As a wee lass from the southwest of Western Australia, I’m no stranger to rolling hills dotted with buses full of tourists tanked to the eyeballs on fancy plonk, but the Hunter Valley had surprisingly less of the overhyped touristy vibe and more of the quaint and affordable (including luxury-style) restaurants, accommodation and wineries on offer.
The Hunter Valley region, specifically Pokolbin, is a twohour drive north of Sydney and it is one of the most well-known wine regions of Australia with a viticultural history dating back to the early 1800s. There are some of the better-known wineries such as Tyrell Wines and De Bortoli Wines, but it’s the family-run boutique operations that were quite often the stand-out offerings during my time in the Hunter Valley. With its varietals of semillon and shiraz winning the gold medals, I found my taste buds taking an about-turn on the semillon that has changed my perspective on this grape varietal. Our luxury touring event with our guests from Tiffin and the Jayco team meant we could splice a number of local tastings into the itinerary as a matter of work-related necessity.
Nightingale Wines has a spectacular view of Yellow Rock Mountain
Land before time
The Wonnarua people were the first inhabitants of the Hunter Valley and have occupied the upper Hunter for at least 30,000 years. Due to its incredible climate and rich, fertile soil, it’s not surprising the inhabitants of this land took a special liking to it. Our visit in May was met with blue skies and sunny open arms — perhaps unseasonably warm – but nonetheless shone a very rosy light across the undulating landscape.
Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort accommodation is positioned conveniently near most of the wineries in Pokolbin and was our landing place for a few nights. It has a long, regal driveway which meanders through a very well-manicured golf course, and up through its tiered, winding roads towards our treetop apartment. I get a bit giggly and excited when the main mode of transportation is a golf buggy — makes me dream of island-hopping escapes or some preppy Hamptons summer break — although don’t be perturbed by my own ridiculous ideas about luxury; there is nothing pretentious about the resort, and it’s great for a multitude of activities like golfing, touring the wineries or even going on bush walks with the family around the property.
A rather imposing entry at Bimbadgen Winery
Vue De Monde
After our first night of meeting our guests for a lavish dinner at The Cellar Restaurant, it was an early start the next day for breakfast by the pool at Oaks and then off for some touring shots and lunch at Bimbadgen winery down the road.
Bimbadgen hosts many events such as A Day on the Green — understandably so with its magnificent view from the restaurant (the name Bimbadgen is a local indigenous term for ‘place of good view’) and acres of grapevines sloping down into the valley. One can always drop in by helicopter (the grounds are equipped with a helipad) or via motorhome as we did, and have a picnic lunch prepared for you on arrival. There’s an impressive entrance to the restaurant which opens up onto an expansive room filled with tanks of wine that are being bottled for the purpose of your drinking pleasure at the cellar door, or as we did, with lunch at the restaurant upstairs. Mulpha Australia Group acquired the property in 1997 and have since sought the expertise of general manager Adam Norris and his team, who have set the standards high for excellence in hospitality and the production of some incredible wines.
With spots like this, Bimbadgen is a perfect venue for a wedding
Our next day of touring saw us take to the highest panoramic 360-degree view we could find in the area at Audrey Wilkinson’s winery, for a sunset shoot and a wine tasting (or ten). Our shoot was unexpectedly delayed by a helicopter drop-off of some tourists, but it was worth the interesting chat we had with the pilot as we waited. Just as she was quite enamoured with the luxury motorhomes we were cruising around in; we were equally fascinated by her job as a pilot flying people around the Hunter Valley. She said she had given up her corporate gig of many years (and saved hard to rack up her hours in the air) to finally land her dream job flying a helicopter. Stories like that are always heartening, knowing that with drive and passion, we can all strive to make our dreams a reality.
Peter Quilty enjoying his time in the Circa 1876 whisky den
Amongst the vines
We were lucky enough to fit in one more day of touring and a photoshoot at Nightingale Wines while the sun was still shining. Nightingale Winery is a small boutique winery with a cellar door, restaurant and villa accommodation. However, you can also drive your RV straight up to the driveaway and park for the night, waking up to a glorious view of Yellow Rock Mountain and acres of grapevines, for as little as $15 per night.
Hunter Valley Journey Planner
Eat
- Circa 1876 at The Convent. A stand-out menu (Chef’s Hatted) with a whisky den, this converted convent is an experience worth forking a little cash out for.
- Blaxland Inn is a well-known local restaurant with a country atmosphere and comfort food for the soul.
- For everything local and organic, Love Kitchen is a healthy lunch time option.
Drink
- Bimbadgen Winery Come for the food or celebrate with a view at their cellar door. Be sure to taste the semillon!
- Nightingale Wines Pop in for lunch and stay the night in your RV at this small boutique winery.
- Audrey Wilkinson Winery Experience 150-years of winemaking legacy and 360-degree views of the Hunter Valley.
Stay
- Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort Conveniently located in central Pokolbin, the Oaks includes a golf and country club, tennis courts, multiple pools and self-contained villas. They can also organise transport to and from your rooms to various cellar doors and restaurants around the area.
- Wine Country Tourist Park Just outside of Pokolbin in Nulkaba this tourist park is pet-friendly, has bike hire and a children’s playground and is less than 500m across the road from Potters Brewery — perfect for a quick frothy or a meal with a short walk home.
Getting There
There are a number of ways to get to the Hunter Valley. If you’re driving, the quickest route is the Hunter Expressway from Newcastle Interchange to either Wine Country Drive or Hermitage Road. For a more scenic route through the mountains to the historic town of Wollombi, take the aptly named Tourist Drive 33 along the Great North Road as it wends through the area and all its major spots. From Sydney the journey is approximately 160km and will take about two hours.
Alternatively, there are two train sevices, the cityrail to Maitland or Morrisset and the Countrylink express service to Singleton Station, to get you there.
If you really want to splurge though, charter a helicopter or private plane to Cessnock Airport.
