A Sneak Peek into the Christmas Lights Spectacular at the Hunter Valley Gardens

If you’re headed to the Hunter for the holidays, you may want to also pop by the Hunter Valley Gardens!

With a massive layout that features 10 internationally themed gardens that’s over 60 acres, amazingly fun rides, a whole shopping and dining village plus events like the Christmas Lights Spectacular, it’s definitely not one to miss!

Immerse yourself in a magical world of light and illuminated Christmas light displays! 

The giant Walk-Through Bauble will be back as big and bright as ever, as well as all-time favourites Candyland, Fairyland, the Princess Castle and more. Photos with Santa will also be available every evening until Christmas Eve!

Walk through this towering castle that's 5m high and 15m wide! 

Walk through the snowman's belly and feel tiny  - it's a towering 8m high!

Get your tickets and secure your spot now:

Soak up nature at the stunning Hunter Valley Gardens, which were built by Bill and Imelda Roche over four years with a dedicated team of over 40 landscape gardeners, architects and engineers - it was no small feat!

There are eight kilometres of walking paths winding through 14 hectares of gardens consisting of over 6000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and over 1 million ground cover plants, plus waterfalls, statues, murals and much more. The 10 individually themed gardens showcase the artistry of gardens around the world and use both native and exotic varieties of plants.

Here’s a quick sneak peek at some of their award-winning gardens:

Definitely one of the highlights at the garden, as it features over 6,000 roses full of fragrance and beauty, with much romance in the air!

You can enter the Chinese Garden through a traditional moon gate flanked by two bronze temple guardians. You’ll find many traditional elements here like rugged rocks, bamboo and even edible fruits like cumquats and persimmons!

Larger-than-life nursery rhyme characters and spectacular murals greet you at every corner at the Storybook Garden, offering excellent photo opportunities! Join Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill as they tumble down the hill, Alice in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Little Bo Peep and many more!

Intricate floral beds within manicured box hedging designed to reflect the classic French Parterre style of garden, the Border Garden is surrounded by intertwined hedges of hill’s weeping figs, an Australian native, with European boxwood used to create interesting shapes.

Italian Grotto 

Did you know that the word 'grotto' comes from the Greek word kruptos, meaning hidden? The Italian Grotto is lined with red bougainvillea, pink wisteria and cascading geraniums, pelargoniums, and many other hidden delights. In the style of a true Italian garden there are edible plants including lemon, orange, olive trees, lavender and herbs which help evoke the fragrance of Italy.

Be treated to an incredible sensory experience of colour and fragrances as there are over 35,000 rose bushes across the property! 

There is a giant easter egg hunt at the Hunter Valley Gardens every year and every child gets some Easter choccies at the end of the hunt.  What’s really exciting is the daily golden egg hunt to win a family annual pass to the gardens!

The main rides at the Hunter Valley gardens are all kid-friendly - including the infamous tea cup, swing chair, superslide, carousel, inflatables and even a ferris wheel that takes you 25 metres high above the gardens!

The Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village is a unique collection of bespoke shops offering everything from delicious meals, lunchtime treats, coffee and wine to stunning glassware, jewellery and unique clothing.

Ideally located just outside the entrance to Hunter Valley Gardens, the shopping village is surrounded by their own beautiful gardens and is adjacent to the playground, BBQ and picnic area.

The Hunter Valley Gardens offers a great selection of casual dining and fine dining options just minutes from garden entry, some of the restaurants there include Taste of the Country for an old-fashioned country kitchen, Oscars which is a relaxed cafe, Harrigan’s Burger Bar which is an alfresco burger bar and even the Garden Terrace Cafe which offers beautiful views.

The gardens are open 7 days a week from 9 am – 5 pm

Christmas Lights Spectacular hours:

Daytime: 9am – 4pm | Evening: 5:30pm – 10pm

Closed Christmas Day 25 December.

By Road: An easy 2-hour drive North of Sydney via the M1, turning off at the Cessnock/Vineyards Exit, following the signs through to Cessnock and then on to Pokolbin.

By Air: Newcastle Airport is a 50-minute drive from the Gardens.

Another crowd-favourite activity we have in the Hunter is the Hunter Valley Hot Air Balloon ride with a  gourmet breakfast and champagne celebration after - definitely a big hit and recommended activity if you're keen to do other things in the area!