Australia’s oldest wine-growing region flows with culinary, wellness and cultural surprises most are yet to experience.
Whether you’re celebrating the girls or a family milestone, the Hunter Valley is a rite of passage into group getaways. A grown-up’s funfair, 170 kilometres north of Sydney, its wineries are rich with personal memories I couldn’t make anywhere else (Elton John, Hope Estate misses you). But while big-name chardonnay and semillon producers headline itineraries, boutique operations, cultural experiences and nature trails cater to varied tastes. Presenting a week-long itinerary through undiscovered delights, begging to be uncorked by you and your favourite people.
Day 1: Arrive and linger longer in Broke
Savour the moment with a tasting at Winmark Wines. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Pokolbin boasts the Hunter Valley’s largest winery concentration, but its neighbour Broke stole the NSW Top Tiny Tourism Town crown in 2026.
Start at Broke’s Honey Wines Australia, an independent mead producer luring a national spotlight on the buzzy “honey wine" trend. The crew offer mead and honey tasting paddles for $25 per person.
Further down Wollombi Road, don’t let Winmark Wines’ outstanding chardonnay detract from its Sculpture Park. More than 45 pieces breathe life into the vines to create an inspired wander. Visitors with access needs are also welcome, with golf cart tours priced at $80 per hour for five people.
Learn the art of winemaking during a tasting. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Lunch is served at Margan Wines and Restaurant. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Estate-grown produce features in the dishes. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Don't skip dessert. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Broke is also a foodie flex as Margan Restaurant plates an exquisite lunch less than a 10-minute drive from Winmark. I recommend booking the Farmer’s Table experience, priced at $150 each, for a tour of its working farm and market garden, team introductions, a wine tasting and a wine-paired meal.
Then, check into one of the most convenient group stays in the region. Broke Estate houses a two-bedroom cottage from $350 per night, a luxurious glamping tent from $280 per night, and a Barbie-pink caravan from $350 per night. A communal firepit invites BYO wine and sunset conversations to wind into the night.
Day 2: Yengo National Park
Soak up the views from Finchley Lookout in Yengo National Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Lace up your boots for the World Heritage-listed Yengo National Park. A full-day tour with Wollombi Aboriginal Cultural Experiences will visit several spiritual sites amid a smoking ceremony, bush tucker education, weaving and more. It kicks off from the Wollombi Cultural Centre, about 32 kilometres from Broke Estate, at 10am on selected dates. Prices start from $80 for children and $180 for adults.
You’ll get back to your digs by about 5pm: the perfect time to settle in for a wine tasting without stepping foot outside. Unruly Wines sends mobile ‘Meet the Winemaker’ experiences to accommodations from $125, and there’s a wine, wine and cheese, or wine and chocolate experience to choose from.
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Day 3: Lovedale for cooking and Milbrodale for gin
Sip gin by the vineyards. (Image: Kawal Rock Distillery)
Reward yesterday’s high-yield step day with brunch indulgence. Majors Lane Cooking School in Lovedale, located 31 kilometres east of Broke Estate, is ready to polish up your kitchen skills. Starting at 9:30am on weekends, classes cover “low and slow" ribs and brisket, and traditional Thai and Greek dishes. It’s about $170 per person.
Then, head back towards Broke to dip your toes into the Hunter Valley’s Gin Trail. Kawal Rock Distillery in Milbrodale is a 15-minute drive from Broke Estate and a shining distillery star. Gin cocktails, food trucks and live music at the base of Sentry Rock, a stunning geological formation, feel like heaven.
There are 417 resort rooms to choose from. (Credit: Supplied)
Rydges Hunter Valley is resort accommodation at its best. (Credit: Supplied)
Sit poolside when the weather heats up. (Credit: Supplied)
Tonight, I recommend staying in the action at Rydges Hunter Valley, as there’s plenty of space (417 resort rooms, including accessible options), swimming pools and yet another craft beverage standout: Sydney Brewery Hunter Valley, located on-site.
Day 4: Pokolbin for hot air ballooning and Nulkaba for animals
Floating over the vineyards with Balloon Aloft as the sun rises is an unmissable experience. (Destination NSW)
Take your getaway sky-high with a sunrise hot air balloon saunter over the region. Balloon Aloft meets you at Pokolbin’s Peterson House to catch the break of dawn for $299 per person. Once you’re back, Peterson House puts on a hot breakfast and sparkling wine.
