"Bewitched by Broke"... if they had that on a t-shirt I'd buy it and I reckon you would, too.
Nestled at the foothills of the Brokenback Range in the shadow of the majestic Yellow Rock geologic outcrop, Broke offers a beguiling mix of boutique wineries, organic vineyards, olive groves and eateries with Instagram-worthy views of lush green vines and mountain backdrops at every turn.
There's little sign of the floods that isolated the region in 2022 as locals have mopped up, reopened their doors and put out the welcome mat.
The region markets itself as the Wine Trail Less Travelled and it's just a 20-minute drive but a world away from Pokolbin. In short, less people, more peace and quiet... so it's just what the doctor ordered if you want to really unwind.
At just over an hour from Newcastle, it's perfect for a day trip or a laidback weekend getaway. So people, over to you...
EAT
Margan Restaurant is hands-down the best farm to fork fine diner in the Hunter and a must-do on any visit. Andrew and Lisa Margan are the trailblazers who put Broke on the culinary map and their renowned hatted restaurant has just had a major reno. It's won a swag of culinary accolades and Margan's acclaimed wines have scored awards aplenty too. And if that's not enough, the views from the restaurant are as awesome as the five-course degustation. If you have time, book a guided tour of the one-acre kitchen garden, orchard, vineyard and winery followed by the five-course feast. Cellar door open daily 10am-5pm; restaurant lunch Fri-Sun, dinner Fri & Sat.
For something more rustic, head to Mount Broke Wines & Restaurant on Friday night to watch the sun set while tucking into wood-fired pizzas and sipping wines beside the vines. The alfresco eatery is also open for lunch on weekends with seasonal French bistro fare - and you can have a wine-tasting with lunch too. 130 Adams Peak Rd, Broke. Restaurant Fri 5.30-8.30pm, Sat-Sun 12-2.30pm, cellar door Sat-Sun 10am-5pm.
Magoony's Coffee House is the new kid on the block, opening six months ago in the old Broke service station. It's the local hangout with great coffee and light meals including pies, paninis and a big, juicy sausage roll they've dubbed "beefy boy". The house-made pastries and cakes are standouts - no surprise as the magician in the kitchen Ryan O'Toole is a former Margan pastry chef. Don't leave without having a browse through the antiques out back. 19 Singleton St, Broke Thur-Sun 8am-2pm
And if you want to snack on cheese and charcuterie while tasting the region's top wines, Margan, Krinklewood, Greenway, 1813, Talits and Whispering Brook cellar doors all offer gourmet platters.
DRINK
One of the highlights of a winery visit in Broke is that most are family owned and operated, so you'll often be talked through the range by the people who know the wines best, like Anne Greenway at Greenway Wines. Fancy a fiano? Anne's a fan of the Italian white wine and has five for you to try at her distinctive red barn cellar door - two sparkling fianos, a still fiano and an offbeat gerwutztraminer/fiano blend that's super easy to drink. Then again, so are the pinot grigio, rose and shiraz. 350 Wollombi Rd, Broke. Fri & Sun 11am-3pm, Sat 11am-4pm
It's a feathered family that welcomes you at Krinklewood Organic Estate. They have some preening peacocks who like to strut their stuff while you swirl and sip a range of biodynamic and organic wines at the charming French-style cellar door. If you love a dry, French-style rose make sure you try the one here... it's tres bon. 712 Wollombi Rd, Broke. Fri- Sun 10am-5pm
Sticking with the French theme, let's head to Talits Estate with its French Provincial-inspired chateau that sleeps eight. Here the best place to relax and sample some Hunter classics and a quirky Beaujolais-style merlot and touriga nacional blend is on the verandah beside the dam. You can also sink a schooner of their own craft beer made in the Hunter. 722 Milbrodale Rd, Fordwich. Fri-Sun 10am-5pm.
