Tenterfield: Small country town emerges as NSW’s next hotspot for food, wine and adventure
It used to be that the NSW town of Tenterfield was only known as that place Peter Allen sang about. Yes, you know the song — and our apologies for the earworm.
But there’s more here than Allen’s dusty vocals. Tenterfield, 200km inland from Byron Bay or a 3.5 hour drive south-west from Brisbane, was where Henry Parkes publicly proclaimed the need for Federation.
Today, the Federation town holds a newfound sense of allure — much of it based around an ascendant culinary scene.
While any Tenterfield meal still comes with a side of cattle trucks thundering down the main street, younger couples and families — those fleeing the big city grind and bigger city costs — are bringing certain vigour and know-how and creating a gentle sense of (welcome) gentrification.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Tenterfield’s definitely changing,” says ex-Sydney resident and co-owner of the stand-out Stonefruit restaurant, Alistair Blackwell.
“But it’s still just a nice little Aussie country town and that’s what’s best about it.”
The local heritage pubs are in on the act with menus offering more than well-cooked steak or schnitty and chips — seared Japanese scallops with truffle-infused cauliflower mash, anyone?
Move a nudge outside town limits and you’ll discover decent wineries that inform the Granite Belt region — known for its shiraz, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
And beyond the food and the wine there’s a 174km mountain bike trail near completion — set to make the town one of the country’s major bike destinations. Little wonder really, given six national parks surround Tenterfield — perfect terrain for riding, hiking, exploring.
So, saddle up (sorry) as we dive into a country town we’re loath to call the next Mudgee. Though it is the next Mudgee.
EAT/ DRINK
Stonefruit epitomises Tenterfield’s overhaul. Owners Alistair and Karlee Blackwell remodelled a 100-year-old building parked on the town’s main street into a sleek restaurant and bar which also doubles as a takeaway wine shop, replete with backyard courtyard covered in grapevines. As for the decadent menu — opt for the local hog and ox terrine.
Elsewhere, The Commercial Boutique Hotel serves some of Australia’s finest gastro-pub fare from its restored 1940s-era Art Deco dining room.
Drive 30 minutes south to Deepwater Brewery, held within a former shearing shed and the creation of an ex-Brisbane bar owner (the pulled pork pizza is worth the drive alone).
STAY
Take advantage of a very walkable town centre and stay just off the main street at the Old Council Chambers. There’s two self-contained luxury suites in a building that dates to 1884. The clever refurb makes it feel less museum, more industrial chic with original slab floor, brown bricks, original leadlight windows and huge open fireplaces.
The Commercial Boutique Hotel, upstairs from the restaurant and bar, offers eight individually designed rooms furnished in classic Art Deco style.
For something different, 10 minutes out of town is glamping at Mirumiru Bubble Tent, which comes with a vintage outdoor bathtub and welcoming fire pit (there’s also a 1900s Queenslander farmhouse available to rent).
DO
Drive Tenterfield’s historic main drag and out along an archway of red oaks and cork trees that change colour across the seasons to explore any of the six national parks bordering town — two of which are World Heritage-listed.
Climb the largest exposed granite monolith in the Southern Hemisphere at Bald Rock National Park for an elevated view of the region, or, check out the waterfalls of Boonoo Boonoo National Park (where, another colonial tale incoming, Banjo Paterson proposed).
Those 174km of world-class mountain bike trails, Angry Bull Trails, are due to open in “early 2026” and projected to attract an additional 35,000 annual visitors.
As for the wineries — the award-winning Balancing Hearts Vineyard is a worthy 20 minutes’ drive north and try to find its hidden whiskey and cigar lounge.
And, yes, OK — stop off at the Tenterfield Saddler, the 1860s building that once stood as the world’s best-known saddlery and which today operates as volunteer-run museum.
