Hunter, NSW
For a slice of the good life, look no further than the Hunter Region, just north of Sydney. Great wines, gourmet food, superb restaurants and cafes, rustic cottages and romantic beachside retreats. Get away from it all and relax on a houseboat on Lake Macquarie, or explore the broad ocean beaches and extensive forests nearby.
For a taste of culture and nightlife drop into Newcastle, Australia’s second oldest city. The Hunter Valley is a mecca for food and wine enthusiasts. Explore the wineries by horse-drawn carriage, hot air balloon or bicycle. Meander through Maitland‘s elegant heritage precincts or visit historic Morpeth, Australia’s oldest river port.
Just a short drive away is the beautiful Port Stephens region, with it’s amazing beaches and whale and dolphin watching.
Singleton and the Upper Hunter reflect Australia’s rural heritage with small country townships and farm stays. The area also offers wineries, horse studs, forests and a wealth of outdoor activities. Or for a change, experience Barrington Tops which features rugged mountains, gorges and dense forest. It’s a magnet for horseback riders, bushwalkers, campers and 4WD tours.
Discover Hunter Valley Wine Country
Hunter Valley Wine Country is a 2-hour drive North of Cosmopolitan Sydney. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Brokenback Range, the area now yields more than a hundred wineries and cellar doors, embracing areas such as Pokolbin, Rothbury, Broke Fordwich, Lovedale, Wollombi Valley and Mount View.
If you are hunting for something new to do, you may wish to experience a glorious sunrise from a hot air balloon, horse ride through a vineyard, browse through galleries and antique shops, or see the Valley by horse and carriage, bicycle or even limousine!
The Hunter Valley is known for its award winning wines, however the valley now supports a burgeoning olive industry with cold pressed olive oil and other olive products. You will also find wood fired bread, delicious Hunter Cheeses, stone fruits, table grapes, honey, home made condiments and sauces, and even chocolate made with chilli.
Things To Do
Just two hours’ drive north of Sydney, there’s a contented world of wide, open spaces, featuring magnificent vineyards, sparkling waterways, rugged mountains, forests, and fascinating towns reflecting Australia’s colonial heritage.
The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-producing area, with winemaking traditions dating back more than 150 years. The valley houses some of Australia’s most famous wineries, including Tyrells, Lindemans and McGuigans, and is sprinkled with smaller, boutique vineyards.
A mecca for wine enthusiasts over recent decades, the Hunter Valley also offers first-class cuisine, which has emerged to meet the exacting needs of those dedicated to good living. There are dozens of cosy guesthouses, villas, resorts, cabins and motels.
Around here, you can take a horsedrawn carriage, tour the Hunter Valley on a Harley, soar in a hot-air balloon, tee off from world-class golf courses, or take a leisurely cycle through the rolling countryside.
To the north, the rich hills of the Upper Hunter present other opportunities for discovering the essence of Australia’s rural heritage. Visit Singleton’s Military Museum, or taste Upper Hunter wines at local wineries. Lake Glenbawn is popular for sailing and fishing and the Wollemi National Park is a haven for camping.
See Hunter Valley from the air
- Balloon Safaris with Hunter Valley Ballooning
- Balloon Aloft Australia
- Cloud 9 Balloon Flights
- Hunter Valley Aviation
- Blue Sky Helicopters
- Avant Air
Book a tour
Where To Stay
What ever your taste and budget, accommodation is in abundance with self contained cottages and cabins set amongst the vines, superb guesthouses, charming bed & breakfast, and 5 star resorts.
Your only challenge now is choosing where to begin your ‘hunting’ expedition in Hunter Valley Wine Country.
Cosy guesthouses, villas, resorts, cabins and motels match the excellence of the wines of this region, as does the cuisine. Some farms also open their doors for overnight guests.
The area features rolling hills adorned with vines, sparkling waterways, rugged mountains, forests and fascinating towns reflecting Australia’s colonial heritage.
The Hunter, Australia’s oldest wine-producing area, where winemaking dates back more than 150 years, is only a two-hour drive from Sydney, close enough for a day trip and ideal for a weekend getaway. Its 70 wineries harvest grapes in February and March and welcome visitors year round.
Most are open for cellar-door tastings. Major wineries include Tyrrell’s, Lindemans, Wyndham Estate, and Rosemount Estate. Smaller wineries offer some distinctive wines, some only obtainable from the cellar door. And your host could very well be the one who tended the vines, picked the grapes, fermented the fruit and labelled the bottles.
Getting around is half the fun. You can take a bicycle trip along a vine trail, ride in a horse-drawn carriage with a picnic hamper or join a guided tasting tour with a local expert at the wheel.
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Experience the best of the Hunter Valley – Hunter Valley cycling, hot air ballooning, wine tasting and cooking classes.
The Hunter’s annual Vintage Harvest Festival, Opera in the Vineyards at Wyndham Estate, Jazz in the Vines at Tyrrells and wine shows attract many visitors. Activities range from hot-air ballooning, horse riding and bushwalking through World Heritage parks, to water sports, abseiling and golf.
Boutique accommodation
- Twin Trees Country Cottages
- Belford Country Cabins
- Patrick Plains Estate
- Thistle Hill Guest House
- Bluebush Estate
- Pokolbin Hill Chateau Resort
- The Sebel Kirkton Park
Hunter Valley farmstays
If you want to really experience rural Australia, then stay at one of the Upper Hunter’s working farms.
This area offers many family farmstays. Some farmstay properties feature heritage homesteads set in rugged bushland, giving your family the chance to step back in time. While there the kids can help out by feeding the farm animals. In the process they may come nose to nose (or nose to beak) with unexpected animals, like alpacas or guinea fowl. For something different, venture out on a 4WD night time safari, and see what other unusual animals you can discover.
