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Think of the Hunter Valley and a vision is conjured of a day spent among the vineyards enjoying a tasting or two, then relaxing fireside with a premium wine from the day’s outing.

Delve into the wineries of Pokolbin, one of the main vineyard areas, and take a backstage tour to learn the secrets of winemaking. You can hire a bike in Pokolbin to explore, take a horse-drawn carriage, or early risers can drift gently over the vines in a hot air balloon.

Highlights

Wine is in abundance, yet there is more on the menu than you may think: ripe cheeses, sculptures, flawlessly landscaped gardens crammed with blooming flowers and historical townships just perfect for an afternoon of exploring.

You can meander through Maitland’s elegant heritage precincts or visit historic Morpeth, Australia’s oldest river port. The small country township of Barrington Tops, featuring rugged mountains, gorges and dense forest, is a lure for horseback riders, bushwalkers and off-road touring — all reached in less than two hours from Sydney.