Hunter Valley

Australia's oldest wine region, with Semillon and Shiraz wineries, sunrise hot-air balloon flights and gardens – Sydney's favourite weekend escape.

The Hunter Valley lies about 160 km north of Sydney in New South Wales and is Australia's oldest wine region, with vines planted since the 1820s. It is best known for aged Semillon and medium-bodied Shiraz. When visitors say "the Hunter Valley" they usually mean the Lower Hunter, centred on Pokolbin in the City of Cessnock, where more than 150 wineries, fine-dining restaurants, cheese and chocolate makers and golf resorts are scattered across rolling vineyards. Wine tasting is the main draw: join a tasting tour with transfers, hire a private driver or cycle between big names such as Tyrrell's, Audrey Wilkinson and Brokenwood. Sunrise balloon flights, the Hunter Valley Gardens and the zoo suit families; the historic villages of Wollombi, Morpeth and Broke offer a taste of the colonial era; and the Watagans, Yengo and, further afield, Barrington Tops National Park offer rainforest walks. The best seasons are the Feb–Apr harvest and spring from Sep–Nov; summer is hot, and winter's early-morning mists are ideal for ballooning. It's about 2 hours' drive from Sydney, or you can take the train to Maitland and transfer, but local public transport is sparse, so drive or join a tour – and never drive after tasting. Accommodation gets tight and prices rise on weekends and during festivals. Plan on 2–3 days.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries