Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 4 . NEW SOUTH WALES
to the vineyards. The trip will take about 2 1 ⁄2 hours. Barrington Tops National
Park is reached via the Upper Hunter town of Dungog.
Keynes Buses (& 1800/043 339 in Australia, or 02/6543 1322) run coaches
to Scone in the Hunter Valley from Sydney’s Central Station. Buses depart Monday
through Saturday at 3pm and arrive in Scone at 6:50pm; a second service
on Friday leaves at 6pm, and on Sunday the bus leaves at 6:40pm. Round-trip
tickets are A$74 (US$48) for adults and A$38 (US$25) for children.
A rental car should cost you from A$45 (US$29) a day from Sydney, and you
might put in around A$40 (US$26) worth of petrol or so for a couple of days
of touring (petrol in Australia hovers around A90¢ a liter, or US$2.20 a gal.). In
the Hunter, contact Hertz, 1A Aberdare Rd., Cessnock (& 13 30 39 in Australia,
or 02/4991 2500).
ORGANIZED TRIPS FROM SYDNEY Several companies offer day trips to
the Hunter Valley from Sydney.
Visitours (& 02/9909 0822; www.visitours.com.au) takes small groups to
the Hunter to visit up to six wineries as well as cheese and fudge producers. The
trip costs A$89 (US$58). The company also transfers passengers to the Hunter
and back for A$55 (US$36) one-way.
Oz Trek Adventure Tours (& 02/9360 3444; www.oztrek.com.au) also
offers a highly recommended trip, with a visit to the Australian Reptile and
Wildlife Park. The Trip includes a barbecue lunch and wine tasting. It costs
A$85 (US$55).
VISITOR INFORMATION Wine Country Visitors Information Centre,
Main Road, Pokolbin, NSW 2325 (& 02/4990 4477; fax 02/4991 4518; www.
winecountry.com.au), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday
from 9:30am to 5pm, and Sunday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. The staff can
make accommodations bookings and answer any questions. The Dungog Visitors
Information Centre, on Dowling Street, Dungog, NSW 2420 (& 02/
4992 2212), has plenty of information on the Barrington Tops area. They’re
open weekdays 9am to 5pm; weekends 10am to 3pm. A good general website is
www.winecountry.com.au.
VISITING THE WINERIES
Many people start their journey through the Hunter by popping into the
Hunter Valley Wine Society, at the corner of Broke and Branxton roads in
Pokolbin (& 1300/303 307 in Australia, or 02/4941 3000). The club basically
acts as a Hunter Valley wine clearinghouse, sending bottles and cases to members
all over Australia, and some overseas. It’s also a good place to talk to the
experts about the area’s wines, and to taste a few of them. It’s open daily from
9am to 5pm.
You might also like to visit the Small Winemakers Centre, McDonalds
Road, Pokolbin (& 02/4998 7668). At any one time it represents around six of
the region’s smaller producers.
Tips Remember a Designated Driver!
Australia’s drunk-driving laws are strict and rigidly enforced. If you are
interested in tasting some grapes in the Hunter Valley, choose a designated
driver or take a guided tour (see below). Both easily identifiable
and unmarked police cars patrol the vineyard regions.