The Hunter Valley went for Broke.
The village of Broke in the heart of the Hunter Valley has taken out the NSW Tiny Tourism Town 2026 award. With a population of just 500, what the pint-sized postcode lacks in people it makes up for in talent, dotted as it is with vineyards and destination restaurants.
Hugged by the Brokenback Range in the oldest wine region in Australia, just two hours’ drive out of Sydney, the designated Broke-Fordwich wine region now incorporates dozens of vineyards.
A standout is the biodynamic and organic winery, Krinklewood Estate, where you can sip award-winning wines in the vine-draped Cézan Trattoria & Bar, before retiring to the stunning, low-impact on-site accomodation Dimensions X Farmstay.
Both a respected winery and one of the best destination restaurants in the Hunter Valley, Margan Wines and Restaurant celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Lisa and Andrew Margan are legends of the local scene, overseeing a flourishing kitchen garden and sustainable wine program, best enjoyed together over a long lunch at Margan Restaurant.
Related story: The best places to eat, stay and play in the Hunter Valley
At Winmark Wines, take a glass of the vineyard’s legendary chardonnay on a stroll through the sculpture park; while Whispering Brook will let you break up your tastings of Hunter Valley icons semillon and shiraz with their estate-grown Portuguese varietals arinto and touriga nacional.
Talits Estate manifests a Provençal-style luxury farmhouse stay at the heart of its vineyard; while at the other end of the spectrum the Running Horse Wines cellar door is housed in six, angular reimagined shipping containers, with views of Yellow Rock.
The runners up for Tiny Tourism Town were Millthorpe in the Central West, and Mungindi, which straddles the Queensland/New South Wales border on the Barwon River.
The overall title of Top Tourism Town (with a population over 5,000) went to South Coast NSW hub Kiama for the third consecutive year, while the category of Small Tourism Town (with between 1,500 and 5,000 residents), went to the hamlet of Gulgong, in the Central Tablelands near Mudgee.
The winners will now go into contention for the Top Tourism Town, to be announced later in the year.
For more details about the awards and the 2026 winners and runners up, visit destinationnsw.com.au
Related story: A tiny NSW village you’ve probably never heard of declared Top Tourism Town 2025
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