», Hunter Valley Cycling Commonly known as 'Wine Country'[16], The Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. Dr Henry Lindeman, The Drayton, Tyrrell and Wilkinson families all started in the latter part of the 19th century. Start at sunrise and take in views of the picturesque wine regions of Pokolbin and Lovedale. Pokolbin, located in the "Lower Hunter Valley", is the centre of the Hunter Valley wine country, which claims to be Australia's oldest wine region. At the 2011 census the combined population of the region was 620,530. retains many of its colonial buildings, including St Michael’s Church, St John’s Church and the Endeavour Museum inside the former courthouse. Fresh water supply for the region is provided from a number of sources, which are managed by the Hunter Water and State Water Corporations. 4. All rights reserved, Couple exploring a town in the Hunter Valley, Bitter and Twisted Boutique Beer Festival, Explore beautiful gardens and historic buildings on the. Take the Finchley Cultural Walk through the Yengo National Park and find Aboriginal rock engravings in lush bushland. The Hunter Valley has a wide choice of accomodation from budget to pure luxury. Why not ride the wine trail and take that special someone on a romantic leisurely bike ride to a quiet picnic destination. [7] At one time this fault was very geologically active and gave rise to the Brokenback range that feature prominently in the Hunter region. In order of population these are Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland and Cessnock. The Hunter Valley is a beautiful area 130kms north west of Sydney. The Australian Army Infantry Museum houses a fascinating collection, from rare Great War relics to modern displays. to the Hunter Valley. The soils of the Lower Hunter vary widely from sandy alluvial flats (often planted to Semillon), to deep friable loam (often planted with Shiraz) and friable red duplex soils. Hunter Valley Weeping Myall Woodland[43] Explore the Hunter Valley from the air. Fine, dry table wines were gaining in popularity and the wine industry could once again flourish and a proliferation of boutique wineries ensued, which is what still characterises the Hunter Valley today. © Copyright 2020 Destination NSW. The success of the Hunter Valley wine industry has been dominated by its proximity to Sydney with its settlement and plantings in the 19th century fuelled by the trade network that linked the valley to the city. The origins of the river begin the Liverpool Range of the volcanic Barrington Tops and flows south and then east down to the Pacific Ocean at the seaport city of Newcastle.[7]. Some of the greatest Hunter Valley wines that can still be found today are from those years of struggle. By 1930 the Pokolbin area had built a reputation for quality wine production. [2] While the Hunter Valley has been supplanted by the massive Riverina wine region as the largest producer of New South Wales wine, it still accounts for around 3% of Australia's total wine production and is one of the country's most recognisable regions. We are passionate about Australia's original wine country, its vast rolling hills, its valleys of green, its vinyards and wineries and the unforgetable experiences that are waiting for all who visit. They took up one of the first official land grants at Kirkton on the Hunter River near today’s Morpeth. The World Atlas of Wine. Hunter Valley Culture and Heritage First planted with vineyards in the early 1820s, the Hunter Valley is rich with heritage and culture. Between these two geological areas is the Hunter-Mooki Thrust fault. The early pioneers of the Hunter Valley’s long winemaking history were George Wyndham, William Kelman and James King. In the Upper Hunter, the rivers and creeks of the region contribute to the areas black, silty loam soils that are often overlaid on top of alkaline clay loam. Blue Mountains website design by iVent. Situated at the northern end of the Sydney Basin bioregion, the Hunter Valley is one of the largest river valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry. The exquisite Sisters of Mercy Covent is a living heritage site, open for tours and concerts. [2], The Permian rocks in the central and southeastern expanse of the Lower Hunter Valley were formed when the area was underneath a shallow marine estuary.