This September the enduring connection to place comes alive once again as the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival transforms Wollombi and neighbouring Laguna into a living gallery of contemporary sculpture, heritage spaces and natural landscapes.

There are towns you pass through on the way somewhere else. And then there are towns that quietly convince you to stop. Denman, nestled in the heart of the Upper Hunter Valley, has long been one of those places. It’s a welcoming country town where vineyards meet olive groves, where heritage buildings line the main street, and where community remains at the heart of daily life.

If you’re looking for a shopping experience that goes beyond the ordinary, Wally and Eva in the heart of Cessnock deserves a spot on your itinerary.

Strength training is often associated with heavy weights or advanced gym routines, but the reality is that it’s one of the most important forms of exercise for all ages and stages of life.

There’s no need to head to the mountains to find snow this winter. From 27 June to 26 July, Snow Time in the Garden returns to Hunter Valley Gardens, bringing snow play, ice skating, toboggan rides and carnival attractions into the heart of wine country.

The Hunter Valley has long been known for cellar doors, restaurants, and gourmet offerings, but a regular fresh-produce market hasn’t traditionally been part of the Pokolbin experience.

As the temperatures drop, it’s common to notice your body feeling tighter, stiffer, and slower to warm up during workouts.

At Hunter Valley Horse Riding & Adventures, it is precisely this time of year that makes a trail ride through the Molly Morgan Range feel like something out of a dream.

There’s a particular kind of pleasure in arriving somewhere without expectation and leaving with the quiet certainty that you’ve discovered something just before everyone else does. Branxton is beginning to feel like that place.

There’s a moment, just before sunrise in the Hunter Valley, when the landscape holds its breath. The mist sits low across the vineyards, the light begins to shift, and, almost without warning, the sky begins to fill with colour. Not clouds, but balloons. Slow, silent, and impossibly graceful, they drift across the valley, marking the start of another day for Balloon Aloft.

Staying consistent with training can be one of the hardest parts of any fitness journey. Motivation fluctuates, routines get busy, and solo workouts can start to feel repetitive. This is where group fitness enters the chat.

There are places you visit, and places you keep coming back to. Hunter Valley Resort + Farm, on the corner of Hermitage Road and Mistletoe Lane in the heart of Pokolbin, has a way of becoming the latter.

Motivation fades. Habits don’t. The real secret to long-term fitness isn’t pushing yourself through bursts of inspiration; it’s creating a routine you can stick to, even on the days you don’t feel like it. Here are some ways to build a routine that actually works:

If you haven't discovered PACC's Art Gallery yet, now is the perfect time. One of the Hunter Region's most dynamic creative spaces, PACC runs a year-round program of exhibitions that champion both established names and fresh new talent.

A long time ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the Hunter Valley was a land of volcanoes and untamed wilderness. Every Easter school holidays Hunter Valley Gardens brings that ancient world back to life with its annual Mega Creatures event. Explorers, both young and old, can wander the Gardens, discovering towering dinosaurs, giant insects, and this year, for the first time, mythical dragons, shimmering unicorns, and legendary beasts that step straight out of storybooks.