//
Region in New South Wales, Australia
Photo: Advanstra, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hunter is a region in New South Wales directly to the north of Sydney. It is also often referred to as the "Hunter Valley", though it only forms a specific part of the region. It contains the state's second largest city, Newcastle, which has a population of 390k, and a greater metropolitan area of over 600,000.
NSW's second largest metropolitan area may only be 15% of the size of its largest, Sydney, but has become a nice, quieter, northerly alternative to Sydney. Here, you can find the Southern Hemisphere's largest coastal sand dunes, an interesting mix of food, and many coal deposits. Newcastle is the world's largest coal exporting harbour, but you as a traveller can find traces of the region's coal mining industry throughout Greater Newcastle.
The Hunter Valley is the wine region of New South Wales. While there are a few other smaller wine regions such as the Riverina, it's a weekend day-trip for many eager wine tasters.
Possibly the least interesting region of the Hunter, and is mostly visited en route whilst travelling along Highway 15. It's two main highlights are the two towns of Muswellbrook and Scone, both of which are primarily farming towns.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Gone Walkabout Safaris operate 7 days a week with guaranteed departures every day, picking up participants from their accommodation in Newcastle and Hunter Valley.
Boutique Wine Tours run luxury (14 person max) day tours of the Hunter Valley wineries, picking up participants from their accommodation in Sydney.
This Cessnock based tour company offers wine tours.
This Cessnock based tour company offers wine tours. Half day tours are available, as are full day tours including lunch.
Mount View. Up to seven people can share a limousine for a wine tour from 10AM to 5PM.
By train
Newcastle Interchange is about 2.5 hours from Sydney Central station. Outside of central Newcastle, most of the region is difficult to tour without a car.
By bus
There are local buses from the Central Coast to the Hunter Valley and also the Greyhound bus from Sydney and Brisbane to Newcastle.
By plane
Newcastle has its own domestic airport (NTL), with regular flights from other Australian destinations.
By bus
CDC NSW operates many bus services that connect to train stations.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Williamtown · International · NTL
Loading places around the airport…
the state's second largest settlement and a former steel industry centre with beaches and coffee shops
coastal community to the south of Newcastle
a satellite city immediately northwest of Newcastle.
Clarence Town is a small township of 800 in the Hunter region of New South Wales.
the regional centre of the Hunter Valley.
a small country town at the very heart of the northern Hunter's dairy industry
Gresford is a small township of 600 in the Hunter region of New South Wales.
Kurri Kurri is in the Hunter region of New South Wales, and can be considered the mural capital of Australia due to the sheer amount of murals.
Paterson is a small township of 900 in the Hunter region of New South Wales. It harboured a busy inland port in the 1800s meaning it's one of the Hunter's oldest towns.
a mining town inland from Newcastle
Aberdeen is a town of 1900 people (2021) in the Upper Hunter.
the closest town to the westernmost entrance of the Polblue Honeysuckle section of Barrington Tops National Park
regional centre of the Upper Hunter
Murrurundi (pop 2017) is a rural town in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales. The town is located on the Pages River, at the base of the Liverpool Range.
the "horse capital of Australia"
Vacy is a small township of 500 in the Hunter region of New South Wales.
southernmost park of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
The Pokolbin district, in the Lower Hunter Valley in New South Wales, is one of Australia's premier wine regions. Viticulture in the region has a long history, the first vineyards being established in the 1850s.
Port Stephens is a coastal area surrounding the Port Stephens Bay, just north of Newcastle in New South Wales.
a small national park near Port Stephens
Werakata National Park is a national park in the Hunter region of New South Wales. In the 1800s when European settlers came, most of this park was destroyed due to the large scale timber industry.
small historical village
a world heritage national park, part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area
Articles and travel topics about Hunter and Australia.
Travel tipsCompare and apply for the Australia ETA and New Zealand NZeTA in 2026. Step-by-step mobile app guides, fees, the IVL levy, and trans-Tasman rules.
7 min read
Travel tipsPlan your trip to the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia with match cities, ticket windows, domestic flights, visa rules, and budget advice.
8 min read
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
6 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to visa-free travel for US citizens. Learn where American passport holders can go without a visa, new eTA rules, and entry fees.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.