This regional destination is pairingsmall-towncharm with trailblazing eco ambition.
The sky turns from pink to peach as we crunch over the gravel driveway leading to Shed by Zin, our farm-stay accommodation on the Eurunderee property owned by the Lowe family for six generations. It’s just before dusk and we have 22 per cent charge remaining on our EV, which is more than enough to have made the four-hour road trip from Sydney to Mudgee without experiencing any range anxiety.
The onsite EV chargers are just one of many eco initiatives winemaker David Lowe and his executive chef wife, Kim Currie, have implemented on the farm, the largest of its kind to go off-grid in Australia. After making the switch in 2025, there are now more than 400 solar panels and a battery system powering the cellar door, winery, machinery and processing plant, saving the biodynamic business about $85,000 in annual electricity costs.
Bask in the quiet of Lowe Family Wine Co.’s vineyard. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
“The solar panels are just one aspect of our sustainability initiatives," says David, pointing to a laminated to-do list the couple have been diligently working their way through for more than a decade.
Although Shed by Zin – all recycled tin, timber and glass – looks as if it might have been on this pocket of the property for centuries, the placement of the former artist’s studio some 100 metres down the hill from the solar panels that power it is, like everything else here, intentional.
The rustic charm of Shed by Zin. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Enjoy a snack
with your tasting at
Lowe Cellar Door. (Credit: Destination NSW)
David Lowe and Kim Currie, of Lowe Family Wine Co.
Relax in bucolic scenes. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Sipping in the sunshine at Lowe Cellar Door. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
“We realised that if we were going to ask people to care about what’s in their glass, we had to care about everything else around that," David tells me as we tour the vineyard’s Latin Quarter, planted with Mediterranean varietals such as pecorino, ansonica, vermentino and nero d’avola. “The Latin Quarter is about future-proofing the vineyard and preparing for a hotter, drier micro-climate."
“My family settled here in 1825 and I consider it my duty to look after the land," adds David, who has a degree in oenology, trained with industry legends such as Len Evans, and brought 25 years of wine industry experience back to Mudgee when he took over the family farm.
Althea by Zin bakes with ingredients from the Lowe Family Wine Co.’s organic, biodynamic garden. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
As executive chef at zin food + wine house, Kim was the culinary counterpart to David’s vision. After 10 years of setting a benchmark for dining in the region, and focusing on seasonal ingredients and additions straight from the estate’s organic garden, the restaurant’s doors are closing for the final time in December. But the ethos lives on in the sister business, Althea by Zin, which serves artisan savoury and sweet baked goods in downtown Mudgee.
Later, driving back towards town, the ‘small town, big things’ feeling returns in the form of a roadside honesty box with a sign advertising farm-fresh eggs and chilli jam. There’s no EFTPOS or QR code, just a tin and the assumption you’ll do the right thing.
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AI Prompt
Why Mudgee is the perfect reset
Linger over delicious food
and wines from Mudgee and the
surrounding region at Blue Wren
Farm’s The Barn. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Its restaurant
focuses on dishes made with fresh
seasonal produce. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Book into Shed by Zin for a serene country retreat. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Back in Mudgee proper, that mix of charm and ambition runs through the main streets: heritage shopfronts host smart wine bars, cafes turn out tasty treats and markets sell seasonal produce. With more than 30 cellar doors concentrated in the region, Mudgee is the kind of place where you can enjoy a tutored tasting with the actual winemaker. The dining options are also plentiful with many – including nearby The Barn at Blue Wren Farm – focusing on serving delicious meals created with high-quality, seasonal ingredients.
What makes Mudgee the perfect reset is the way the town holds space for both stillness and surprise. In a town with no traffic lights, the pace isn’t slow so much as considered. It’s where going off-grid and trusting the land adds up to a handy reminder: there are small towns in regional NSW doing big, important things and they’re closer than you think.
Where to eat in Mudgee
Enjoy paddock-to-plate dining at Pipeclay Pumphouse. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Gigi’s is a local favourite for breakfast at The Clairfield Hotel. Go to the Lowe Cellar Door for a grazing platter served with wines straight from the vineyard. Find paddock-to-plate dining at Pipeclay Pumphouse at Stein Winery, overlooking a pond filled with Australian banjo frogs. The barn at Blue Wren Farm showcases regional produce and is one of the most under-the-radar restaurants in NSW. Roth’s Wine Bar & Cellar serves tasty wood-fired pizzas and hosts live music and comedy nights. And you’ll find plenty of tasty bites at Mudgee’s wineries and cellar doors.
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Where to stay in Mudgee
Shed by Zin has a rustic luxe style. (Credit: Amber Hooper)
Shed by Zin is a rustic farm-stay on the grounds of Lowe Family Wine Co., offering vineyard views and easy access to the cellar door. Blue Wren Farm can sleep up to 20 guests in its luxury glamping tents and stylish self-contained accommodation, just 100 metres from the farm’s onsite restaurant. For more options, read our full list of the best places to stay in Mudgee.
Other things to do near Mudgee
Extend your stay in the Mudgee Region with a visit to the charming towns of Rylstone, Kandos and Gulgong. Be sure to sample the handmade dumplings at the famous 29 Nine 99 Yum Cha and Tea House in Rylstone, learn about the region’s industrial heritage at Kandos Museum and enjoy a cold beer at Gulgong’s historic Prince of Wales Hotel, pouring since 1872.
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Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
Discover the magic of a Sydney staycation in summer at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.
