Markets, music festivals, sculptures and wine tastings in Australia’s oldest wine region. Rich in culture and colonial heritage, the Wollombi Valley is well worth a wander.

Forget Route 66, Tourist Scenic Drive 33 bound for the beautiful Wollombi Valley is where it’s all at. In this part of the Hunter, you’ll find vineyards as far as the eye can see and boutique wineries aplenty.

There’s some lovely cottage accommodation here and Wollombi Village with its colonial buildings cafes and shops is simply charming. The village has a country pub and the original General Store (circa 1850s) which you must visit. Here you can buy local produce and gifts or grab a bite to eat at the Harp of Erin Cafe. The store even has a delightful theatre of the same name out back which offers entertainment of an evening.

Need more reasons to visit Wollombi? Try the markets, held on the second Sunday of every month or time your visit to coincide with the inaugural Wollombi Music Festival held in September or Sculpture in the Vineyards - a celebration of culture and art held every November.

Wollombi is approximately 2-hour drive from Sydney and 80 minutes from Newcastle Airport.