Hunter Valley travel destination

TEST OF TIME

Tourism has transformed an economic powerhouse and nearby wine producing region into a haven for visitors.

Newcastle is the second largest city in the state and has reinvented itself from an industrial giant serving the mining and steelmaking industries, into a cosmopolitan and sophisticated tourist destination. It lies on the coast 155 kilometres north of Sydney and is accessible by the main freeway.

The coal industry began on a small scale in 1798, using convict labour. A penal settlement was founded in 1804, although it lasted just two decades. By that time, the industrial potential of the area was recognised and by the 1850s a wide range of industries were well established. In 1911, BHP built a major steelworks, which operated throughout the 20th century. As heavy industry wound down in recent years, tourism began to supplant it in economic value.

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Newcastle now has a wealth of beautiful colonial and Victorian buildings. The waterfront has been rejuvenated and the many beaches and parks attract locals and tourist alike. There’s a regional museum in Hunter Street, while the Newcastle Region Art Gallery has a significant collection of art dating back to colonial times.

Morpeth lies 37 kilometres north west of Newcastle. It was originally called Green Hills, but changed to Morpeth in the 1830s. In 1969, it was amalgamated into Maitland. With a beautiful position beside the Hunter River, Morpeth has many well preserved historic buildings.

Maitland is 32 kilometres north west of Newcastle. Proclaimed in 1833, it rapidly became one of the most important towns in the Hunter Valley. In reality, there were two separate towns developing in close proximity which, in 1835, were designated East Maitland and West Maitland. Floods have always been a problem for the town, with the disastrous 1955 flood seeing 11 people lose their lives.

There are many fine colonial homes, public buildings and intact streetscapes listed by the National Trust, giving it something of a time capsule quality.

Kurri Kurri made its name as a mining town when coal was discovered in 1856. The rich Greta seam spurred development, with the first coal mines opening in 1891. Much of the hard toil and tragedy of the area is chronicled in the Sir Edgeworth David Memorial Museum, located in an old schoolhouse on the grounds of Kurri Kurri High School. The Richmond Vale Railway Museum and the Richmond Main Heritage Park is built around equipment that serviced the mines, and steam train rides are available on scheduled weekend services.

Cessnock, the entry into the Hunter Valley for many travellers from Sydney, lies 150 kilometres north of the city. In recent times, the spread of the Hunter Valley wine industry has meant that there are wineries and accommodation virtually on Cessnock’s doorstep. Hunter Valley Wine Country Visitors’ Centre at Turner Park is a good place to begin exploring the region.

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Pokolbin is the epicentre of the Lower Hunter wineries, taking in neighbouring Lovedale, Mount View and Rothbury. The first vineyard was established near Greta by James Busby in the 1830s, with vines he brought back from France and Spain. Names now synonymous with the area moved in during the mid 19th century. First it was the Draytons, followed by the Tyrrells. What we now know as the Hunter Valley wine industry started in earnest in the 1960s, but it was not until the 1980s that it became a favourite boutique weekend destination for Sydneysiders.

Festivals held throughout the year keep interest high. Spring, with the promise of a new season, is a major focus; as is the Harvest Festival, which extends through February to April.

There are many wineries with cellar door tastings and sales. With expansive vineyards threaded through quiet country roads, the Hunter Valley is a very pretty place to visit. Accommodation in the Hunter Valley ranges from up-market resorts to B&B establishments, self-contained cottages, farm stays, guesthouses and the like.

A range of restaurants and cafes serve great local produce, partnered with local wines. Another great option is to have a picnic with the vineyards as a backdrop. For the more adventurous, there is horse riding, parachuting, hot-air ballooning, carriage tours of the wineries, cycling and 4WD expeditions.

Wollombi lies 29 kilometres south west of Cessnock and was originally a main junction of the Great North Road from Sydney. A convict built road into the Hunter Valley was constructed between 1826 and 1834. The village began to develop in the 1830s, but it never progressed beyond its humble origins. With a number of pristine colonial buildings and a quaint timeless streetscape, Wollombi has resisted the push of time. The Wollombi Tavern is the social hub of the area.

The Upper Hunter Valley, an area renowned for its horse studs and breeding, also has many wineries. They are scattered through such places as Denman, Scone, Wybong, Jerrys Plains, Muswellbrook, Gungal and Sandy Hollow. Muswellbrook, at the northern extremity of the Upper Hunter, lies 257 kilometres north of Sydney. Coalmining remains an important industry and there are two major power stations supplying electricity along the east coast.

The town was laid out beside the Hunter River in 1833 and was originally called Musclebrook. Various spellings occurred throughout the years and it officially became Muswellbrook in the late 1940s. There are many fine heritage buildings to explore.