Hunter Valley

Steeped in history, the federation gothic building housing Maitland Regional Art Gallery is an awe inspiring example of early 1900's architecture. Officially opened in 1910, the building was constructed to house the Maitland Technical College, which it continued to do until 1987. Known locally as MRAG, each year the gallery shows thousands of artworks and creates hundreds of learning activities across 25 exhibitions annually, while sharing the 4,000+ art collection. The award winning building is as much a part of the experience as the artworks on display. Located on High Street at the eastern end of Central Maitland, the gallery offers a great diversity of spaces. Be it exhibitions, workshops, café lunches, shopping, talks, tours or events, MRAG is friendly and inviting. All public areas of the gallery can be reached by stairs and lift, with fully accessible public amenities conveniently located on the ground floor. Entry to MRAG’s carpark is via a rear service lane off James Street, and includes two dedicated disabled parking spaces.

The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region and home to some of the country's most distinctive and outstanding wines. The most recognised of these is the Hunter Valley semillon, the product of techniques and processes that have developed over 150 years of making wines. The region is also known for producing outstanding shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, verdelho and chardonnay. Discover the history of winemaking and sample award-winning drops on a tour. Organised group tours pick you up from your accommodation and provide transport to a wide range of wineries.

Barrington Tops National Park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Carved out of ancient volcanic flows, the park rises from near sea level to over 1,500 metres and protects one of the largest temperate rainforests in mainland Australia, with a host of diverse habitats home to a wide range of animals and birds. The park is a bushwalker’s haven with an excellent network of walking trails, from short and easy walks to more difficult overnight hikes with plenty of sites to set up a bush camp for the evening.

Discover more than 24 hectares of beautiful gardens at the foothills of the Broken Back Range in the heart of the Hunter Valley vineyards. Explore more than 8 km of pathways and ten themed gardens including the Indian Mosaic Garden, Italian Grotto, Rose Garden and Storybook Garden. The gardens also host a wide range of exciting events for adults and children throughout the year.

Learn how to create alcohol-infused candy at the Hunter Valley Resort's 90-minute Big Kids Candy cooking classes. Working alongside one of the resort's executive chefs, you will make peanut brittle, marshmallows and rocky road chocolate.

With a spectacular backdrop of vineyards and rugged mountain ranges, the Hunter Valley Golf and Country Club is a beautiful 18-hole championship course. Located at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, the fully accredited course measures 5,170 metres in length and is suited to golfers of all levels.

James Estate offers sweeping views of the spectacular mountain ranges and Baerami vineyard from the spacious cellar door sales and tasting area. Enjoy tasting the range of wines as you take in the natural beauty of the region. The ridge walk and mountain bike trails are accessible from the cellar door.

The lake is a premium outdoor leisure facility nestled among the hills at the foot of Mount Royal Range near Singleton. Swimming, sailing, water skiing, and camping are a few of the activities enjoyed on the lake. The NSW State Fisheries regularly stocks the lake with bass, golden and silver perch and catfish, making it a great location for fishing. Entry and camping fees apply. Bookings are essential for powered camp sites.

The museum houses railway memorabilia from both the steam and diesel eras. The site includes the old Station Master's residence that has been restored to its 1930s exterior appearance and colour scheme. The Rail Motor Society offers visitors tours on board the historical rail motors around the local area and across the state.

This volunteer non-profit museum was formed in 1979 to preserve the railway and mining heritage of the Hunter Valley. The museum runs trains on the first three Sundays of each month and every Sunday during school holidays, as well as offering mid week tours and special night time events.

The museum is based within the old Council Chambers (formerly lock-up cells) and has a wide variety of interesting artefacts on the history of Singleton including an original horse-drawn ambulance cart, farm machinery and kitchenware.

Relax and rejuvenate at this luxurious spa offering a wide range of treatments including facials, massages, manicures, pedicures and Healite ll therapy. The Spa Hydrotherapy Lounge features plunge pools overlooking the golf course and an infrared detox sauna.

Tocal is a 2,200-hectare property that features one of Australia's finest collections of colonial farm buildings dating from the 1830s. Book a tour to take in the highlights of the heritage site, including the Homestead, the Blackett Barn, Thunderbolt's Cottage and a range of original outbuildings and yards.

Werakata National Park is loved by locals and its perfect for a day trip from Sydney. There are great cycling and walking trails and in spring they're lined with purple, orange and yellow wildflowers, like acacias and banksias. Birdwatchers are never disappointed as the abundance of food in the park attracts endangered swift parrots, regent honeyeaters and many more colourful birds.

A steep and rugged landscape with wet and dry rainforest, rocky outcroppings, and eucalypt groves. Explore one of the many family friendly hiking tracks for the chance to see the park's animals including the wedge-tailed eagle, lyrebird and the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby. River camping and barbecues make it great location for settling down over a long weekend.

A rugged landscape of steep gorges and rocky ridges, just waiting to be explored by 4WD, mountain bike or foot. Part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Yengo has spectacular views, remote wilderness and unique Aboriginal cultural heritage, with an abundance of Aboriginal sacred sites and rock engravings to discover.

This collection includes unusual and exquisite items of clothing and handwork that reflect the fashion and ingenuity of Australians during times of deprivation such as the Great Depression, WWI and WWII.

This is a picturesque 6,487 metre, par 72 18-hole championship golf course and is ranked among the top resort courses in Australia.