Hunter Wine Country Roads

You have heard the saying “out of the mouths of babes” – well here is a personal story we hope you will enjoy.

As those of you have visited the Hunter in recent years will know the majority of the roads here in the vineyard area are an absolute disgrace!

The vineyard area around Pokolbin is contained mainly in the Cessnock local council area with Hermitage Road (where Mistletoe is located) being in the Shire of Singleton.

The roads are chalk and cheese when it comes to maintenance and quality of construction with Singleton leading by a country kilometre.

Our 10 year old grandson recently visited Cessnock Council Chambers with a group of students from his school. He was selected to be the mock mayor of Cessnock for the day.

The current actual Mayor then asked of him

“Young man, you are mayor for the day. What is the first thing you would do for the area?”

Without batting an eyelid he responded

“First, I would repair Broke Road and then I would change its name to Fixed Road”

As the current Mayor did not support spending on roads in the vineyard area she was quite gobsmacked and soon removed the lad from the chair. We think that boy has got a great future ahead!

We are very happy, no, make that ecstatic, to report that work has commenced within the Cessnock LGA part of Wine Country to upgrade the roads. After many years of procrastination by the previous administration the new State Government has come good with the $20 million dollars pledged for this project during the election campaign and work has begun in earnest.

This will see much of the Wine Country road system being renewed over the next two years.

Combined with the completion of the Hunter Expressway expected in mid 2013 this will make a visit to the Hunter Valley a much better and safer experience.

We shall let you know about the completion date of the Hunter Expressway in our 2013 newsletters and will include a map, and internet link, so you may understand the exit points into Wine Country.

This new expressway meets the New England Highway not far from Hermitage Road so you will be able to get to Mistletoe much quicker. LOL!

We are led to believe this new road will shave 25 minutes off the trip to the Hunter from both Sydney and Newcastle. Great News!