For me, the fun of a new car lies in dreaming about the places it will take me. From driving down to see friends in Mollymook, piling in snowboards to visit the slopes or road tripping through regional NSW. Fitted out in the new hybrid Mazda CX-80 I’ve set my sights on the Warrumbungles and Mudgee to try out my new wheels.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The CX-80 is a spacious seven-seat SUV, meticulously crafted to mark a bold new chapter in Mazda’s premium evolution. Ours has the optional SP Package, transforming it into a luxe six-seater with two captain’s chairs behind the driver, separated by a central console and drink holders, plus another two seats at the rear that fold down for additional boot space. There is no being squished in the back seat of this car. It is the ultimate family car, complete with a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
To head out on this adventure, my daughter and I fill the car with luggage, picnic rugs, an esky ready for regional produce, hiking boots and winery shoes.
Warrumbungle National Park One
Ever since Warrumbungle National Park was declared Australia’s first International Dark Sky Park in 2016, I have been dreaming of visiting. However it wasn’t until I was travelling in comfort in the Mazda CX-80 that I finally felt ready to tackle the six-hour drive.
We depart Sydney mid-morning, stopping for lunch at The Deck Cafe Lovedale in the Hunter Valley. The drive out is a pleasure, the hybrid engine gliding quietly along the motorway while the elevated driving position gives us sweeping views of rolling vineyards and gum-lined country roads. Adaptive cruise control takes the edge off the long highway stretches, leaving me free to settle into road trip mode.
We arrive at Dark Sky Eco Retreat via a long dirt road that the Mazda handles with ease. Our lodge sits on a sprawling rural property that owners Mark and Wendy purchased for their retirement in 2021. Retirement, however, did not last long. Instead, they built a collection of off-grid eco retreats and began farming emus and looking to the stars for inspiration and entertainment. We meet Mark and Wendy for a private stargazing session that was mesmerising. The sky is ablaze with stars, more visible than I have ever seen with the naked eye. With a laser pointer, Mark traces constellations across the darkness, pointing out the Emu in the Sky from Aboriginal astronomy as well as constellations and distant planets.
Then I peer into the 11-inch telescope and the solar system opens up before me. The Tarantula Nebula glows in impossible colours. The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy M83 appears like a swirling mist suspended in space.
I would never have considered myself an astronomer, but after tonight I leave a fanatic.
Stay: Dark Sky Eco Retreat
We’re staying in the three-bedroom Banksia Lodge at Dark Sky Eco Retreat, a yurt-style retreat designed for switching off and slowing down. Inside, nebula and emu artwork line the walls, while a modern kitchen with white cabinetry and stainless-steel appliances includes everything needed for a comfortable self-catered stay. The lodge feels both luxurious and cosy, with a fireplace, dining room, Wi-Fi and air conditioning throughout. The master bedroom features an ensuite, while the other two queen bedrooms share a central bathroom, making it ideal for families or groups of friends. Outside, the spacious deck quickly becomes our favourite spot, whether soaking in the six-person spa under the stars, enjoying breakfast in the morning sun as curious emus wander up to the fence, or firing up the Weber BBQ for dinner.
Day Two
From the kitchen window of Banksia Lodge, I spot an emu wandering casually towards the deck, its shaggy feathers swaying with each slow step. Outside, I lean on the railing and watch it patrol the fence line, tilting its head curiously to inspect its newest guests. Even the tiny frog that unexpectedly appears in the toilet feels less like an inconvenience and more like proof of just how immersed in nature this place really is. Despite the wildlife encounters, the lodge never sacrifices comfort, balancing its wild bush setting with the warmth and luxury of a beautifully designed retreat.
After a relaxing morning we head to Coonabarabran for coffee and supplies before we make tracks for Warrumbungle National Park. Between 13 and 17 million years ago, this landscape was shaped by volcanic activity, leaving behind dramatic rock formations that rise unexpectedly from the bush.
Our first stop is Whitegum Lookout, reached via a short 500-metre walk. From here we look out over some of the park’s most iconic formations, including the Breadknife, a towering blade-like volcanic dyke cutting through the landscape. Our first glimpse of the park leaves us eager to learn more, so we continue to the visitor centre.
Part museum and part gift shop, the centre has interactive displays for children, an impressive feather and nest collection showcasing local birdlife, and fascinating diagrams explaining the region’s volcanic history. There is also information on the park’s Dark Sky status and the impact artificial light has on nocturnal wildlife. Curiosity satisfied, we pick up a trail map and tackle a two-hour section of the famous Breadknife and Grand High Tops Walk. We stop for lunch on a rocky outcrop with uninterrupted views across the valley and the Breadknife standing proudly in the distance. Unexpectedly, we also share the trail with a mob of goats picking their way through the rocks.
