The Hunter Valley.Delicious wine...Wonderful scenery. The Hunter Valley is a region of New South Wales, which stretches from the Goulburn River and Wollemi National Park to the South right up to Barrington Tops National Park to the North. It is approximately 160 kilometres north of Sydney and not only does it boast wonderful scenery, but it is also home to large wine and coaling industries. This is Australia's most famous wine growing region, known for both its red and white wine varieties, however the most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining, mostly for export. 
Newcastle, situated at the mouth of the Hunter River, includes Lake Macquarie and is the largest city in the region. It is also home to the world's largest coal exporting facility, most of which is brought to port via the railways into the Hunter Valley. The Hunter River is one of the major eastwards-flowing rivers of South-Eastern Australia. The Hunter Valley region is a major tourist destination in Australia, especially with those of us who like a drop (hic). There are regular events held here for visitors, including the Steam Trains, running the first three Sundays of each month, and regular scenic cruises on the river and Lake Macquarie. The Lower Hunter has a large number of wonderful vineyards, producing some of the world’s finest wines, as well as great restaurants, shops, golf courses and some of Australia's best hotels. The Upper Hunter Valley area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world.
There are around 40 or more wineries based around Pokolbin, North West of Cessnock, with the majority open for wine tasting and, of course, sales. This is one of the oldest and most famous wine regions in Australia, boasting many of the large names in wine, including Lindemans Wine, Tyrell's Vineyards and Wyndham Estate. Although some wines can only be bought from certain wineries, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz and Verdelho can be found in most of the vineyards. The best vintage years for both red and white wines include 1979, 1983, 1996 and 1999, although both the 1980's and 1990's have also seen several other good years.
Food and accommodation also aren't a problem here.There is a wide variety of restaurants serving a selection of local grown vegetables, locally bred game and delicious seafood from Port Stephens . The area also has a host of accommodation options ranging from pubs and guesthouses to private cabins and luxury hotels. But...the excellent wines and great food aren't the only good things that the region offers. Alongside the natural laid back and relaxed atmosphere you can also find plenty of other attractions to suit every taste, from horse riding and golf to hot air ballooning and sky diving. The Hunter Valley is also a great place for music and entertainment during one of its many festivals.
Whatever turns you on! Many spectacular buildings can also be found in the region. Amongst the marvelous scenery you’ll find several galleries and museums displaying various antiques and crafts including glassware, jewellery, paintings, sculptures and wrought iron. It is also worth trying one of the local delicacies which include bread and pastries, cheeses and chocolates. The numerous towns around the Lower Hunter all offer something different and unique to the visitor.
Branxton and Greta are popular for their markets and festivals, Cessnock has a range of accommodation as well as modern shopping areas set amongst its heritage buildings and craft shops, and Kurri Kurri hosts several heritage country pubs as well as a mining museum. It is also popular for a mixture of sports including bowls, golf, squash and tennis. The rural community of Wollombi still lives in the 1930's, the time in which it was settled. You can wander along taking in the historic atmosphere, go horse riding, or even explore the nearby bushland. For wonderful views of the Brokenback Range head to Broke, or for museums and antique shops go to the old river port of Morpeth. Denman is a good base from which to explore the Upper Hunter, as are nearby Singleton and Muswellbrook. A variety of accommodation can be found around Denman, as well as a rather unique information centre. It is situated in the Old Carriage Restaurant, which is actually inside an old train carriage. Muswellbrook is an historic town containing a range of interesting historic buildings and Singleton is also an historic coaling town, founded in 1820, and one of the earliest to be founded in New South Wales. It has a museum telling its history, within the old jail. As I said, delicious wine, wonderful scenery......enjoy, John.
Discount Shopping | Discount Travel | Special Travel Deals | Discount Attractions Our RSS feed will be updated periodically with all the latest travel deals and special offers. Please subscribe by clicking the button to the left (XML/RSS) to receive notice of these updates without any risk or obligation. PLEASE NOTE: If you don't know what an RSS feed is just click this link. Click here to return from The Hunter Valley to The Discount Travel Guide home page. |
The Lower Hunter Valley is divided into 5 main areas, including the Wollombi Valley area to the South west, the Mount View area just North of this, the Cessnock area to the South east, leading into the Pokolbin and Rothbury area in the North west and the Lovedale and North Rothbury area in the North east.
Whatever you are interested in you are sure to find something to suit your needs, from folk to jazz to opera. 
