Because of the time of year we got married, James couldn’t take much time off work so we delayed our big honeymoon for April and decided to take a 5 day mini moon after the wedding. Seeing as our wedding was in the Hunter Valley we wanted to find somewhere close by to relax and unwind. I had been researching places to stay on the internet and staying more than a weekend in the Hunter can get quite expensive. So rather than looking for the hotel options we researched some of the B&B’s in the area and found Splinters Guest House. It truly is an amazing place to stay! The owner Bobby is one of the friendliest ladies we have ever met. She took care of all our plans as well being the best host. Not only is the property gorgeous, but the whole feel of the place is so warm and welcoming.
Splinters Guest House Scenery
Enjoying our first breakfast
As soon as we got settled, we were brought complimentary wine and cheese and Bobby went through all the dining options in the area, wine tours, day spas and asked what our Melbourne Cup plans were. We had already made a booking at Peterson’s Champagne House so all that was needed to be done was arrange how to get there, which Bobby took care of for us. When our lift arrived we were pleasantly surprised to see a limousine pull into the property. So off we went in style! The food was delicious and my favourite the pink sparkling wine is definitely worth a visit, it was a fantastic function and a fun way to spend our first Melbourne Cup as a married couple. Most wine tours stop in there, but if you want to go for a nice lunch or dinner than the Cuvee restaurant is a must.
After the lunch was finished we were still in the mood to celebrate so we headed to Harrigans Pub. It was nice being back there because the night before our wedding all our guests joined us there for dinner and drinks. When we were ready to go home we called our driver to pick us up but he was stuck on another job, so he spoke with Bobby and she came to pick us up. Talk about going above and beyond. It was this kind of service that made our stay amazing!
Drinks at Harrigan’s Pub
The following day we tried our hand at golf … but neither of us was very good. So we just enjoyed the sunshine and attempted to play as best we could!
Playing golf terribly
Because we were in walking distance to the Blue Tongue Brewery we headed there to taste all the beers they had to offer. They also have a cellar door which has lots of wines from small wine makers so we were able to try about 30 … no joke. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Walking there was a good idea, but walking back … not so good when it was about 2 kms back to the B&B and we were both armed with bottles of wine!
Tasting paddle at the Blue Tongue Brewery
That night Bobby recommended another restaurant called Botanica at the Vineyards Estate. It was three properties down so we could walk there and back: it was so beautiful walking amongst the vines through each property. After we were seated the waitress came over with two glasses of champagne compliments of Bobby congratulating us on our wedding! Seriously if you want a fantastic weekend or few days in the Hunter I highly recommend staying at Splinters, and enjoying a meal at Botanica … the food was delicious!
Giant eagle
On our last day went on a Hunter Valley Wine Tour. It was a full day tour and we went to a lot of vineyards and cheese and chocolate factories. As fun as it was, a full day tour is quite tiring especially if you are tasting wines at each stop so if I were to do it again I think half a day would be perfect.
Relaxing by the pool at Splinters Guest House
Laughing at the statue on the estate
The five days we spent there went so quickly, but it was so nice to relax after the wedding and stay in such a gorgeous place. If you only have time for a short break I highly recommend the Hunter Valley and a stay at Splinters Guest House.
Photographs by Caroline and James.
Ms Gingham says: Thanks to Caroline and James for sharing their mini moon experience with us. After a hectic wedding filled with emotion it’s so nice to be able to recharge the batteries! You can read all about Caroline and James’s wedding here.
Caroline says: “My favourite part of the wedding day was definitely our ceremony and marrying James, but also knowing that everyone was there because they love us and seeing everyone so happy for us really blew us away. We wanted one big celebration and that’s exactly what it was!”
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