Okay gang, it’s time for an adventure!
Throw the kids in the car. Hell, pop the dog in too, because we’re about to make some lasting childhood memories.
We’ve done all the prep to earn a long weekend - lots of coughing at work on Friday, mentioning the kids weren’t well and it might linger into early next week; you know the drill.
And now we’re off to the Mudgee Region - the land of award-winning wine and breathtaking views.
Think rolling hills and pub meals. Shopping that’s both unique and boutique. Rural living that forces you to slow down and breathe.
As we arrive, we’re looking for somewhere the kids can let loose after that endless car trip, while the adults relax, with a glass of something in hand.
Enter Clover Cellars - a country cellar door surrounded by a field of entertainment. Day. Made.
Activities for big and little kids abound - kick around a football, cast a reel over the dam and play chess with a giant chess set.
The whole family will also be happy with the drinks’ list. The owners are an Irish husband and an Australian wife, and they brew their own label of beers and spirits, with a distinct Aussie-Irish sensibility. It’s a full family affair, with their daughter busy brainstorming fruit flavours for non-alcoholic sodas for the kids.
Next stop? It’s time to kick our feet up at The Cudgee at Mudgee - a cosy and contemporary boutique motel.
Situated where the heart of Mudgee meets the rolling paddocks of the Cudgegong River, The Cudgee is close to the action, but backs onto wide open fields.
When the parents are ready to flop but the kids still have energy to burn, there’s a pool to dive into and plenty of room to run around.
Recently renovated, everything at The Cudgee has been carefully chosen to hero convenience, elegance, and country charm. Make sure you book a dog-friendly room!
Dinner is at the Paragon Hotel.
No need to choose between hearty pub food and mouth-watering modern dining, because the Paragon has both.
Pick a table in one of Mudgee’s best beer gardens and explore the menu.
From tacos to pizza and kids’ classics (winner winner chicken nugget dinner!), you’ll also want to check the ‘two hands’ menu for burgers you’ll be dreaming about long after the holiday’s over.
The wine list is a great sampler of Mudgee Region favourites - the perfect opportunity to try a few top tipplers, before you head off wine tasting tomorrow.
Whatever direction you head in the Mudgee Region, you’ll be surrounded by great wineries, with fine drops, incredible cellar doors and stunning views.
For a cellar door with a difference, head to 10’s Estate - it’s the only winery in Mudgee that’s also a cherry orchard and a fig farm.
Whether you come in cherry-picking season or when the blossoms are out, it’s an unmissable experience and endlessly Instagrammable – snap the kids next to the giant cherries!
For a photo-ready location, you’ll want to linger inside 10’s Estate’s cellar door.
Step off the farm and into the boudoir, sitting under a chandelier as you sip Cabernet Sauvignon. Lush.
Don’t forget to take home souvenirs for the housesitter, the plant waterer, and any kids you left at home – sorry Macaulay!
Head to Whatever Mudgee - a treasure trove that lives up to its name.
There’s something for everybody here, and a discovery around every corner.
We’re picking up homewares with an eclectic boutique twist - think candles and diffusers, drink bottles and coffee cups, children’s books and hot sauce - and everything in between.
Pick up a gift for everyone back home, without blowing the entire holiday budget.
Finally, it’s time for a very sweet Easter treat.
Visit Spencer Cocoa - a family-run bush chocolatier, where the Mudgee Easter Bunny does most of his annual chocolate shopping.
Step inside the Spencer Cocoa chocolate factory and see how chocolate is made - from the Vanuatu village where the cocoa beans are grown, to the Mudgee workshop, where it is magically roasted, moulded and turned into chocolate frogs.
Let the chocolate makers explain the process to you - we promise they’ll do a better job!
You’ll leave Spencer Cocoa with a new appreciation for the subtle art of chocolate making, as well as several bags of fresh Mudgee-made goodies.
And that’s a wrap on a weekend well spent, making memories in Mudgee.
Love heart eyes all round.
