Stargazing Under the Orange Sky

Two nights only, more than 1,000 metres up Gaanha Bula (Mount Canobolas): Borrodell's cellar door becomes a Stellar Door, with cool-climate wine, local cheese and a guided tour of the Southern Sky with astrophysicist Dr Dimitri Douchin.

Orange is the new black (sky that is!).

This December, Borrodell flicks off the lights and turns its gaze upward for Stargazing Under the Orange Sky. It's two magical nights when our cellar door becomes a Stellar Door.

Up here, more than 1,000 metres up the side of Mount Canobolas, the air is crisp, and the city glow is a long way off. On a clear night, the sky puts on a show you won't see at sea level. Consider it an altitude adjustment.

We'll start at 8pm on the terrace with a glass of Borrodell's cool-climate wine and a spread of cheese, while the sun slips behind the mountain. Then, as the dark sets in, astrophysicist and astronomer Dr Dimitri Douchin of Blue Mountains Stargazing takes you on a guided tour of the Southern Sky through powerful telescopes. Expect planets, distant galaxies, star clusters, and a few stories about how people have read the sky for thousands of years.

Dimitri has led more than 1,000 stargazing tours, from Sydney Observatory to Wolgan Valley. He's a TEDx speaker, a Dark Sky advocate and an Adjunct Fellow at Western Sydney University. He's also completely, joyfully obsessed with our relationship with the night sky.

Think of it as vintage light. Some of the starlight you'll see tonight set off on its journey long before the first vine went into the ground here. Cheers to that.

It's dark skies, cool climate, and a nightcap with your nebulae.

The details

• When: Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026
• 8–9pm: Borrodell wine and cheese on the terrace
• 9–10pm: Guided sky tour with telescopes, led by Dr Dimitri Douchin
• Where: Borrodell Estate, 298 Lake Canobolas Road, Canobolas NSW
• Tickets: $160pp
• Spots: strictly limited to [25] guests per night
• Bring: a warm layer. It's chilly at altitude, even in December.

Make a night of it
Why drive home under all those stars? Stay over in one of our suites and wake up to the vines. Ask us about adding a stay to your Stargazing Under the Orange Sky booking.

Sessions run weather permitting. If clouds roll in, wet-weather plan TBC.