Then, meet the locals at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, where incredible animal encounters are too often overlooked. Located five minutes’ drive from Peterson House, the family-friendly day out offers heartwarming moments with capybaras, quokkas, lemurs, lions and more.
Wrap the day with a new hot spot in an old favourite. Lucia Roche Estate opened in September 2026, slinging stone-fired pizzas inside one of the Hunter Valley’s most-loved commercial wineries.
Day 5: Pokolbin for golf, day spas and cheesemaking
Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club is a scenic setting for golf. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Make this morning a choose-your-own adventure, navigated by everyone’s hobbies. For golfers, two of Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses sit within short driving distances from Rydges — The Vintage Golf Club at Château Élan and Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club — while a third, the Hunter Valley Golf Club, is right on-site.
Self-care devotees can also choose Château Élan for its 17-room-strong day spa, while Cypress Lakes Resort’s AvaniWell commands attention in the former Elysia/Golden Door digs atop the highest point in the Hunter Valley.
Is there a foodie in your group? The Hunter Valley Cheese Company in Pokolbin stages a seasonal cheesemaking workshop where dairy experts shine a light on craftsmanship while you count the minutes until tasting time. It’s priced at $200 per person and includes a take-home cheesemaking kit.
Reunite everyone for a stroll through Hunter Valley Gardens, another often-skipped attraction. Walking paths weave through 14 hectares of award-winning landscaping dotted with 35,000 rose bushes, 6,000 trees and artworks. Gates close at 5pm, unless it’s November to January when the annual Christmas Lights Spectacular transforms the property via immersive installations and entertainment.
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Day 6: Singleton for history and art
Try their signature dry-aged red gate farm duck, barbecued and glazed with cherry ferment.
Dedicate your final full day to Singleton, located about 36 kilometres northwest of Rydges. From a 30-tonne outdoor sundial and the Singleton Historical Society & Museum’s original ambulance cart relic, to enthralling contemporary art at the Singleton Arts and Cultural Centre, the town offers a portal into bygone times while hinting at the brightest of futures.
On the way back to Rydges, dine at the two-Chef-hatted EXP. Restaurant, which was the talk of the town in late 2026 for its house fermentation, native ingredient creativity and practically frameable plating.
Day 7: Depart via Broke
A wine tasting in the peaceful setting of Krinklewood Estate. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Embrace the Hunter Valley’s small-batch spirit by spending your final hours at my favourite off-the-beaten-track, single vineyard winery: Krinklewood Estate. A slice of French countryside smack-bang on Broke’s Wollombi Road, it’s home to my favourite rose and orange wines of now, best poured in the gravelled courtyard where resident peacocks scurry about.
Drink responsibly or make it an eight-day itinerary by staying in one of the extremely chic cabins — in this part of the world, I guarantee you, there’s always more to be discovered.
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Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
The outback is calling, and the adventure is made all the easier with this hot new AAT Kings’ tour.
It’s the desert palette of rust-red earth and vast cobalt sky that calls you at first, for where better to get away from it all than the outback? Of course, once you start driving, taking note of all the weathered pubs, dusty tracks and tiny towns held together with humour, resilience and more corrugated iron than ever deemed possible, something else grabs a hold of you: the idea that far from the celebrated icons and landmarks associated with Australia, you’re finally immersed in an authentic slice of local life that few have ever experienced.
Ancient landscapes, proud pastoral histories, ghost towns, culinary powerhouses and a rich Indigenous heritage; there are plenty of facets to life on the land. The best way to experience all of the above with both ease and like-minded friends? AAT Kings’ new Outback New South Wales Adventurer, a 9-day small group tour. This Sydney-return itinerary is designed to connect travellers not only with iconic outback destinations, but with the characters, culture and experiences that bring each place to life.
Highlights? The Adventurer has more than a few, but here are eight to start.
1. Broken Hill
See the striking art at Living Desert and Sculptures. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Welcome to Broken Hill, where mining history, outback eccentricity and a surprisingly rich arts scene unite in a rusty desert landscape. In Australia’s first heritage-listed city, exploration is quickly rewarded. Begin with a guided walking tour taking in the city’s grand Victorian and Art Deco architecture. Later, enjoy visits to both the Broken Hill City Art Gallery and the Living Desert and Sculptures – the perfect place to enjoy the changing colours of an outback sunset. Of course, no visit to Broken Hill is complete without a stop at the historic Palace Hotel Broken Hill, famous for its role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Happily, it makes for the perfect spot for dinner.
