Branxton - Hunter Valley

As our accommodation had a good BBQ facility we decided that we would find a butchery & buy some meat for dinner. The nearest place was Branxton so we called in on our Wednesday morning Hunter Valley tour complete with cooler bag to buy some meat and salads & then continue on for the rest of our tour while we were waiting for the boys to finish their game at the Vintage. I was very impressed with the magnificent red bottle brush that was growing everywhere in the Hunter Valley. Branxton had rows of them in the main street & it really does look good when in full bloom.

We checked out the bistro at the Royal Federal Hotel - the "Swill & Grill". It was a very old fashioned hotel and on Thursday night they were having a $10 'snitchel' night so we booked in for dinner the following night.

The dinner at the pub turned out to be better quality than expected - again the hotel had a 'reserved table' for us & the service was good. For $20 per couple it was a good deal.

The Hunter Valley Chocolate factory

Another of our "must" stopovers on our Hunter Valley Wednesday morning tour while the boys played golf at the Vintage. This place had some of the most beautiful chocolate which of course none of us could resist. The gardens surrounding the place where really lovely. The roses were just starting to come out & it was a pleasure to walk around the gardens. There was an up market restaurant at the back of the chocolate factory & we could have done some wine tasting there as well. We all left clutching bags of chocolate & were wondering how we were going to stop it from melting as it was quite a warm day.

The Butterfly Gallery - Hunter Valley

While the boys played golf at the Vintage, the girls had a browse around the Hunter Valley and stopped at the Butterfly Gallery which is a lovely place. It has a shop that sells art works and jewelery, handbags & all kinds of 'girlie' things. Attached is a restaurant where we had a nice devonshire tea for lunch that was home cooked scones with country style cream & homecooked jam - Yum! They also had a wine cellar where we could have done some wine tasting.

The Vintage Golf Resort - Hunter Valley

The Vintage Golf Resort in the Hunter Valley is another impressive place. I did not get to play golf today as it was boys day only so I did not get a chance for other photos on the course.

We met the boys at the clubhouse after golf & had a drink at the clubhouse before going off for some wine tasting.

I had a look through the clubhouse and the pro shop & it is definately a must "return' to place.

It is very well set up & the course looks lovely.

Lochinvar Hotel - Hunter Valley

On Tuesday night after golf at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Course we found that all the restaurants close by to our accommodation were booked out so we opted to go to the Lochinvar Hotel for dinner which was not very far away.

It was a nice old fashioned Pub and they had a "reserved" table set up for us when we arrived. It ws just as well that we rang ahead and booked as the restaurant was fairly busy while we were there. The meal & service was quite good & reasonably priced.

We were able to be back at the Rothbury Escape at a good time for the first round of our "500" card tournament.

I am not a card player so there is a big learning curve every time I play with this experienced group. At the end of the three days I came in third out of a group of eight so I was happy with that. The trouble is I don't play again for ages & forget all the rules that have been learnt.

Rothbury Escape Accommodation - Hunter Valley

On the three days that we stayed in the Hunter Valley our accommodation was at the "Rothbury Escape" which is located in a very central part of the wineries just off Lovedale Road - easy travelling to any of the Hunter Valley attractions.

It is a group of 8 motel-like rooms with a central communal lounge room that has a large plasma TV & music system, full kitchen complete with dishwasher, microwave and a large refrigerator, comfortable lounges and dining tables inside and out. There is also an outdoor BBQ facility.

The rooms are a reasonable size with a kitchenette, dining table, small TV, good size bathroom & each room has a nice outlook over the valley. A continental breakfast of cereal, toast, orange juice, tea & coffee are inclusive in addition to a complimentary bottle of wine. The set up suited our purposes as the communal lounge area was perfect for our 3 day "500" card tournament which was held in conjuction with the golf. On Wednesday night we opted for a home cooked BBQ dinner instead of eating out & that worked out very well.

Crowne Plaza - Hunter Valley Golf Resort

Tuesday 7th October 2008 was the first day of our three day Hunter Valley Golf experience.

We played the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort course which is a very lovely venue. The Clubhouse/Resort was very impressive and so was the course. There was a lot of water but nice wide fairways with some very interesting hazards. The course is still work in progess with new groves of trees and native grasses being introduced for interest & there are surrounding grape vines to add a "Hunter Valley" atmosphere.

It would be a great place to stay & play & is on my "return" list. It is only an hour and a quarter at an easy pace from Gosford.