Just a short 1 hour drive from where you'll pick up your Top Down Rentals car, the Hunter Valley is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. Over 150 wineries, most with cellar door tastings, grace this beautiful region which attracts wine-lovers from across the world year-round. Whether you're a lover of wine, nature or history, the Hunter offers plenty of things to do for visitors who are looking for something different. Dining is a particular highpoint. Foodies will find a tantalising array of farm-fresh produce and artisan foods, as well as top-notch restaurants offering everything from multi-course tasting menus to rustic country lunches and high teas. This beautiful valley is also famous for its picturesque vistas, elegant day spas, golf courses, and the World Heritage wilderness areas of Wollemi and Barrington Tops National Parks.

You'll also find plenty of activities for families in the Hunter Valley. Hovering over the countryside in a hot air balloon is a wonderful way to soak up the scenery, and kids love interacting with Aussie animals at the Hunter Valley Zoo. Other rewarding places to visit include the heritage trail in Wollombi; the Hunter Valley Gardens in Pokolbin; and Bathers Way, the popular seafront promenade in Newcastle, the valley's largest town. With all these diverse attractions and activities, it's easy to see why this alluring region is one of the most popular getaways from Sydney.

Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival

There’s no better time to take in the delights of Australia’s premium wine-growing region than during the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival. Spanning May and June each year the festival showcases the epicurean pleasures of this iconic food and wine destination and offers the perfect journey of discovery through the stunning region.

From incredible gourmet dinners at award-winning restaurants to vineyard tours, winemaking masterclasses, hands-on cooking classes and cosy evenings beside an open fire with friends, the Festival has something for everyone.

Experience the incredible hospitality of the Hunter Valley at these ever-popular signature events and treat your taste buds to a salivating line-up of premium wines and food.

Hunter Valley Gardens

Hunter Valley Gardens is a 225 hectare oasis of colour with 60 hectares of international display gardens. Offering a unique mix of activities for all age groups, short or long stay visits, special interest and casual groups. boutique shopping village, picnic ground and barbecue area and village green. Also on site are Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens (4½ star), Harrigan’s Irish Pub and Accommodation (4 star), and Roche wines.

The international display gardens incorporates 10 themed gardens with influences from around the world. Over 8km of pathways, more than 100 kilometres of underground irrigation, 6000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and 1 million ground covers have been planted and nurtured to create a legacy for generations to come – an exciting experience of sight, colour and fragrance to delight visitors of all ages and nationalities!

Hot-Air Ballooning

One of the best ways to appreciate the beautiful, bucolic landscapes of the Hunter Valley is to soar high above it in a hot air balloon. From above, the valley unfurls in a patchwork of fields and rolling, mist-cloaked hills studded with eucalyptus trees. Flights last about an hour, and sunrise is the best time to soak up the serenity and see kangaroos hopping across the fields. This is a romantic way to celebrate a wedding or anniversary. Family packages are also available and include photos and breakfast.

Hunter Valley Zoo

Hunter Valley Zoo is situated in Nulkaba in the Hunter. It features a wide variety of Australian and exotic mammals, birds and reptiles. A unique place for that special day with hands-on, interactive animal experiences, daily shows and fun relaxed atmosphere, Hunter Valley Zoo is the perfect location for any event.

Hunter Valley Markets

Rubbing shoulders with locals as they rifle through boxes of locally grown produce and handmade knick-knacks is one of the pleasures of visiting a country marketAnd the Hunter has several monthly markets where you can meet stallholders and hear their stories, while stocking up on local cheese, olives, jams, freshly baked bread, handmade soaps, clothes and more.

The Lovedale Long Lunch

This is a progressive-style lunch where food and wine lovers are invited to discover the wonders of Lovedale. Each May, a decadent line up of the Hunter Valley’s leading chefs team up with seven of Lovedale’s finest wineries and local entertainment for a weekend of foodie fun.

Gather a group of friends, stay in Lovedale accommodation, build your itinerary, book a bus and enjoy a fun and relaxing weekend away at the Hunter Valley’s biggest food and wine event of the year.

Concerts & Festivals

If an outdoor concert or festival isn’t on your bucket list you need to add it now! The Hunter Valley is the favourite destination for many of the world’s best known performers… Springsteen, Sting, The Eagles, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Cold Chisel… need we go on? They’re all lured by the stunning vineyard backdrop, great wines and country hospitality.

The Wollombi Wild Ride

A recreational mountain bike event in the Laguna area of the Hunter Valley is intended for riders of all standards with a flat 13.5km course, a hilly mid-distance 30km course and a longer course with plenty of hills for more experienced riders.

And that's not all...

The Hunter is chock-a-block with events all year round, from art and sculpture fairs, yoga classes, jazz concerts and a myriad of other exciting events to entertain you and your family whenever you visit.