Hunter Valley

Must do

• Hunter Valley Wine Country Visitors Centre
• Tuscany Wine Estate Resort
• Hunter Resort Hunter Valley
• Pokolbin Village
• Lovedale Cottages
• Cypress Lakes Resort

Fast facts

• Valleys, mountains and vineyards
• Famous for its award-winning wines and historic towns
• Two hours’ drive north of Sydney. Fly from Sydney with QantasLink, from Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane with Jetstar and Virgin Blue. Newcastle Airport is one hours' drive to the Hunter Valley. 

Why go there

With more than 120 wineries, the Hunter Valley produces some terrific wines, loved at home and abroad, including the crisp Hunter semillon and the ripe Hunter shiraz. Complement the wine with superb cuisine and stylish boutique accommodation for the perfect getaway.

Wine and food buffs can join a winery tour to sample some of the region’s gourmet delights. Others may prefer to indulge in some serious pampering at a day spa or teeing off from one of the region’s three championship golf courses.

Things to do

• Visit the cellar doors of some of the wine "bluebloods", such as McGuigan, Tyrrell and Drayton, whose families have been making wine for generations.
• Cellar doors at boutique wineries are well worth a visit - try Allandale, Tintilla, Pooles Rock Wines and Emmas Cottage Wines.
• Explore the galleries, antiques and specialty stores in Morpeth, a National Trust-classified town.
• Taste handmade washed rind and white mould cheeses from Pokolbin's Binnorie Dairy amd Hunter Valley Cheese Company.
• Go bargain hunting in the historic villages of Wollombi, Morpeth and Broke.

Don’t miss

• Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin, featuring 12 themed gardens over 25 hectares.
• Seeing the Hunter Valley from the air in a hot-air balloon at sunrise.
• Maitland Gaol, Maitland.
• A tour of the wineries in a horse-drawn cart or on a bicycle.
• Soaking up the luxury at The Spa at Chateau Elan  or Golden Door Elysia Spa.
• Gourmet cooking lessons or a food- and wine-matching course such as at Hunter Valley Cooking School.
• Fabulous dining experiences such as Esca at Bimbadgen, Rock restaurant and Bistro Molines.

Events

• Sculpture in the Vineyards, outdoors at Wollombi in January. 
• Opera in the Vineyards at Dalwood in October.
• Jazz in the Vines, Tyrrell’s Vineyard, in October.
• Morpeth Honey Festival, October.
• Bitter and Twisted International Beer Festival at East Maitland in November.