Hunter Valley Info
Introduction
The Hunter Valley Region in the coastal state of New South Wales is one of the most popular destinations in Australia. This large region has a relatively small population for its size, but draws more than 2-and-a-half million visitors each year with its marvelous attractions. The land along the coast boasts beautiful ocean views and world famous surfing. Inland the terrain opens up into a mild, undulating landscape, populated by first-class vineyards and wineries. This is a relaxed destination and should be seen leisurely, allowing you to fully savor the peaceful landscapes and pleasant people.
Visiting the Hunter Valley Region
The two main cities are Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, immediately adjacent to one another. Built right on the Pacific Coast, the cities are beautiful and bustling centers, offering plenty of culture and activities to visitors. It is wise to start in one of these cities while you organize the rest of your stay in Hunter Valley, as you can get set up with surf lessons, snorkeling, or kayaking on the coast, or select the best options for wine tours. Newcastle also hosts Australia’s largest surfing tournament, Surfest, every year, (though recently the competition moved a few kilometers south to Merewether Beach for more reliable wave and weather conditions). Whether you are a surfer or not, it’s a righteous thrill to watch these masters carve it up on the huge swells.
Taking a tour of the local vineyards is an absolute must for your visit. Take your time and see each one at a leisurely pace, getting to know the different flavors and aromas of New South Wales wine. There are many competing tour companies, so you have to decide what is best for you. You can bike around on your own, participate in a group bus tour, or even get a limousine escort. Some vineyards also have guest houses with gorgeous facilities for those who want to stay on the grounds.
If you get the chance, June is a great time of year to visit the region. It has been declared “wine and food month,” and there are many gastronomically delightful special events devoted to wine, cheese, and other gourmet treats. Remember that June means winter in the Southern hemisphere, but highs are still in the 60s, and it rarely dips below 50 degrees at night. Pack for temperate, but somewhat chilly and damp weather in the winter months. In summertime, the temperature remains mild, with somewhat less rainfall. Highs rarely exceed 80 degrees, and lows hover in the mid-60s, making it very pleasant weather for traveling. It is this year-round temperateness that makes the region so fertile and ideal for wine grapes.
History and Points of Interest of the Hunter Valley Region
In its earliest days, more than 200 years ago, the coal mines of Hunter Valley gave the area a reputation as one of the roughest places to serve out a prison term. The most hardened convicts were sent to dig and mine. This quickly changed under Captain James Wallis, who helped lay the foundations of Newcastle. Penal rule ended in 1823, and the area became devoted to farming. This region of New South Wales developed slowly, but has been booming with growth recently. Starting 75 miles North of Sydney, and extending another hundred or so miles up the coast, it is far enough removed from the state capital to have a slower pace of life. People enjoy a high quality of living at a relatively low cost. The weather is mild, and the terrain is likewise moderately portioned out, with rolling landscapes and larger hills and mountains rising on the horizon.
One story worth mentioning is part history, part tourist information, and partly just plain bizarre. In the early 1950s the wine and dairy lands of Hunter Valley suffered from a noxious weed invading their lands and causing problems. The weed was cannabis, or marijuana. It was growing wild as a pesky intruder, and causing problems for other plants and for livestock, and the farmers wanted it gone. But as a noxious weed it was fairly tenacious, and it took more than nine years of concerted government efforts to finally eradicate it. Meanwhile, devoted tokers were trekking in every spring to illicitly collect buds from roadsides and private fields, and would then transport them to Sydney. Hunter Valley really did have a weed problem! That was a long time ago, but with the laid back vibe and loads of surfers on the coast, something of a Bohemian atmosphere is still alive and well.