Exploring the Hunter Valley in Autumn

The places I love to visit and explore in the Hunter Valley during the seasonal months of Autumn.

Happy news! Road trips are now allowed, with the ease of lockdown restrictions across New South Wales. This means, we can finally explore the outer regions of Sydney and enjoy a few Autumn locations, brimming with coloured leaves, hot chocolates and delicious foods.

The Hunter Valley is one such place, a fun place to visit during Autumn, exploring small towns coloured with yellow, orange and red leaves, and cafes and restaurants serving delicious seasonal foods perfect for the cool change of the season, before Winter settles in.

If you know anything about the Hunter Valley, generally people go for the golf, the wine, the early morning hot air ballooning or to simply enjoy a scenic drive through the stunning mountain region. Especially in Autumn, when all the leaves have changed colours.

Recently I discovered there was a zoo at the Hunter Valley; there will be a separate post about the zoo coming this Sunday, and a few great restaurants really worth taking the time to go and visit the Hunter Valley, as they offer so much more than just wine and golf.

If you have been following my blog for a while now, you will now, nearly every year, I take a drive to the Hunter region with my bestie Brooke, where we go and spend a few days recharging and relaxing at the fabulous and well-known Yoga and Health Retreat called The Golden Door.

But since those stays, I have discovered the Hunter Valley has so much more to offer than what we already see and know. Here are my favourite four things to do there.

Hunter Valley Zoo:

Well worth the two and a half drive from Sydney to visit this amazing zoo. In-fact I didn’t even know there was a zoo in the Hunter region and was so surprised to find there was one sitting on ten acres there, with lions, meerkats and many other great animals. And you can pay to have animal interactions also.

Horse Riding:

There are a variety of different companies offering a plethora of horseback riding experiences around the Hunter Region. Whether you want to hit the mountains for a ride, take a leisurely stride across the nearby beaches or ride through the countryside and farmlands of the Hunter region.

My favourite pick is Hunter Valley Horses, as they offer a range of family friend fun for any age, even carriage rides for anyone nervous to get on the back of a horse.

Caves Beach:

Of course, this beach is around an hours drive east from the Hunter region, so if you don’t have a car whilst visiting the area, then it may be more difficult to get to. Though if you can rent the car for a day (or you do have your own car) I highly recommend a visit to Caves Beach. As you can tell by the name, the beach is full of wonderful caves to explore, which are set deep in the mini cliffs along the beach.

Just keep an eye for high and low tide though, as you don’t want to get stuck when the tide comes in.

Take a Hike:

If you love hiking, long walks, exploring off road countryside and scenes and wish to escape reality, there are a host of wonderful walks to take around the Hunter Valley region. From extreme hike to the top peaks of the surrounding mountains, to a quiet stroll through the lakeside gardens. Depending on what sort of adventure you are looking for, there is literally a walk and hike for everyone.

I recommend heading to the local tourist centre in the Hunter for a proper guide map on where to walk or hike and how to get there, as you can get easily lost without a map.