City To Cellar Door – A Short Hunter Valley Break By Local Rail

Enjoy a relaxed start to the day with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a leisurely morning to explore Newcastle at your own pace. Perhaps take a stroll along the revitalised waterfront or discover nearby galleries and boutiques.

Late in the morning, we’ll check out and leave your luggage with our coach for private transport before boarding the light rail to Newcastle Interchange, where you’ll travel inland on the scenic Hunter Line to Maitland, one of the oldest regional centres in New South Wales. 

On arrival, we’ll transfer to the Maitland Regional Art Gallery for a private guided tour. Housed in a striking federation-era building, the gallery features a rich collection of Australian contemporary and Indigenous art. After your tour, enjoy some free time to explore further or relax at the museum’s café for some lunch. Alternatively, there are a number of other lunch options within strolling distance.

In the afternoon, we’ll continue by coach to the heart of the Hunter Valley wine region and check in to a refined estate nestled in rolling vineyards. There’s time to unwind before an early evening wine tasting at the hotel’s cellar door, followed by dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

Overnight: Voco Kirkton Park, Polkobin (B,D)

This morning after breakfast, we’ll travel west to explore a couple of the local vineyards. Our first stop is Winmark Wines in the picturesque Broke Fordwich sub-region, where vineyards are punctuated with large-scale sculptures and curated outdoor artworks. Here, you’ll enjoy a guided walk through the property’s collection before sampling Winmark’s elegant wines, produced exclusively on site.

Continue to Margan Wines, a family-owned estate renowned for its commitment to sustainability and innovation in winemaking. We’ll begin with a guided tour of the one-hectare kitchen garden and orchard, where more than 90% of the produce served on-site is grown, and learn about their regenerative agriculture and low-intervention practices. It’s then into the light-filled dining room for a seasonal lunch accompanied by a tasting of estate-grown, single-vineyard wines, beautifully showcasing the character of the Broke Fordwich region.

We’ll return to our hotel mid-afternoon, with the remainder of the day and evening at leisure.

For dinner this evening, you might consider Muse Kitchen, a European-inspired bistro nestled in the courtyard of Keith Tulloch Wines, known for its seasonal fare and understated elegance. Alternatively, Hunters Quarter, set within the Cockfighter’s Ghost vineyard, offers a modern Australian menu in a scenic and intimate setting—ideal for a relaxed yet refined evening in the valley. 

Overnight: Voco Kirkton Park, Polkobin (B,L)

Begin your final day in the Hunter with a relaxed breakfast and a chance to enjoy the peaceful surrounds of Voco Kirkton Park. You may wish to take a stroll through the estate’s beautifully maintained gardens, visit the kitchen garden, or enjoy breakfast on the terrace with views across the valley.

For those keen to explore further afield, an optional trip to the Hunter Valley Gardens will be available before continuing with the day’s activities. Just a short drive from the hotel, the gardens offer the chance to wander through beautifully themed displays, including the evocative Rose Garden and the manicured Oriental Garden, all set against the striking backdrop of the Brokenback Range.

After checking out of our hotel later in the morning, we’ll make our way to Tocal Homestead, a significant heritage site with a history dating back to the 1820s. Once home to convicts, graziers and wealthy pastoralists, its well-preserved colonial buildings and working farm offer a fascinating insight into early European settlement and agricultural life in Australia.

After lunch at the homestead, we’ll transfer to Maitland Station to board the Hunter Line train back to Sydney. Opened in 1880 as West Maitland and renamed in 1949, the station is a heritage-listed site and was once a vital junction for the Main Northern and North Coast lines. It played a pivotal role in the development of the region, particularly through its connection to the South Maitland Railways and the booming coal industry. Our journey traces part of the historic Main North Line, the original rail link between Sydney and Brisbane, offering glimpses of the Hunter’s pastoral landscapes before winding alongside the Hawkesbury River and arriving at Central Station in the late afternoon.

(B,L)