Hunter Valley a Romantic getaway

Hunter Valley is one of Australia's premier wine growing districts
Whoever said Australia was all about beach and bush had clearly never been to the Hunter Valley region! How does mile after mile of vineyards sound for starters? Having now captured your attention, sit tight for a ride through Australia’s oldest wine growing region.

Only a 2 hour drive from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is home to an estimated 120 wineries, offering a vintage suited to every wine connoisseur’s palate, not to mention those of the novices! Here you will find everything from boutique to internationally acclaimed vineyards, offering the full spectrum of Chardonnays through to Shiraz, with a particular speciality in Semillons (which has been described as ‘Australia’s unique gift to the world’!).

What to do in Hunter Valley

Wine Tasting: It is suggested that you put at least a whole day aside for tasting, but then again why stop at 1? Once you get started you’ll probably wish you’d saved 3 days to sample the local grape. For hard core tasters, the doors of many wineries open at 9.30 in the morning, plenty of time to take a tour and even to cycle from one winery to another, stopping for lunch in between. See if you can cycle in a straight line by the end of the day!

Eating: The surroundings are a rural delight but the attractions do not end at the cellar door. Not only is the Hunter Valley a wine lover’s paradise, but it is also ‘foodie’ heaven. Good food and good wine have always gone hand in hand and the Hunter Valley is no exception. Expect to find cheese factories, delis, organic farm shops selling an eye boggling array of chutneys, jams and jellies, alongside numerous other culinary delights. The restaurants range from classy to rustic, but the general theme that runs through all is apparent - first class food and wine (although there is a good range of locally produced beers too!) served up in the mild climate and spectacular rural backdrop of the Valley. There are opportunities to join local wine and cooking schools too for wannabe Gordon Ramsays. To top off the day’s over-indulgence, it is a must to call in at the Hunter Valley Chocolate Factory, to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Music: Often with wine, comes sophisticated culture. Make your trip even more memorable by combining it with one of the many scheduled fairs, festivals, markets and events that are put on throughout the region annually. Carrying names such as ‘Opera in the Vineyards’, Tamburlaine Twilight Concert’ and ‘Jazz in the Vines’, who could fail to enjoy an alfresco evening in the company of fine wine and music?

Leisure Activities: The region offers far more than just gourmet delights however. To expunge the morning’s muzzy head, why not play a round of golf, or take a leisurely ride out through the Valley on a four footed friend, run by one of the local horse trek operators? The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world. You’re more likely to get a sure footed Dobbin than a fast paced Shergar for your trek, but that is probably not a bad thing. Alternatively, cruise down Hunter River in a canoe, or go bushwalking in nearby Barrington Tops National Park and mingle with the local birdlife. Better still, fly high above the vineyards in a hot air balloon, leaving at sunrise for full effect.

Shopping, Art and Relaxation: Or perhaps just meander lazily around the antiques shops and local artist’s studios and galleries. There is a real community feel and a slow pace of life that is infectious. At the end of a long but quite frankly relaxing day, why not indulge in further relaxation by booking into one of the region’s health spas. Can anybody have too much of a good thing?

With all of the above and more, it’s no wonder the Hunter Valley is Australia’s 6th most visited place according to tourism figures! It’s the perfect place to wind down, which is, after all, what a holiday should be all about.

Looking for Hunter Valley romantic retreat for two? Cheap Tickets and Air Tickets provide great deals on Hunter Valley romantic getaways.

Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley Travel planner

• Day 1.
  Sydney to Katoomba (2 hours 130 km). After the buzz and excitement of Sydney, head to the Blue Mountains, named for their distinctive blue haze caused by oil evaporating from millions of gum trees, and home to over 1500 species of plants and plenty of birds and wildlife. There are several small attractive towns along the way and the area is well set up for visitors — it’s a favourite spot for Sydney ciders to get away to in the weekends. Go bushwalking, see waterfalls, visit the antique shops, take a rail car ride ride up the mountains or a horse trek.

• Day 2.
  Spend the day exploring the towns of Leura and Katoomba. Visit the Wentworth Falls and take a drive to the Jenolan Caves to see the limestone formations. Have a picnic lunch somewhere in the park, or in one of the many private gardens open to visitors, or perhaps a game of golf at one of the five courses in the area before returning to your accommodation.

• Day 3.
  Leaving the Blue Mountains area travel to the Hunter Valley wine region via the pretty towns of Richmond and Windsor to Cessnock (2 hours 160 km). The drive takes in some typical Australian countryside and you are likely to see some wildlife along the way. From here you can explore the Hunter Valley wine region.

• Day 4.
  Pick up a wine country map and visit the vineyards for tasting and purchasing wines — there are over 50 wineries in the lower Hunter region. There are also plenty of cheeses and other specialty foods available and some outstanding cafes, antique and craft shops. There are several festivals held throughout the year as well so you may get the chance to enjoy opera in the Vineyards, Art Festivals, Jazz in the Vines, Harvest or Budburst festivals (check with the local Tourist Information Services). Visit the towns of Scone, Maitland, Pokolbin, Broke and Kurri Kurri.

• Day 5.
  Cessnock to Port Stephens and Sydney via Pacific Highway (200 km 2.5 hours) Drive to Port Stephens and Nelson Bay where you can go on a dolphin watching cruise and visit a koala habitat. Return south to Sydney down the Pacific Highway.