Most Hunter Valley stories start with Semillon, but The Garden Cellars digs deeper into the roots of this wine country. I, Paul Beames, have wandered through many vineyards, cellar door complexes and dusty backroads, but The Garden Cellars stands out because it’s more than just another cellar door — it’s where local products, craft beers, …
Jamison Valley is the main stage of the Blue Mountains, framed by towering sandstone cliffs and scattered with waterfalls, forest and stories that go back to the Jurassic period. I first stood at Echo Point, looking out to Mount Solitary and the valley floor and felt the mix of wilderness and history that is this …
Every visitor to the Blue Mountains has heard of the Three Sisters Rock, that sandstone rock formation standing tall above the Jamison Valley. I’m Paul Beames, and I’ve been leading people through this wild bit of New South Wales for decades. From the Echo Point lookout, you’ll see the famous sandstone peaks rising above eucalyptus …
Ask anyone who’s road-tripped through Pokolbin and they’ll tell you the same thing: a visit to Hunter Valley Chocolate Company is as much a part of the wine country experience as cellar doors and cheese stops. On my own journeys through Wine Country Drive and Broke Road, I’ve always swung by the Chocolate Factory to …
Every time I visit Hunter Valley Wine Country, I find myself taking a detour, and for me, that detour is Hunter Valley Village. What was meant to be a quick coffee and a stretch of the legs in the Shopping Village turned into Devonshire tea, a wander through Hunter Valley Gardens, a poke around the …
The Hunter Valley Cheese Factory is as much a pilgrimage for cheese lovers as the cellar doors are for wine enthusiasts. I, Paul Beames, have tramped through Pokolbin Village, Broke Road and McDonalds Road more times than I can count and I’ll tell you this: you can’t really say you’ve done Hunter Valley Vineyards until …
Ask any local about Kissofire Hunter Valley Liqueurs and you’ll get a grin followed by a yarn about cinnamon warmth and late-night laughs. My first taste of their fiery drop came during a wine tour detour, and it hit me like a sweet punch — bold, warming and oddly comforting. Known as both Kiss Of …
The Hunter Valley Wine Region is one of those names that even people who don’t drink much wine seem to know. Ask a traveller about Australian wine and the Hunter will come up in the conversation. And for good reason — this patch of land in New South Wales, just north of the Sydney Basin, …
Wentworth Falls is one of those names that’s on every Blue Mountains itinerary, but the reality is more rugged, more interesting and far less glossy than the brochures suggest. I, Paul Beames, have walked these tracks for decades, from the Charles Darwin walk to the Grand Stairway that’ll test your knees and your patience. Every …
The exotic and beautiful Blue Mountains are the perfect place to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city in green surroundings. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is home to some of Australia’s most exotic gardens. From autumn to spring – Blue Mountains Gardens is home to …
