spring each year, however that doesn’t mean the fields are open for the public to come in.

Credit: https://weareexplorers.co/cootamundra-canola-fields/