Family Fun in the Hunter Valley

Think the Hunter Valley is just for grown-ups? Think again. There are fun adventures for the whole family, from hand-feeding kangaroos at the zoo to exploring magical Storybook Garden, mini golf, adventure tours and horse riding. You’ll also find family-friendly wineries where everyone is catered for.

Family-friendly wineries

Many wineries in the Hunter Valley happily welcome families, with kids’ meals, playgrounds and lots of outdoor space. At Tulloch Wines, little ones can have a special Junior Tasting Experience of five snacks paired with non-alcoholic drinks. There’s a dedicated kids’ zone at Misty Glen Wines and two friendly vineyard dogs to play with.

Have fun with indoor and outdoor games at Scarborough Wine Co, a cubby house at Whispering Brook and play equipment at Gemelli Estate. A great way for the family to see the vineyards is on a bicycle. You can hire bicycles from Hunter Valley Cycling, Grapemobile Bicycle Hire and Sutton Estate Electric Bike Hire.

Wildlife & outdoors

Get up close to koalas and kangaroos at the Hunter Valley Zoo, near Cessnock, and say hello to Berani, an endangered Malayan tapir. There are all kinds of reptiles, from alligators to goannas and turtles, as well as African lions and mammals. Learn about them at daily shows and book a personal encounter experience.

The Storybook garden in the Hunter Valley Gardens in Pokolbin brings timeless nursery rhymes out of the pages into a gorgeous setting that will delight the young and young at heart. In the Winter school holidays, the kids can also build snowmen and ice skate at the annual Snow Time in the Garden.

Horse riding in the tranquil countryside is also popular with families. Hunter Valley Horse Riding in Rothbury and Chapman Valley Horseriding near Singleton cater for all levels of experience. In Werakata National Park you’ll find the easy 8km Deadmans mountains bike loop that begins near the pretty Astills picnic area.

Games & adventure

Enjoy some family fun at Hunter Valley Aqua Golf and Putt Putt, where you’ll have lots of laughs playing mini golf and hitting floating golf balls into a lake to win prizes. Find other fun activities like Segway tours at The Adventure Centre or check out GravityX, an indoor trampoline park in Maitland.

Strap yourself into a feisty four-stroke go kart at Go Karts Hunter Valley, home to a massive 850-metre track. There are also Junior Go Karts, for those as young as three, as well as an archery range and putt-putt golf course, modelled on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama race track.