This fertile patch of paradise north of Sydney is one of Australia’s prime wine-growing and gourmet-food producing regions. Lushly carpeted with vineyards and dotted with historic country towns, it’s a popular tourist region attracting holidaying families, gourmet food and wine lovers, and Sydneysiders wanting a relaxing weekend break from the big-city hustle-bustle.
Follow the wine trail past more than 120 wineries, where famous names like Lindemans and McWilliams produce award-winning semillon and shiraz wines, then book into a boutique guesthouse for spa pampering and gourmet local produce tastings.
The Hunter Valley is 75 mi (120 km) north of central Sydney, around a two-hour trip by car via Hwy 1. Singleton and Maitland are two of the region’s major centers, with other towns including the cheese and wine-making village of Pokolbin, the charming town of Cessnock and historic Wollombi.
To get here by public transport, catch a train from Sydney’s Central station to Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook or Scone. Hunter Valley Buses connect towns across the Hunter Valley region.
