Arinya and its mountaintop wilderness environment are so peaceful and relaxing that you may choose to simply stay put, indulge your senses and soak it all in.
But if you want to get out and about, you're spoilt for choice ... with the Wineries and their excellent Restaurants, the Barrington Tops National Park, some of Australia's finest Golf Courses, fresh country air, good healthy food, endless panoramas of mountains and valleys, towns steeped in history and much more besides ...
Golf
There are plenty of Golf Courses in the area catering to very wide range of skill levels ...
The Vintage.
Paterson and Dungog host 9-hole courses and East Maitland has an 18-hole course; The Hunter Valley Golf & Country Club offers a plush course and great facilities and so it goes on ... right up to the superb Championship standards of The Vintage and Cypress Lakes.
Cypress Lakes.
Wine Country
At Arinya, you're ideally based to explore Wine Country. Gresford's wineries, including Camyr Allyn Wines, Ally River Wines and Glendonbrook Wines, are just down the road. Travel a bit further to Pokolbin and you'll find over 100 vineyards.
Hunter Valley Wine Country boasts a staggering range of delicious varietals and styles. You can visit boutique wineries or taste the wide selection made by some of Australia's largest wine producers. And, of course, there's no shortage of superb Restaurants to choose from.
Bunna Bunoo
The Hunter is fast developing an excellent reputation for Olive growing and if you look straight out from Arinya's back deck, you'll see a great example of the art just down in the valley in front of you.
Bunna Bunoo is a traditional, family-managed Olive Grove on the Paterson River. The setting is delightful, the olives are very special and with coffee, tea and light refreshments, a visit's a must!
Established in 1997, Bunna Bunoo has 3500 trees and grows five different varieties of olives. The oil varieties are Frantoio and Correggiola, and the table olives are from Jumbo Kalamata, Kalamata and Manzanillo trees.
Like the climate of Southern Italy where its owners the Iacono family originated, the area's long hot summers and cool crisp winters provide ideal conditions for cultivating the varieties that produce the finest quality olive oil.
Tocal Homestead
Standing on the road between Paterson and Maitland, Tocal Homestead is steeped in history. Once one of the greatest cattle and horse studs in Australia, it has a history of human habitation spanning thousands of years from when it was home to the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people.
Benefiting greatly from far-sighted farmers, Tocal has long been a centre for innovation. James Webber first settled the property and tested many crops new to the region; Charles Reynolds became one of the colony's finest horse and cattle breeders; and Charles Boyd Alexander first introduced mechanisation and technology to the property. Today, Tocal College provides practical learning for full-time students.
Open every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday from March to November between 10.00am and 3.00pm, Tocal Homestead is a truly fascinating heritage that offers an uniquely rewarding visit.
Dungog
Established as a military post in 1834 in a vain effort to help rid the settlements of the Williams River Valley of the pestilence of bushrangers, Dungog is an endearingly genuine, unspoilt, charming old country town just 35-40 minutes' drive from Arinya through some lovely scenery.
Bushranging activities in northern New South Wales were dominated by the infamous hold-up man, Frederick Ward. Also known as Captain Thunderbolt, he was eventually shot and killed at Uralla in 1870, where a bronze statue of him on horseback stands today.
Doug Walters
Dungog's most famous son is Australian cricketing hero Doug Walters, who was born and raised on a dairy farm just outside of town.
Perhaps best known for hosting its increasingly popular annual Film Festival, Dungog has a good choice of Cafes and a handful of really intriguing curio and antique shops and is well worth a visit at any time ...
