The Hunter Valley’s best kept secret – a beaut road trip from Sydney to a garden wonderland
December 31st, 2010
THE last time my husband and I were in the Newcastle/Hunter Valley region we were heading southbound and on a watertight timeframe so we didn’t have the opportunity to take a detour via Pokolbin and check out one of Australia’s best kept secrets – the Hunter Valley Gardens.
So on a recent trip to New South Wales we decided to grab a hire car in Sydney and head north on the M1 for an one-day road trip and then scoot inland after Cooranbong, taking in some off-the-beaten-track townships like Killingworth, Seahampton and Greta before arriving at spectacular Hunter Valley Gardens.
HITTING the highway for a six hour road trip from Sydney and heading for Tamworth in country NSW, Lake Keepit is the best kept secret in the land! So lets ‘keepit’ a secret!
COASTAL delights often come in small packages, and after snapping up a hot DriveNow deal on a Sydney campervan hire, we discovered our little seaside gem, Manning Point, after a four-hour drive north of Sydney hugging the east coast.
There’s always a place to grab a campervan along the central area of Australia’s east coast, whether it be from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, and most road trippers usually stick to the destination allure of hugging the coastline going from one sunny seaside location to another.
While Coffs Harbour and surrounds offer some wonderful sites, attractions and lovely beaches, take the time to head up the Pacific Highway for a coast-hugging journey of four hours or so to one of the most peaceful places in Australia – Crystal Castle in Mullumbimby.
THERE are some places in Australia where the weather has obviously been designed with romantics in mind – count this part of the world along the lower north coast of NSW as one such place where the sun always shines and where there are plenty of beaches to worship the rays or have a dip and ample charming little hamlets to explore.
THE Grand Pacific Drive departing from Sydney doesn’t take long to lose yourself in the chill factor as you leave the city behind and enter its southern fringe and into the sub-tropical lushness of the Royal National Park. It pays to stop off for a walk here and explore one of the oldest national parks in the world.
LEAVING behind the bitter cold of Armidale, we head out to the coast to Ballina. It’s an awesome drive, very easy going, but just make sure you take your campervan via Glen Innes and then head out to the coast. That’s the best road when in a camper or towing a caravan. There’s some stunning scenery along the way, too, and for once we had no hiccups! When arriving at Ballina you can feel the buzz. It is a vibrant little place and the beaches are awesome. We stayed at Big4 Shaws Bay, which is right on the water [...]
After leaving behind an awesome time “Fossicking”, and finding a truck-load of great gem stones, we headed further north to Armidale.
HAVE you heard of Fossickers Way? If not, you don’t know what you are missing. Heading off from Bathurst, we stick to the main highway and head for Tamworth. Just 60km (40 miles) out of Tamworth, you will find Nundle, a tiny, quaint little village positioned at the beginning of the Fossickers Way.