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This hidden Hunter Valley lavender farm just opened for the summer

Something beautiful is blossoming in the Hunter Valley this summer.

Hitting the beach, tackling a coastal hike, firing up the barbecue with friends – they’re all classic ways to fill your summer weekends. But if you’re craving a change of pace, we know of a soothing little detour that’s well worth the drive.

Just two hours north of Sydney, the picture-perfect Hunter Lavender Farm is hidden in plain sight among the region’s undulating green vineyards. The property bursts to life come summer, but the window to experience its fields in full bloom is surprisingly short.

The Hunter’s best-kept summer secret

Chances are, you haven’t heard of Broke. The tiny Hunter Valley town is oft-overshadowed by big crowd pleasers like Wollombi and Pokolbin – where visitors flock to check out the region’s famed wineries. But venture off the tourist route just a little and you’ll find it, as well as the Hunter Valley’s only lavender farm.

Backdropped by the Yellow Rock Escarpment and Brokenback Ranges, this peaceful pocket of paradise spans 14 acres – with rows upon rows of blooming lavender. You’ll catch it on the breeze before you see it, the heady scent greeting you at the gates and invoking an instant air of calm.

Hunter Lavender Farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW
Hunter Lavender Farm is tucked in the tiny town of Broke, NSW.

The farm is run by local couple Marianne and JR, who combined their love for the Hunter Valley, where they married, with their memories of a honeymoon in Provence, France. After starting off small, the duo now cultivates three species of lavender – English, Lavendin and Spanish – all grown using organic methods of farming and permaculture.

It’s a sustainable approach that’s helped Hunter Lavender Farm flourish, with the property now preparing for its fourth season. Like many lavender farms across Australia, the flowers here typically bloom between early and mid-summer, leaving roughly four weeks to catch the fields in full colour. So while the window may be small, it’s officially open!

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Your guide to Hunter Lavender Farm

Hunter Lavender Farm is designed for unhurried days, with more to experience than you might expect. Kick things off among the rows of blooms, like a sea of purple stretching out in all directions. For just $16 per person, you’ll get full access to the lavender fields for an hour.

Hunter Lavender Farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW
Mini photo sessions provide the perfect souvenir.

For anyone celebrating, the mini photo session delivers the perfect keepsake. A professional photographer will guide you through a 20-minute shoot, from which you can choose up to 15 images. You’ll then have the next hour to wander the fields at your own pace, snapping as many photos as you like along the way.

If you want something more hands-on, sign up for a beekeeping workshop. Held at the farm’s sustainable beehive, you’ll learn the basics before donning a protective suit and inspecting the hive for yourself.

Or try your hand at honey harvesting, where you can collect your own raw honey from the hive to take home. Classes are priced at $115 and $65, respectively.

Hunter Lavender Farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW
Learn the basics of beekeeping with a hands-on workshop.

For those keen on reaping the natural benefits of their surrounds, join a morning yoga class among the blooms for $88 per person. Breathe in the calming scent of lavender as you bend into downward dog, stretching your body and awakening your senses.

The 60-minute guided session is completed with a ceremonial cup of lavender cacao, followed by a soothing sound bath and breathwork lesson. Held on 31 December, it’s the ultimate way to release the year that was and welcome 2026 with a fresh perspective.

Hunter Lavender Farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW
Reset your mind and body with a guided yoga session among the blooms.

On your way out, be sure to stop in at the Farm Shop. All products are made using lavender from the farm, including perfume, candles, oils, eye pillows, soap sets, honey, tea and lollies.

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Know before you go

Hunter Lavender Farm is located in Broke, a 2.5-hour drive from Sydney or just over an hour from Newcastle. It is now open for the summer season, running from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 10am–5pm. It will close for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Lavender flows in bloom
Three species of lavender are grown at the farm. (Image: Getty/Kisa Markiza)

The best way to reach the farm is by car, with plenty of parking available on-site. The nearest train station is in Singleton, around half an hour away by taxi. For bigger groups, local charter bus companies are the best option.

To ensure each guest/group has the time and space to enjoy their experience properly, bookings are essential and walk-ins are generally not accepted. To make a reservation, head to the Hunter Lavender Farm website.

Address: 125 Adams Peak Road, Broke, NSW 2330.

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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The secret Sydney suite life: a luxury under-the-radar stay right on the harbour

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.

    Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).

    All-inclusive VIP benefits

    Who Is Elijah Amenities at Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay

    Pier One Sydney Harbour

    Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)

    The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.

    If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.

    Pier One Suites

    Pier One Sydney Harbour admiral suite
    Enjoy incredible views from your suite.

    Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.

    United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.

    But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.

    Dining at Pier One

    Pier Bar Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.

    Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.

    PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.

    Around town

    luna park, sydney opera house and sydney harbour bridge
    Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.

    You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.

    Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.

    Ready to make that Pier One stay a reality? Book the ultimate Sydney staycation at pieronesydneyharbour.com.au