Forest bathing at Gosford Forest Park

Gosford covers 240 hectares of mixed woodland and open parkland just outside Markethill. The Acheson family, later Earls of Gosford, laid out the woods and parkland more than 300 years ago, and the Forest Service bought the demesne in 1958. The arboretum holds conifers and broadleaves from around the world, many over 150 years old, and an old ha-ha ditch still runs past the former castle gardens. Two millponds linked by a mill race once drove the water wheel that now stands by the car park.

Most people start at the main car park, where there's a coffee bar, toilets and a play area. From there about 16 km of trails spread out for walking, cycling and horse riding, with benches along the way. For a slower visit, head for the arboretum and the flowering shrub walk by the old walled garden at the northern end. Paths range from tarmac to wood chippings and earth, and some get muddy.