Hunter Valley

Hey anyone who knows - maybe @Rallyman and @northshorepom

My in laws are here at the moment, and we are looking at things to do. My mother in law is pretty sedentary, although she's only 65 they are quite set in their ways, so they don't like to exert themselves in hardly any ways at all.

so, we wondered if the Hunter Valley would be good day trip for us? I hear it's lovely, but am not sure what actually happens there (wine? food?) We also need t keep our 3 kids sweet too, and they are active and like burning a ton of energy (the opposite of the MIL

Would the Hunter work? And if so, where to go and what to do? We'd need to drive from Newport, so I would imagine it's case of heading towards Wahroonga and up the Pacific Highway/motorway right?

Many big thanks in advance!

Matt

Hi Matt, I haven't been so not much help but how about half day in the Zoo, your MIL may enjoy feeding the Roos along with the children and you can also play with meerkats and monkeys http://www.huntervalleyzoo.com.au/ you could then round the day off at one of the wineries along with a meal.

Have you also thought about heading up to the Blue Mountains? You could do Scenic World

http://www.scenicworld.com.au/

Thanks Pom Queen - we are going to Scenic World next week, so that one's already planned. Will also look at the zoo up The Hunter

Taronga is good, but there's a bit of walking about involved, so the Hunter One could be better.

Thanks

Matt

Thanks Pom Queen - we are going to Scenic World next week, so that one's already planned. Will also look at the zoo up The Hunter

 

Taronga is good, but there's a bit of walking about involved, so the Hunter One could be better.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

Yes Taronga is quite a hard zoo to navigate when you aren't well. I remember once I'd left hospital we decided to do it. The cable car was lovey but I was exhausted after that lol.

Hey anyone who knows - maybe @Rallyman and @northshorepom

 

My in laws are here at the moment, and we are looking at things to do. My mother in law is pretty sedentary, although she's only 65 they are quite set in their ways, so they don't like to exert themselves in hardly any ways at all.

 

so, we wondered if the Hunter Valley would be good day trip for us? I hear it's lovely, but am not sure what actually happens there (wine? food?) We also need t keep our 3 kids sweet too, and they are active and like burning a ton of energy (the opposite of the MIL

 

Would the Hunter work? And if so, where to go and what to do? We'd need to drive from Newport, so I would imagine it's case of heading towards Wahroonga and up the Pacific Highway/motorway right?

 

Many big thanks in advance!

 

Matt

Hi

We have stayed in the Sydney area many times visiting our daughter and are the same age group as your in laws. You've probably already thought of this, but several years ago we did one of the organised wine tasting days to the hunter valley. Coach picked us up at about 8.30 and dropped us back off at the same place late afternoon. It was in July, so don't know how it would be in the heat, but we had really good day. Our only problem was the lack of excercise because we were ferried from one place to another, so it might be perfect for your in laws. I seem to remember stopping at a chintzy little shopping village on the way home. very jolly atmosphere on the bus. Perhaps something like that would interest them?

Hi

 

We have stayed in the Sydney area many times visiting our daughter and are the same age group as your in laws. You've probably already thought of this, but several years ago we did one of the organised wine tasting days to the hunter valley. Coach picked us up at about 8.30 and dropped us back off at the same place late afternoon. It was in July, so don't know how it would be in the heat, but we had really good day. Our only problem was the lack of excercise because we were ferried from one place to another, so it might be perfect for your in laws. I seem to remember stopping at a chintzy little shopping village on the way home. very jolly atmosphere on the bus. Perhaps something like that would interest them?

Plus it would mean Matt could drink instead of being the designated driver.

Hawkesbury river cruise - http://www.palmbeachrivercruises.com.au/river-cruise.html

This is on my to do list, but not sure if will be any fun for the kids, unless you tire them out in the beach beforehand!

Nice! thanks. I could take the kids for a swim early doors then we could get on the river cruise. All good suggestions! It's also easy for us to get to Palmy to get on the boat

Sorry, saw this morning but only just had time to sit down now. I was going to suggest Hawkesbury River Cruises as well, I think you can go from Palmy or from Brooklyn. If you go all the way to Bobbin Head there's a very easy (flat) boardwalk from the far end of the reserve there through the Mangroves which is quite nice - tons of mud crabs

Hunter is quite good but it's a long day trip for you. At least 2 hrs each way, 30mins to the M1 and then 1.5 from there. The winery tours are quite good, some of the wineries are lovely (Audrey Wilkinson springs to mind). Head for Pokolbin, there's a visitor centre near the junction of Wine Country Drive/Broke Road where you can sort visits. There's a zoo (haven't been) and the Hunter Valley Gardens that have stuff for kids. The chintzy shopping centre mentioned is probably the one just off Broke Rd right by the gardens

How sedentary is sedentary? Other stuff we like doing with extended family who are variously active are:

• Mini golf. The best one in town is near you at Warriewood (Pittwater golf centre)
  
• Blaxland Park/Newington Armoury. Really good adventure/active playground for kids, nice waterside cafe and a bit of heritage next door for others, there's a puzzle trail thing and it's very flat so easy walking
  
• Australian Reptile Park near Gosford. It's a manageable size, much less up and down (and much less hassle) than Taronga, they have some cool animals and do some really good stuff with conservation (eg Devil Ark in which they are heavily involved, ditto the production of funnelweb anti venom)
  
• Powerhouse Museum in Darling Harbour. Something for everyone here
  
• Any sort of harbour boat tour/ride. Ferry to Watsons Bay is a favourite, the less sedentary can get off and head past Camp Cove to South Head for a turn around the headland, the sedentary can stay at Doyles or the Watsons Bay pub for the 45 minutes they'll be gone
  

Nice! thanks. I could take the kids for a swim early doors then we could get on the river cruise. All good suggestions! It's also easy for us to get to Palmy to get on the boat

We went on this boat up to button head a couple of years ago and found it a bit long, probably because the weather was dull. Very young kids might get bored. A better bet is to get the boat over to the basin and have a picnic and a good gawp at the adorable wallabies. There are notices everywhere saying 'don't feed the wallabies' and we didn't, but I wish someone would have told the wallabies. They didn't cause a nuisance but did sit very close and had obviously perfected the art of looking pathetic. Only an afternoon trip though, once you've had your picnic there's nothing to do except get the boat back.

Sorry only just getting time to reply NS has covered most of it ,it used to take us 2.15 door to door from mona vale to pokolbin

up here in the hunter. Friends went to the zoo up here recently and said it was very good for half a day.

so many wine tours to do, might be worth a over night stay as it could be a long day

pepper tree wines is very good for tasting ( one of my favourite )

the views from Audrey wilkinson are a must if you visit .

you also have the smelly cheese shop and chocolate shop.

pettersions champagne house is good as well that's on corner of broke road and wine country drive.

Hope this helps anything more specific give me a pm