The New South Wales Hunter Valley is an ideal destination for a girlfriends’ getaway, with plenty of fun activities on offer from wine tasting and fine dining, to spa experiences and unusual shopping opportunities. Here's our top five activities for the fairer sex to enjoy while in the Hunter Valley.
1. Stay At A Luxurious Resort With It All
There are plenty of places to consider in the Hunter Valley for a girlfriends’ getaway, but one of the best is Rydges Resort Hunter Valley. For one, it’s conveniently located in Lovedale, in the heart of the Lower Hunter wine country, and a stone’s throw from some of the region’s top cellar doors, and it’s also just a leisurely two-and-a-half hour drive from Sydney. Another plus is the accommodations, which include two and three-bedroom luxury villas equipped with all mod cons - ideal for friends - and as for facilities the resort has it all. They include fine dining venue called Redsalt, a large, full-service Ubika spa with features including a private retreat and a hairdressing salon, a casual eatery which doubles up as a craft beer pub, and a huge pool with plenty of sun loungers. And if you’re in the mood to be active during your getaway, there’s also world class golf on offer, a well-equipped gym and tennis courts. Rydges Resort Hunter Valley is an ideal pick for friends who want to enjoy quality time together and yet have their own space, and with so many top class facilities on site, you don’t have to venture anywhere else if you don’t want to.
2. Go Shopping
If you fancy a bit of shopping with a difference, the Australian Alpaca Barn in Pokolbin (www.australianalpaca.com) specialises in quality Alpaca products manufactured in Australia, New Zealand and Peru. Its comprehensive range includes coats, throw rugs, bedding, scarves, jumpers, yarn and accessories, hailing from the top Alpaca manufacturers resulting in superior quality Alpaca products. If sheepskin is more your thing, head for Mortels Sheepskin Factory in Thornton (www.mortels.com.au) for a fully guided factory tour, and to discover how UGG boots are made. The tour ends in a store where you can buy sheepskin products including those famous boots, and you can also take some time out for a coffee, sweets or lunch at the Café and Gift Gallery. Another unique shopping opportunity is found at the Wine Glass Gallery in the Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village (www.huntervalleygardens.com.au/hvg/visitor-info/village-shops/wine-glass-gallery). It has a large colourful range of wine glasses, specialising in unique art glass vases platters and bowls plus decorator pieces for your home, with many original artworks by award winning local artist Cheryl Cusick. Also on offer is a selection of scarves and sarongs, handbags, affordable jewellery, amusing coasters and wine glasses for special occasions.
3. Stock Up On Local Artisan Foods
Food grown and produced locally in the Hunter Valley is some of the most prized in the country. The region is home to more than 150 olive groves alone, producing high quality oils that are characterised by their fresh and bold flavours. Enjoying some of these local treats is a must for budding gourmands, and you can kill two birds with the one stone if you visit the Australian Regional Food Store And Café just off McDonalds Road in Pokolbin (www.huntervalleyonline.com.au/#!australian-regional-food-store/c1r48). Not only is this a great place to stock up on some delicious Australian produce, including chutneys, cheeses, sauces, spices, olives and more, but there’s also a lakeside restaurant which is part al fresco; on a good weather day you can sit out on the terrace, or venture into the natural gardens to enjoy a coffee by the lake while watching the antics of the resident ducks. If you want to go olive oil tasting, head for the tasting rooms at Pukara Estate (www.pukaraestate.com.au) to sample some of the region’s best oils and flavoured vinegars, and for exceptional dairy products, including hard-rind and soft cheeses, one to put on your list is the famous Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop (smellycheese.net.au/). Finally, at Lovedale Smokehouse Gourmet Pantry and Cafe (www.majorslane.com/) you can savour some of the region’s finest charcuterie, pates and relishes, while the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company (www.hvchocolate.com.au/site/index.cfm) infuses Belgian couverture chocolate with dried local fruits, nuts and confectionary.
4. Enjoy A Long Walk
Nestled among the vineyards and wineries is the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens (www.huntervalleygardens.com.au/), a tranquil spot to enjoy some fresh air and a leisurely stroll along its eight kilometres of walking paths and 24 hectares of beautifully manicured gardens. Highlights include 10 themed gardens, a children’s storybook garden, one of Australia’s finest rose gardens, an Italian grotto, and Indian mosaic and Oriental gardens, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Brokenback Ranges. There’s also a restaurant should you fancy a bite to eat. Hunter Valley Gardens is a popular destination for weddings for good reason; it’s also a place to take some time out and be enchanted by fragrances and colours. Another popular walk without being too taxing is the one kilometre Historic Wollombi Village Walk (www.huntervalleyvisitorcentre.com.au/businesses/detail/historic-wollombi-village-walk-2/), which meanders around the historic buildings and surrounds of Wollombi. A map is available at the Wollombi Museum. You can also enjoy a gentle walk that follows the Wollombi Brook, beginnning at the Wollombi Road west of cemetery (sign posted). Some of the many features include St John's Anglican Church, the Wollombi Tavern which dates back to 1868, and the Wollombi Cemetery which was consecreted by Bishop Tyrrell in 1849.
5. Go Wine Tasting, Or Sparkling Wine Tasting!
For visitors to the Hunter Valley there is a quite mind-boggling number of wineries and vineyards to choose from when it comes to wine tasting. Around the Pokolbin and Rothbury area alone there are dozens of top quality cellar doors in the lineup; some of our favourites include Audrey Wilkinson's, Piggs Peake, Carriages, and Scarborough. Audrey Wilkinson's is a top pick for its location, on top of a bluff with views, and for its excellent wine tasting setup with good wines, while Piggs Peake is more of a traditional winery and famous for hearty reds and Carriages is incredibly small. If you fancy dipping into sparking wine, head for Peterson House (www.petersonhouse.com.au/) which features a cellar door and oyster bar, and specialties including traditional sparkling varieties including a Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier (PCM) and Chardonnay Pinot Noir. However, also on offer for the more adventurous are seasonal offerings of red varieties of sparkling Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Chambourcin, and a small number of limited release sparkling whites.
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