2. White Cliffs
Strap on your hardhat and head underground. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Strap on your hardhat and start spending your imaginary fortunes; White Cliffs, Australia’s oldest commercial opal field, is begging you to come in search of rare pineapple opals. Admittedly, you’re much more likely to find white opals, but the true gems of White Cliffs – where much is built underground to escape the desert heat – are everywhere.
Here, you’ll descend 13.5 metres underground into a working mine to learn about the region’s heritage, and observe how miners continue the search for these prized gemstones. Perhaps you’ll even find a couple yourself?
3. Mungo National Park
Spend time in the striking, lunar-like landscape of Mungo National Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)
With its lunar-like landscape made up of ancient, dried lake basins and sculpted sand and clay formations, a drive into UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park is somehow two things all at once: uniquely Australian with vast outback skies, and somehow otherworldly, as though you’ve been dropped off by spaceship. At its heart lies the iconic Walls of China, a 30-kilometre sand-and-clay lunette shaped by thousands of years of erosion.
Understanding more than 40,000 years of Barkindji, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa history begins with a visit to the Visitor Centre, and concludes with a sunset tour led by local Aboriginal guides. A key experience? Learning about the discovery of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady. At 40,000+ years old, these are among the oldest human remains found anywhere in the world.
4. Kinchega National Park
Meet the locals of Kinchega National Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Some come to Kinchega National Park for its iconic Darling River landscapes full of birdlife and haunting river red gums; others visit for its rich First Nations and pastoral history. Your visit will encompass all of the above, with a guided tour (part of AAT Kings’ MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience) designed to give a deeper understanding of Barkindji cultural heritage, history and traditions.
Walk with local guide David as he shares ancestral knowledge and creation stories, and explains how native plants – through bush food and bush medicine – have sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years. Then sit back and enjoy those views alongside native tea and sweet treats.
5. Griffith
Treat your tastebuds to ‘the food bowl of Australia’. (Credit: Destination NSW)
How can you say no to a visit to a destination widely regarded as ‘the food bowl of Australia’? Shaped by fertile farmland and home to approximately 75 per cent of New South Wales’ wine grapes, this is a day to roll up your sleeves and enjoy the best gastronomy the state has to offer. Think vineyards, cellar doors, cafes and restaurants largely shaped by its multicultural heart (Griffith is not only home to over 60 nationalities, but has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry anywhere in Australia).
6. Mudgee
Visit some of Mudgee’s best wineries. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Nestled by the Cudgegong River, Mudgee packs a big punch for a heritage country town, having carved a reputation for itself as one of the country’s leading (and award-winning) wine regions, a key epicurean destination, and a regional arts centre growing in both visibility and vibrancy.
Take a moment to enjoy the town’s 19th-century charm before heading to Lowe Family Wine Co. for a guided tasting of organic and biodynamic wine, followed by a relaxed lunch featuring a feast of homegrown and local produce. Will you walk away with bottles of Mudgee’s iconic reds under your arms? It’s a distinct possibility.
7. Silverton
See the living ghost town of Silverton.(Credit: Destination NSW)
A once-booming silver mining hub, the dystopian setting for Mad Max 2, and now a tranquil settlement that’s home to around 50 people; Silverton is considered a living ghost town and remains a sight to behold.
Take time to explore its heritage streets (and perhaps take a look at the quirky Mad Max 2 Museum) and the Silverton Hotel, an iconic outback pub, before a visit to Silverton Gaol & Historical Museum. It’s home to a wealth of colonial artefacts, early mining equipment and stories from the outback’s pioneering past which will serve to anchor you firmly in place.
8. Shear Outback
Get a glimpse behind the wool curtain. (Credit: Destination NSW)
If you ever find yourself singing, “click go the shears boys, click, click, click…”, you’ve come to the right place. Shear Outback, an award-winning tourist and education attraction located in Hay, brings to life the traditions and stories of one of the outback’s most enduring industries: sheep shearing.
Here, in the heart of the Riverina, you’ll enjoy live shearing demonstrations, meet the shearers, shedhands, sheepdogs and yes, sheep, who come together to show guests exactly what it takes to provide Australians with all that glorious wool.
