 Only a ninety minute drive from Sydney, the Hunter region is ideal for a mid week farmstay holiday. Although with so much to offer, chances are once you're there, you'll want to stay longer, or visit again and again!
This area offers many family farmstays. Some farmstay properties feature heritage homesteads set in rugged bushland, giving your family the chance to step back in time. While there the kids can help out by feeding the farm animals. In the process they may come nose to nose (or nose to beak) with unexpected animals, like alpacas or guinea fowl. For something different, venture out on a 4WD night time safari, and see what other unusual animals you can discover.
For something different, venture out on a 4WD night time safari, and see what other unusual animals you can discover. To be in a unique natural environment, choose a farmstay near the World Heritage wilderness area of Barrington Tops National Park. This magnificent National Park features rugged mountains, gorges and dense forest and is a magnet for horse-riders and bushwalkers. Enjoy the friendly country hospitality of the residents of Dungog and Gloucester, historic towns with wide streets and well preserved buildings.
Maitland, in the heart of Hunter River Country, is a spectacular heritage city surrounded by a patchwork of lush green riverflats, where farms specialise in dairy cattle and fresh produce such as corn, pumpkins and juicy watermelons abound. Five minutes from Maitland is the historic river port of Morpeth, packed with cafes, galleries, antique and curio stores.
In Singleton and Upper Hunter Country you can explore vineyards, dairy farms and even tour an open cut mine. A visit to Hunter Valley Wine Country is a must to discover the region's wine-growing history, where grapes have been grown since the 1860s. Nearby you can find evidence of ancient Aboriginal settlement: many caves and shelters have hand and tribal stencils dating back thousands of years. In Lake Macquarie take time to enjoy the bushland and wildlife of the Watagan Mountains and the quaint towns of Cooranbong and Mandalong.
Cool for Kids
Go on a spooky night tour of Maitland Gaol, where you'll be guided by ex-wardens, or maybe even a former inmate!
See if you can tell the time on the southern hemisphere's largest sundial, which can be found in Singleton
Explore the Children's Nursery Rhyme Garden, play putt putt golf or aqua golf at Hunter Valley Gardens or visit nearby Rusa Park Zoo
Ride a horse or enjoy a horse and carriage ride
Hire a canoe and paddle down fresh water streams |
