Cessnock Tourism

Cessnock is a city with a rich history and growing tourism, located in New South Wales. It is the gateway to Australia’s oldest wine-growing region, Hunter Valley. The city is conveniently located 2 hours north of Sydney and very close to Newcastle making it easily accessible from both cities. It is also situated in close proximity to the cities of Maitland and Singleton.

Cessnock was once home to the indigenous Darkinjung people and has several aboriginal sites worth visiting. The influence of the aborigines can be seen in the names of towns in Cessnock like Wollombi, Kurri Kurri, Nulkaba and Laguna. The history of the city is marked with several conflicts between the original inhabitants and early European settlers.

The city was originally known simply as “The Coalfields” and served as a center for travelers and settlers for the coal mining industry. This was the main driver of development and economic growth in the region at one time. However, the decline in coal mining in the area saw a simultaneous rise of the wine industry.

Today, Cessnock tourism is synonymous with wine tourism and there are several tours of the nearby Hunter Valley wine region that commence here. Wine-tasting and winery tours are the main thing to do in Cessnock. However, Cessnock has now started expanding its tourism to include state-of-the-art golf courses, hot-air balloon rides, tours on horse-drawn coaches, art galleries, gourmet restaurants and much more.

The city has several historical buildings and a rich history, which is the focus of the many walking tours, conducted here. A must visit for oenophiles and interested tourists is the adjacent Pokolbin, one of the most important wine regions in the country. Also noteworthy is the “Convict Trail” that runs through Cessnock from Sydney to Hunter Valley. It is part of the Great North Road that was built between 1826 and 1836 and has several interesting sites along the way.

Cessnock, Australia is worth visiting for some of the finest wines and vineyards, historic sites, aboriginal tours, some great golfing and scenic drives.

Essential travel information and Cessnock tips for your visit

  • Protect yourself against the sun at all times as UV levels in Australia are very high and can cause serious damage to the skin.
  • When travelling by road beware of wildlife like Kangaroos that maybe crossing or lying on the road.
  • When driving at night slow down if you see an animal on the street as they get blinded by the lights and may run to your vehicle instead of away.
  • Cessnock has warm summers and mild winters so most of time a light jacket and summer clothing should suffice except at night.

Cessnock Trip Planner

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