Sydney City is magical in summer. Warm summer evenings beg to be spent sipping cool cocktails at one of many al fresco and rooftop bars. Ferries and buses are ready to transport travellers to the best nearby beaches for salty days on the sand. National parks and rainforests are waiting to be explored. And the city’s events calendar is packed, from live music to cultural attractions. All elements that call for a Sydney staycation.
Discover where to eat, stay and play for the perfect local getaway.
Where to stay
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Sleep inside a 151-year-old icon.
Amid the bustle of the perfect Sydney staycation, one needs a place to escape to and recharge. Enter, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney. The hotel is an icon in its own right – nestled inside the 151-year-old building that was originally Sydney’s General Post Office, its heritage-listed sandstone walls and Victorian renaissance grandeur have been carefully preserved – providing a rare chance to sleep within Sydney’s history.
Despite its fascinating history, the hotel isn’t short on modern, luxurious comforts. Rooms and suites are available in both the modern high-rise with gorgeous views over the clock tower and lively city below, or inside the historical post office building itself.
Heritage rooms maintain their old-world style.
Either way, guests can enjoy sophisticated touches, including a deluxe bed and pillow menu, Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers, a digital concierge, a Vittoria coffee machine and amenities from the Balmain bathroom collection.
The team at this five-star hotel provides excellence and a quality experience for all their guests, while amenities like a gym help with a well-rounded stay. For a peaceful moment with sweeping city views, enter The Fullerton Club Lounge on level 28. This private haven for dining and relaxation is available to any guests staying on the hotel’s club floors and suites.
Add to this a central location in the CBD’s Martin Place, with easy access to Sydney’s top attractions, and convenience meets style.
Where to drink & dine
1. The Bar
Indulge in the Fullerton Signature Afternoon Tea.
Inside The Fullerton Hotel Sydney’s lobby, The Bar does more than sling a few delicious cocktails (although it certainly does that well). Its brown leather chairs and glass ceiling create the perfect, almost al fresco, setting for the Fullerton Signature Afternoon Tea.
Served daily from 12 to 4 pm, the afternoon tea is a nod to the cherished social occasion it once was during the Victorian Renaissance era. People like to dress up for this afternoon tea, and if you’re lucky, a pianist often sits down at the on-site grand piano, just adding to the elegance.
The afternoon tea is served high tea style, offering reimagined British flavours of the Victorian Renaissance era with a unique blend of Australia’s culinary heritage. A sweet layer offers delights like a Malted Milk Envelope (a milk mousse layered between two biscuits), Bakewell Pudding (a super tasty egg-based pudding), and Apple Charlotte.
On the savoury layer, expect finger sandwiches with fillings like cucumber, egg and smoked salmon. While classic pinwheels and stuffed eggs almost make the menu. And, of course, all finished off with traditional scones served with cream and mixed berry jam.
Can’t fit in a whole afternoon tea? Be sure to at least order a slice of the 32-layered chocolate cake, a decadent mix of dark chocolate crémeux, fresh whipped cream, and Valrhona Azélia chocolate sauce.
2. The Place
Dine in the stunning GPO atrium.
On level one of The Fullerton Hotel Sydney lives The Place – the hotel’s restaurant, in an atrium overlooking the former GPO. Here, dine on Modern Australian cuisine – think fresh, local seafood and a Riverina steak sandwich – along with a touch of Singaporean signature dishes, like Thai-style green curry or chicken satay. All in the shadow of the GPO clock tower, enjoying the GPO atrium’s natural light.
3. Local gelato
Enjoy ice cream in the sunshine. (Image: Destination NSW)
What is summer without ice cream and/or gelato? Luckily, there are plenty of options just a short walk from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, whether you’re craving a midday pick-me-up or an after-sun treat.
What to do/see
1. GPO Heritage Tour
Be awed by the building’s history.
Want to know more about the building you’re staying in? The Fullerton Hotel Sydney offers a complimentary 90-minute GPO Heritage Tour. Follow a knowledgeable tour guide to discover the stories, tales and legends of the former Sydney General Post Office building.
From the iconic clock tower (completed in 1891) to the black-and-white tiled staircase at 1 Martin Place, which was once the main entrance to the GPO and today serves as a prominent feature of the building to the 24 stone faces (mascarons) on the Martin Place side of the building. Part of the 1880s-era facade (designed by architect James Barnet), each represents different states, countries and continents.
2. Circular Quay
Catch a ferry from Circular Quay. (Image: Destination NSW)
An easy walk or light rail ride away from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, lies the bustling Circular Quay. Here, you can sit for a drink and nibbles at the Opera Bar, or head into the iconic house itself for a show. It’s also a major ferry port, becoming your gateway to Sydney’s beaches, Luna Park and even Sydney Zoo.
3. Royal Botanic Gardens
Wander through Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. (Image: Destination NSW)
Just beyond Circular Quay, discover Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Wander through this 30-hectare, heritage-listed, botanical garden – exploring its differing sections, from Australian native botanicals to garden beds of vibrant flowers to towering groves of international trees.
It’s also the perfect place for a picnic, so pick up supplies before you come and enjoy a spot on the grassy meadow looking out into the harbour.
4. Theatre Royal
Take in a show at Theatre Royal. (Image: Daniel Boud)
Just a one-minute walk from The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, take in a show at Theatre Royal. Built in 1976, the theatre has been offering a broad range of entertainment since the 1990s. Expect a show roster that ranges from the classics (like Cats) to the modern) like Pretty Woman: The Musical).
