Hunter Valley 

Getting There :  Driving from Sydney takes approximately two hours. Once you are on the Sydney – Newcastle freeway continue north until you see a sign saying Cessnock exit. Follow this until you see signs to Pokolbin and the Hunter Valley Wine Country.

Flights go to Cessnock airport or Newcastle. www.qantas.com.au   you can be connected with the tour company which operate from Sydney, Newcastle and Cessnock www.rovercoaches.com   another company that operates from Sydney is www.grayline.com.au   .
There is plenty of good accommodation available in the Hunter Valley, from luxury resorts to budget pubs.

 On a Friday afternoon, when it can take three or more hours to get there. From Sydney – Cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge and follow the Pacific Highway towards Hornsby. Before Hornsby (at Wahroonga) take National Highway 1 (F3 Freeway) north towards Newcastle. Continue north until you see a sign saying Cessnock/Hunter Valley exit. Follow this until you see signs to Pokolbin and the Hunter Valley Wine Country.

Most of the vineyards and hotels/guest houses are signposted, but not all and in the dark it can be difficult finding your way around so be sure to have a map of where you're headed before you leave home. (An alternate route is to take Tourist Route T33: Turn off National Highway 1, the F3 Freeway, at Peats Ridge. This route will take you through magnificent scenic mountains and eventually into the Wine Country at the historic town of Wollombi.)

Where to Stay.
Hunter Resort – www.hunterresort.com.au
Peppers Resort – www.peppers.com.au
Towers Estate – www.towerestate.com.au
Cambridge Retreat – www.cambridge-retreat.com.au
Ferguson ’s House – www.huntervalleygetaway.com.au
Tuscany Estate – www.tuscanywinestate.com.au
Lilies cottages – www.lilies.com.au
Hunter Olive House – www.hunterolivehouse.com.au
Cottages On Lovedale – www.cottageslovedale.net.au
Harrigan’s Irish pub – www.hvg.com.au
Thistle Hill BB- www.thill.com.au
The Grange on Hermitage – www.thegrangehermitage.com.au
Catersfield House – www.caterfield.com.au
Billabong Moon – www.billabongmoon.com.au

Vineyards – Hunter Valley.
There are heaps of wineries to taste, smell and buy. Here are a few of the larger ones, but there are various wineries scattered throughout the Hunter Valley region.

Rothbury Estate – Pokolbin
Peterson House – www.petersonhouse.com.au   in Pokolbin
Wyndham Estate – www.wyndhamestate.com in Dalwood
Tulloch Estate – www.tulloch.com.au in Pokolbin
Gartelmann Estate – www.gartelmann.com.au   in Lovedale
Tintilla Estate – www.tintilla.com in Pokolbin
Krinklewood Estate – www.krinkwood.com in Pokolbin

Scarborough Wine Co. - www.scarboroughwine.com.au at 179 Gillards Road, Pokolbin

Tyrrell's - The grandfather of all the estates now run by Bruce Tyrrell in true winemaker fashion

Where to Eat:

Terroir Restaurant – 1 Broke Road, Pokolbin www.hungerfordhill.com.au/terroir
Beltree @ Margan – 266 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin www.margan.com.au
Chez Pok – Ekerts Road, Pokolbin www.peppers.com.au/HunterDining
Leaves and Fishes – 373 Lovedale Road, Lovedale www.leavesandfishes.com
Tintilla Estate – 725 Heritage Road, Pokolbin www.tintilla.com
Magnum Café – Broke Road, Pokolbin www.petersonhouse.com.au
Café Crocodile – Broke Road, Pokolbin www.cafecrocodile.com.au
The Vineyards Estate – Hermitage Road, Pokolbin www.thevineyardestate.com.au

Other things to do whilst in The Hunter Valley

Balloons Aloft – www.ballooaloft.com.au
Hades Day Tours – www.hadesdaytours.com
Hunter Valley Day Tours – www.huntertourism.com/daytours
Wine Country Limo’s – www.winecountrylimousines.com.au
Tumbleweed Trike Tours – 0418 486 564
Balloon Safaris – www.balloonsafaris.com.au
Hunter Valley Helicopters – www.hunterwinehelicopters.com.au
Air Action – www.aerobatics.com.au

Festivals in the Hunter Valley

January – Tamburlaine at Twilight Concert www.mywinery.com
February – Drayton’s Vintage Fair www.draytonswines.com.au
March – April – Hunter Valley Harvest Festival www.winecountry.com.au and the Reg Lindsay Rodeo. Hunter Semillon and Seafood Festival www.huntersemillionseafood.com.au
May - Broke Fordwich Spirit of Wine www.winecountry.com.au and Lovedale Long Lunch www.lovedalelonglunch.com.au
June – Artscrawl www.winecountry.com.au
July to Sept – Festival of Flowers www.hvg.com.au
Sept – The feast of the Olive www.hunterolives.asn.au/feast
October – Opera in the Vineyards www.4-d.com.au and the Jazz Festival www.jazzinthevines.com.au
November – Rose Spectacular www.hvg.com.au

Sebel Kirkton Park (but avoid Room #1 which runs out of hot water when there's a full house.