Romantic Weekend Getaways - Scone, Upper Hunter Valley NSW

After our not-so-perfect weekend away in the Hunter Valley over the October long weekend, I've decided to get a little more thorough in my accommodation research and trust only those places with exceptional validated reviews!

In the October issue of Country Style (yes I am old before my time!) I was reading about a fabulous little place in Scone, in the Upper Hunter Valley. Whilst Scone is located about an hour and a half from Pokolbin (arguably the heart of the Hunter Valley), its slower pace and focus on fresh local produce makes it a welcome reprieve from the other, increasingly over-run, parts of the Hunter.

Canter, is an Upper Hunter Valley restaurant that now offers boutique accommodation. What first caught my eye is the sentence is on the accommodation page that says "Canter Home is quite a change from the paper-thin walls and late night circus ambience of the typical high design establishment." After being able to hear every little peep from the place next door at Mount View this is music to my ears (pardon the pun).

The accommodation is styled to perfection (note the crisp white linen that is a prerequisite at any place that we stay). The owners used to run a homewares store on the Northern Beaches before making the move to Scone.

My love of good food is also satiated with numerous dining options in the restaurant or in our studio at times that are flexible (love that). Food is sourced locally where possible and the kitchen is headed up by Angela McMurray - don't worry all you have to know is that she has an impressive CV and some crazy culinary skills.



If we stay after Feb, we'll both be able to bring our bikes (trust me my bike is going to be worth the wait) and explore the country surrounds. Given that Scone is the horse capital of NSW, it would be almost unforgivable if we didn't go horse-riding. Let's visit the local grocer "From Paddock to Pantry" and pack a picnic to take with us.

I know. You're reading all of this and thinking "Great. How much is this going to cost me!?". Well I have some very pleasant news for you. Canter Home is exceptionally good value in what can be an often over-priced Hunter Valley accommodation market. Rates start from $165 per night.

So there you have it. Get your canter on and book sometime soon!

xx

Images courtesy of the Canter Restaurant website.