That night we return to Dark Sky Eco Retreat and enjoy a home-cooked meal on the balcony beneath a vast sky that makes you feel wonderfully small.
Day Three
Today we are bound for Mudgee, travelling along country roads that are unsealed in sections. Through the expansive sunroof we watch eagles circling overhead, my attention quickly snapping back to the road as the Mazda beeps with a distracted driver alert. The once gleaming red exterior gradually becomes coated in layers of dust and red dirt, exactly the kind of rugged road trip look I secretly love. Dirty, windswept and slightly wild.
Lunch: Lowe Family Wine Co.
Our first stop in Mudgee is Lowe Family Wine Co., where we meet David Lowe for a tour of the biodynamic and organic vineyard. In response to climate change, the property’s “Latin Quarter” has been planted with Italian grape varieties better suited to hotter, drier conditions, including Nero d’Avola, Vermentino, Pecorino and Ansonica. During the farm tour we meet chickens, donkeys, horses and yet more emus. The property also features a hatted restaurant, flourishing kitchen gardens and an elegant wedding pavilion overlooking the vines.
Back at the cellar door we settle in with a grazing platter and wine tasting at one of the sun-drenched outdoor tables, lingering far longer than intended.
We spend the afternoon wandering Mudgee’s charming main street and exploring homeware shops before stocking up on provisions and driving out to Zensi Retreat.
Stay: Zensi Retreat, Mudgee
We arrive at Zensi Retreat just before sunset and immediately start fantasising about moving in permanently. The Zensi House is breathtakingly luxe, a no-expense-spared kind of retreat. Soaring ceilings make the space feel enormous, while the stone splashback kitchen and oversized dining table practically beg for long dinners with friends and bottles of local wine. Outside, it gets even better with a heated pool, outdoor dining area, barbecue and a gorgeous sunken fire pit overlooking rolling countryside and grazing cattle.
The master suite feels more like a boutique hotel than a bedroom, with a huge king bed positioned to take in the rural views through floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a walk-in robe and an ensuite centred around a deep soaking bath. Then there’s an entire wellness wing with a yoga studio, plunge spa and sauna. In the morning I unroll my yoga mat as eastern rosellas peck at the grass just beyond the windows, the kind of peaceful moment that makes you briefly consider abandoning city life entirely.
Day Four
Today it is my birthday and we are back in the Mazda CX-80 and driving out through the rolling countryside to Piambong Creek Farm Tours. We’re here for a private tour of the 1700-acre working farm, home to around 2,000 sheep and 100 cattle. Owner Beth welcomes us like old friends. She lives here with her husband and two sons, and it quickly becomes clear how deeply she cares for every animal on the property. We meet Gooseberry and Raspberry, two delightfully affectionate poddy calves, before heading out into the paddocks to meet the cattle. Blackberry, an enormous cow with a surprisingly gentle nature, ambles over happily for pats and attention.
It’s also lambing season, and the hills are alive with tiny newborn lambs, some only hours old, their high-pitched bleats echoing across the paddocks as they wobble uncertainly beside their mothers.
Beth then drives us in her open-air buggy to the top of a hill overlooking the sweeping Mudgee countryside for morning tea. She serves up a spread of homemade savoury scones, brownies, local cheese, crackers and fresh fruit, along with a special birthday surprise: a carrot cake recipe straight from the CWA cookbook. Her homemade chutney is so delicious we leave with that and other home-made produce from the farm shop before leaving.
Afternoon
We make our way to Logan Wines and settle onto a grassy hill with the kind of view that looks more like a computer screensaver than real life. Rolling vines stretch towards the mountains in the distance, reflected in the still water of the pond below us. We order a bottle of Logan’s sparkling wine, made using the traditional Champagne method, and spread out our picnic rug in the afternoon sun. The staff are wonderfully accommodating, delivering a generous cheese plate directly to our spot on the hill so we don’t have to leave the view for a second. As golden light settles across the valley, it becomes one of those simple but perfect travel moments you wish you could bottle up and take home with you.
Day Five
Our trip has come to an end and after a coffee and a croissant from Althea bakery we are on our way back home. The drive back to Sydney passes surprisingly quickly, the Mazda CX-80 effortlessly eating up the Western NSW highways. It is more powerful than I expected from a large family SUV, responsive through winding country roads while still smooth and refined on the open highway.
By the time we roll back into the city, the car is still dusted in red dirt from outback roads, our hiking boots are buried beneath wine bottles and picnic supplies, and I’m already planning where the Mazda will take us next.
Cathy Wagstaff was a guest of Mazda Australia and Dark Sky Eco Retreat
Watch our Women Love Tech video on Mazda CX-60 and road tour featuring the All-Hybrid Mazda CX-80 story here.