Next stop, Portugal. Whispering Brook is known for its Portuguese wine varieties and Olive Long Table Lunch held in June, but you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the vineyards, olive grove and winery followed by a tasting of six of the current release wines and olive oils all-year-round. The touriga nacional (a dark plummy red) and arinto (a lemony white variety) are standout wines to try. They also have a six-bedroom country house where you can bunk down beside the vines. Rodd St, Broke Thur-Sun 10.30am-5pm
If you're after vino and vistas of Yellow Rock, there's no better place to enjoy both than at 1813 Wines cellar door. Based at the 50-acre Tinonee Vineyard Estate, the glass and black steel cellar door is a beautiful space to clink glasses of their estate-grown rose, fiano, chambourcin and cracking flagship shiraz, the Governor, paired with a rich dark Lindt chocolate. The elegant six-bedroom Residence and two-bedroom Dairy Cottage are plush places to base yourself in Broke. 1273a Milbrodale Rd, Broke. Fri-Sun 10am-5pm
For a change of pace, you can then switch the wine for some top-shelf spirits at Kawal Rock Distillery. Owners Maria Schuler and Louise Foster opened the distillery in October 2021 and quickly made a name for their hand-crafted and distilled spirits, using their own botanicals and grapes. After tasting a moscato, brandy, vodka, three varieties of gin, including the amusingly named Itchy Wombat Gin, you won't be able to get that Mental As Anything song out of your head... The Nips Are Getting Bigger. 260 Milbrodale Rd, Fordwich. Thur-Mon 10am-7pm
EXPERIENCE
Love art? Love wine? Then the picturesque Winmark Wines should be front and centre on your hit list. Owner and avid art lover Karin Adcock has curated a spectacular sculpture garden with more than a dozen contemporary installations mingling with the iconic Poole's Rock that's the heart of the property, a new - and impressive - art gallery and a cellar door that showcases the terrific chardonnays grown on the estate. Plus, there are three luxe houses with superb artwork and views for groups to stay and a cute Tiny House for couples. It's a captivating combo, no doubt about it. 229 Wollombi Rd, Broke. Mon-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sun 10am-5pm.
For an instant skincare pick-me-up, you can't beat Bare Nature'skin at River Flats Estate olive grove. Michelle Waite and her mum Marian sell a beautiful range of bespoke skincare products and organic soaps, olives and olive oils in their sweet-scented shop. Michelle hand-milks her herd of goats at the aptly named Milk Bar and uses the goats' milk and their olive oils with herbs, flowers and seeds she harvests locally to craft her must-have magical potions. A hand scrub while nibbling on warmed farm-brined olives on the verandah overlooking the swamp bird sanctuary feels fiendishly good. 500 Wollombi Rd, Broke Thur-Sun 10am-5pm
Ever fed an alpaca? At Starline Alpacas you'll have them eating out of your hand before you can blink. The hand-reared herds of huacayas and suri alpacas are super friendly... and hungry. Buy a bag of food, take the walking trail between the paddocks of alpacas and they'll come running. The sunflower fields are also in peak bloom, so you can take some eye-popping pics of those too and buy some freshly cut flowers in the office. There are cottages onsite if you want a full-on farmstay. 1100 Milbrodale Rd, Broke Open daily 10am-4pm
Summer is the perfect time to stop and smell the lavender at the region's newest attraction, Hunter Lavender Farm. It's home to 9000 lavender plants and offers a range of bookable experiences from a one-hour walk through the rows of scented lavender, a three-hour painting class to yoga sessions in the lavender fields. They also run beekeepers for beginners courses and a honey harvest experience, where you harvest and take home your own jar of honey. 125 Adams Peak Rd, Broke. Lavender walks daily from Dec 17, other experiences by appointment
STAY
If you're looking for a vineyard stay, you'll feel right at home among the vines at Winmark Wines, Talits Estate, Tinonee Vineyard Estate and Whispering Brook, with new off-grid accommodation opening at Krinklewood soon.
Another gorgeous getaway option is The Wellness Farm - a spectacular farmstay and wellness retreat on 37 acres with six luxury villas and a Hamptons-style three-bedroom cottage. The property boasts cedar hot-tubs, float tanks, ice-baths and an amazing barrel sauna with views of Yellow Rock.
There's a lot to like in Broke... just put aside a weekend.
