The Wanderer
It's not every day you find yourself watching your mother-in-law draw back a bowstring, eyes narrowed, arrow steady, releasing it into the air with more determination than any of us expected. At the Hunter Farm Adventure Centre, archery is just one of the many ways to step outside the usual Hunter Valley script. You can jump on a Segway (and I do!), take a trail ride on horseback, or simply let the kids loose watching alpacas and miniature ponies do their thing. And that's the magic of coming here before the summer crush — the Hunter opens itself up differently, with room to notice the unexpected.
The drive north feels like part of the exhale. Leaving Sydney just after the morning rush, the traffic lightens with every kilometre; slick apartment buildings giving way to bushland and wide, easy highways. Holiday mode kicks in somewhere around the Hawkesbury, where the freeway unfurls ahead and the stress of the city finally drops away. In peak holiday season, these roads heave with RVs and day-trippers; in September, they feel like they're ours alone.
Wine always lingers as the promise ahead, and we've timed our visit out of peak holiday season – no queues, no rushed tastings, just unhurried conversations and space to linger. At Gartelmann Wines, brunch blends into a morning tasting for those not behind the wheel. Somehow, after eggs and coffee, swirling a glass of semillon feels indulgent, almost decadent. My stepfather-in-law orders a mixed dozen to take home for a family reunion, the kind of impulsive purchase made easier when there's time to chat and savour.
At Vamp Wine Rooms the energy shifts – bold, theatrical, unapologetically different. Lisa McGuigan has reimagined what a Hunter cellar door can look like, creating a space that's part gallery, part tasting room. I've always loved the unexpected touches here – from armoury-inspired interiors to the infamous black toilet paper; and the muscat is a true highlight in the dessert wine space, velvety and lingering. I leave feeling like I've sipped both creativity and craftsmanship in a single glass.
Tulloch Wines draws us in with something gentler: flights that include the kids. Juice and chocolate milk are served with the same reverence as wine, and the whole family is part of the ritual. For once, the kids don't feel like bystanders, and that changes the trip dynamics. With two children in our group of six, it means we stay longer, soak in the atmosphere, and spend over an hour talking with each other and some of the Tulloch Wines tasting team.
And when we finally step away from the cellar doors, the Hunter shows another side. The climb to Pokolbin Lookout proves that. We drive as far as the road allows before it narrows into a rough 4WD track, then walk the final 600 metres on foot. The reward is vast – valley views spilling out in every direction, vines stitched between bushland and farmland, the light falling soft across it all. From up here, the region reveals its true shape: a landscape built on soil and sky first, with the cellars tucked quietly into its folds.
Back below, colour bursts everywhere. Hunter Valley Gardens is alive with roses in full bloom, lavender humming with bees, and cherry blossoms dusting the paths. Our eldest runs between fountains and fairy-tale statues, map in hand, directing us from one corner to the next. The adults stroll more slowly, enjoying the kinds of conversations that only happen when you're not pressed for time. There's anticipation in the air too – the famous Christmas Lights Spectacular is about to begin. But for now the gardens belong to spring; calm and spacious before the crowds arrive.
Where you park up matters, and Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley turns out to be just the place. Cabins sit alongside powered sites, lawns stretch wide enough for the kids to run off the day, and the pool glints in the late afternoon sun. Even here, the off-season makes itself felt: neighbours to chat with if you want company, but never that packed-to-the-brim sense you get in December. The kids brave the pool and bounce themselves silly on the giant jumping pillow. Dinner is easy – a barbecue outside or something whipped up in the camp kitchen – but the highlight is later, sitting back with a bottle of Gartelmann semillon and the chocolate we picked up earlier at the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company, while the sky melts from gold to indigo.
The kids chase each other across the grass, the air is warm but not heavy, and the valley seems to settle into itself. And I'm reminded why travelling in the shoulder season feels so special. The Hunter isn't rushing yet. It hasn't been claimed by holiday crowds. It's open and generous and a little surprising – a place where wine waits patiently, adventures sneak in sideways, and time stretches long enough to take it all in.
JOURNEY PLANNER
The Hunter Valley is about a two-hour drive north of Sydney, mostly on RV-friendly highways. Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley offers powered sites, cabins, a pool and a camp kitchen.
• huntervalley.com.au/adventure
The writer was a guest of the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association (HVWTA) and Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley.
Category: Features
Written: Sat 01 Nov 2025
Printed: November, 2025
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