17 Oct Newy Tour Co in Metro UK: A Hunter Valley Day for UK Readers
On Monday 12 October 2026, Metro, the free daily paper read by commuters right across the UK, ran a Hunter Valley travel feature in its Travel edit. The writer, Sabi Phagura, spent a day in the valley with us, and Newy Tour Co made it into print.
As seen in Metro UK
Australian adventures you’ll treasure forever
Read the story on PressReaderMetro, Monday 12 October 2026, pages 16 and 17. PressReader may ask you to sign in.
What the story was about
Sabi’s piece pitches the Hunter Valley to UK readers as an easy escape from Sydney with a bit of everything. Her day opened before sunrise in a Balloon Aloft basket, drifting over the vineyards as the sky turned from purple to orange, and closed with a massage at Elysia Wellness Retreat. In between came tastings, a cheese board, a trail ride and a Segway run, with kangaroos and wallabies along the way.
Where we came in
Once the balloon was back on the ground, Keira picked Sabi up for the day. The article introduces Newy Tour Co as the small local outfit recently named Newcastle’s Best Tourism Experience, and Sabi’s line about how Keira shows off the valley is one we will be holding onto for a while:
“Like she’s showing me around her own back garden.”
Sabi Phagura, Metro UK
Wine country, with or without the wine
The thread running through the story is that you don’t have to drink to love the Hunter. Our first stop was McGuigan, where Sabi tried the McGuigan Zero range: the alcohol is taken out, but she found the shiraz still had depth and the chardonnay stayed soft. She also noted that more visitors are choosing alcohol-free options, so nobody in the group ends up watching from the sidelines. That’s exactly why we started running non-alcoholic wine tours this year.
From there it was the family-run Hunter Valley Cheese Company, where Sabi watched the cheesemakers at work before tasting a board, then Audrey Wilkinson, one of the country’s oldest wineries, for its chocolate pairing up on the ridge with views over the Brokenback Range.
Coming to the Hunter Valley?
- Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Newcastle
- Wine tour for guests staying in the Hunter Valley, with pickup from Pokolbin and Cessnock
- 3 Day Small Group Tour from Sydney, if you’re flying in and want Newcastle, the Hunter and Port Stephens in one go
Not drinking? Every one of our Hunter Valley wine tours has a non-alcoholic option you can select at checkout, which turns the whole day into a completely alcohol-free wine tour. Or browse all our tours.
Thanks to Sabi and the team at Metro, and to McGuigan, the Hunter Valley Cheese Company and Audrey Wilkinson for looking after us on the day.
Images: Metro, 12 October 2026.
Keep reading: our 2026 Best Tourism Experience win and our SBS World News story.