For something different, venture out on a 4WD night time safari, and see what other unusual animals you can discover. To be in a unique natural environment, choose a farmstay near the World Heritage wilderness area of Barrington Tops National Park. This magnificent National Park features rugged mountains, gorges and dense forest and is a magnet for horse-riders and bushwalkers. Enjoy the friendly country hospitality of the residents of Dungog and Gloucester, historic towns with wide streets and well preserved buildings.
Maitland, in the heart of Hunter River Country, is a spectacular heritage city surrounded by a patchwork of lush green riverflats, where farms specialise in dairy cattle and fresh produce such as corn, pumpkins and juicy watermelons abound. Five minutes from Maitland is the historic river port of Morpeth, packed with cafes, galleries, antique and curio stores.
In Singleton and Upper Hunter Country you can explore vineyards, dairy farms and even tour an open cut mine. A visit to Hunter Valley Wine Country is a must to discover the region’s wine-growing history, where grapes have been grown since the 1860s. Nearby you can find evidence of ancient Aboriginal settlement: many caves and shelters have hand and tribal stencils dating back thousands of years. In Lake Macquarie take time to enjoy the bushland and wildlife of the Watagan Mountains and the quaint towns of Cooranbong and Mandalong.
Cool for Kids
- Go on a spooky night tour of Maitland Gaol, where you’ll be guided by ex-wardens, or maybe even a former inmate!
- See if you can tell the time on the southern hemisphere’s largest sundial, which can be found in Singleton
- Explore the Children’s Nursery Rhyme Garden, play putt putt golf or aqua golf at Hunter Valley Gardens or visit nearby Rusa Park Zoo
- Ride a horse or enjoy a horse and carriage ride
- Hire a canoe and paddle down fresh water streams
Nearest Airport: Newcastle (Williamtown) Airport
2-hour drive North of Sydney
More information: Hunter Valley Australia
Hunter Destinations
- Aberdeen
- Anna Bay
- Arcadia Vale
- Argenton
- Awaba
- Balcolyn
- Barnsley
- Belford
- Belmont
- Belmont North
- Bennetts Green
- Birmingham Gardens
- Blackalls Park
- Blacksmiths
- Bolton Point
- Bolwarra
- Bonnells Bay
- Boolaroo
- Booragul
- Branxton
- Brightwaters
- Broke
- Brunkerville
- Buttaba
- Cams Wharf
- Cardiff
- Cardiff Heights
- Cardiff South
- Carey Bay
- Catherine Hill Bay
- Caves Beach
- Cessnock
- Charlestown
- Clarence Town
- Coal Point
- Congewai
- Cooks Hill
- Cooranbong
- Croudace Bay
- Denman
- Dora Creek
- Dudley
- Dungog
- East Maitland
- Edgeworth
- Eleebana
- Eraring
- Fassifern
- Fennell Bay
- Fern Bay
- Fishing Point
- Floraville
- Freemans Waterhole
- Gateshead
- Glendale
- Gresford
- Greta
- Hamilton
- Hamilton South
- Hillsborough
- Hinton
- Holmesville
- Jerrys Plains
- Jewells
- Kahibah
- Karuah
- Kilaben Bay
- Killingworth
- Kotara South
- Kurri Kurri
- Lambton
- Lovedale
- Maitland
- Mandalong
- Marks Point
- Marmong Point
- Martinsville
- Milbrodale
- Mirrabooka
- Morisset
- Morisset Park
- Morpeth
- Mount Hutton
- Mount View
- Muswellbrook
- Myall Lakes
- Nelson Bay
- Newcastle
- Nords Wharf
- Paterson
- Pelaw Main
- Pelican
- Pokolbin
- Port Stephens
- Rankin Park
- Rathmines
- Raymond Terrace
- Redhead
- Rutherford
- Sandy Hollow
- Scone
- Seahampton
- Shoal Bay
- Singleton
- Soldiers Point
- Speers Point
- Stockton
- Sunshine
- Swansea
- Swansea Heads
- Tanilba Bay
- Teralba
- Tingira Heights
- Toronto
- Vacy
- Valentine
- Wakefield
- Wangi Wangi
- Warkworth
- Warners Bay
- West Wallsend
- Westbrook
- Whitebridge
- Williamtown
- Windale
- Windermere Park
- Wollombi
- Yarrawonga Park
Experiences
- Active
- Caravan and Camping
- City
- Cultural
- Eco Tourism
- Environmental
- Farm/Station
- Food and Wine
- Historic/Heritage
- Homestay
- Honeymoon
- Indulgence/Luxury
- Mountain
- Nature based
- Relaxation
- Remote
- Romance
- Rural/Country
- Soft Adventure
Popular Activities
- Abseiling
- Adventure
- Ballooning
- Beach
- Bird Watching
- Bungy Jumping
- Bush Walking
- Caving
- City Sightseeing
- Cruising
- Cycling
- Diving
- Driving
- Fishing - Beach
- Fishing - Deep Sea
- Fishing - Estuary
- Fishing - Game
- Fishing - Trout/Fly
- Fossicking
- Fruit Picking
- Gold prospecting
- Golfing
- Hang Gliding
- Horse Riding
- Jet Boating
- Kayaking
- Mountain Biking
- National Park
- Nightlife
- Off Road Driving
- Outback
- Quad Bike Riding
- Rainforest
- Reef
- Rock Climbing
- Scenic Flight
- Science and Technology
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Skiing - Grass
- Skydiving
- Swimming
- Theme Park
- Trail bike riding
- White Water Rafting
- Wilderness
- Wildlife
- Wind Surfing
- Wine Tasting
- Winery
- World Heritage
About Hunter
- State: New South Wales
- Region: Hunter
