The Under-The-Radar Regional NSW Town For Every Foodie

In NSW’s New England High Country, Tenterfield flies quietly under the radar, offering travellers plenty to eat, drink, see and do without losing its country charm.

You’ll likely see a tractor driven down the main street in Tenterfield. And a restaurant as swanky as anything you’ve seen in Orange or Mudgee: two of regional NSW’s hippest foodie towns. But should you consider Tenterfield the new Orange, or the new Mudgee – and I’ve been putting it out there to residents – locals will rebuke, and tell you, “No… it’s the old Tenterfield". And therein lies the duality of this town: is this an overlooked soon-to-be hotspot? Or a classic Aussie country town?

the Tenterfield Post Office — Heritage-listed Tenterfield Post Office. (Image: Bauer Media/Destination NSW)

It’s worth noting that from Sydney, Tenterfield isn’t a breezy 3.5-hour drive away – instead the New England High Country town near the Queensland border is an eight-hour drive or 2.5 hours from the nearest major airport, Ballina Byron Gateway (reached mostly via a winding, undulating two-lane road). As such, you won’t find the usual influx of Sydneysiders here like you would in the aforementioned regional NSW hubs. Instead, it’s Brisbane folk who make the 3.5-hour drive south for a weekend escape from Queensland’s humidity. Sitting 850 metres above sea level, Tenterfield often calls for a fire at night, even in summer, and in winter, it’s not unheard of for snow to fall.

the entrance of Tenterfield Saddler — Tenterfield Saddler was made famous by Peter Allen’s song. (Image: Destination NSW/Nathan Jacobs)

I arrive away from the weekend and it’s as quiet as any regional Australian town. Just a whole lot prettier. Its streets are lined with heritage-listed buildings. History oozes out of them: like Tenterfield Saddler (1868) on High Street, which Peter Allen immortalised in song, and the theatre on Rouse Street where Henry Parkes called for Federation in 1889. Its pubs, such as Royal Tenterfield, which dates back to 1849, might have had a spit and polish, but there’s enough hardware stores and trucks loaded with cattle rattling down its main street to prove this is still a hard-working farming town.

The archway of evergreens lining every roadway here channel the English countryside. And there’s a gentleness about Tenterfield that seems a bit un-Australian. When I take a walk to town – for I’m staying close by in a luxury suite at Old Council Chambers originally built in 1884 – the sun on my face lacks the sting of coastal towns such as Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour downhill from here.

Tenterfield’s thriving dining scene

the Stonefruit exterior, Tenterfield — Stonefruit celebrates growers from the Granite Belt and New England regions.

On the main street, I backtrack as I walk past Stonefruit , distracted by its sleek, inner-Sydney-bar-like facade. Its thirtysomething owners Karlee McGee and Alistair Blackwell left Sydney’s Darlinghurst in 2022, attracted to Tenterfield by its small-town energy. Impressed by the remodelling of this century-old building, I stay for lunch in the courtyard out back, enveloped by old brick walls covered in grapevines and party lights.

the Stonefruit moody interior, Tenterfield — Stonefruit spills open onto the street. (Image: Destination NSW/Nathan Jacobs)

Stonefruit champions growers from the nearby Granite Belt (Stanthorpe is 50 kilometres north) and New England regions – last year, they won Good Food Guide’s Drinks List of the Year category. “We’re looking forward to more and more like-minded people settling in the area," Blackwell tells me. “Though we’re not the same inner-city people we were even just a couple of years ago."

wines on display at Stonefruit, Tenterfield — Its shelves are stocked with great wines.

A short drive south, in Deepwater, another thirtysomething former city slicker, who once ran bars, built a brewery in a town of 450 locals made from tin he salvaged from an old shearing shed. It has become a magnet for lovers of craft beer in a region known for its wineries. “More young people are moving here," Deepwater Brewing founder Isaac Zietek tells me. “I got sick of city traffic; it’s no way to live your life. This area seemed a good place to come."

dining at The Commercial Boutique Hotel, Tenterfield — The Commercial Boutique Hotel, a historic country pub in Tenterfield. (Image: Destination NSW/Nathan Jacobs)

That evening, at The Commercial Boutique Hotel , a restored 1940s Art Deco hotel on Tenterfield’s main street, I enjoy a main course of orange and clove sous vide duck breast crafted by head chef, Jagdeep Singh Saini. Originally from Punjab, India, Jagdeep fuses French classical cooking techniques with local ingredients and an Asian influence. I wasn’t expecting the best country pub meal I’ve ever had here on a sleepy Tuesday night: but that’s what I get.

At Little Nook & Co, locals drink Allpress coffee with doors open to the street and the big brekkie wraps could feed a family, New Zealand-born owner Kendyl Weir assures me Tenterfield may be evolving into something bigger, but at its heart it’s still a country town. “Everyone still says hello to each other here," she says. “There’s tourism all round, but it still feels like a town for locals."

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Tenterfield’s other highlights

the Bald Rock NationalPark, Tenterfield — Bald Rock National Park is defined by its granite landscapes and diverse eucalyptus forests. (Image: Destination NSW/Daniel)

Its food and wine attractions, mind you, weren’t even what got travellers here originally. In the distance, beyond the town’s pretty Victorian-era buildings, granite mountains loom on the horizon. The stark contrast – English-like surroundings meet rugged Australian bushland – must have made early settlers cautiously melancholic.

Adventure types put Tenterfield on the map. Six national parks surround the town. I climb the largest exposed granite monolith in the southern hemisphere in Bald Rock National Park and look out across the Northern Tablelands. The area is rich in Indigenous heritage, as Bald Rock was neutral ground for the Jukembal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi peoples.

a person standing between boulders in Tenterfield — The boulder-strewn landscape around Tenterfield, in NSW’s New England region. (Image: Destination NSW/Daniel Tran)

I also hike to where one-time resident Banjo Paterson proposed to his sweetheart overlooking a 210-metre waterfall in Boonoo Boonoo National Park. The 174 kilometres of world-class mountain-bike trails will also make Tenterfield one of Australia’s major MTB destinations when it opens in 2026. It is set to attract an extra 35,000 visitors to town per year.

a train passing by the Tenterfield Railway Station — Tenterfield Railway Station now serves as a museum. (Image: Destination NSW/Craig Parry)

There’s more: Tenterfield Railway Station Museum offers insights into life here 140 years ago, and Tenterfield Saddler lifts a lid on 19th century pastoralists. The whole town’s a living museum, with farm gates and wineries just a few minutes’ drive from the CBD. But what I like best of all is that Tenterfield’s not trying to be something it’s not. Is it the new Orange? No, more the old Tenterfield… just a bit different.

sunrise views at Tenterfield Creek — Scenic morning views across Tenterfield Creek. (Image: Destination NSW/Daniel Tran)

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A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

the Tenterfield welcome signage — The town is the gateway to Big Sky Country. (Image: Destination NSW/Daniel Tran)

Tenterfield is a 3.5-hour drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast or eight-hour drive from Sydney. Or fly to Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and hire a car.

Staying there

Old Council Chambers offers two luxury accommodation options – a studio and one-bedroom apartment in a restored 1884 property.

Eating there

Ballina king prawns with chilli butter, whipped yoghurt and kaffir lime at Stonefruit, Tenterfield — The menu at Stonefruit is known for rustic dishes like Ballina king prawns served with chilli butter, whipped yoghurt and kaffir lime.

Stonefruit is open Sunday to Monday 10am to 3pm; and Thursday to Saturday 10am to late. Deepwater Brewing offers beer tastings and pizzas. The Commercial Boutique Hotel and the Royal Hotel serve dinner seven nights a week.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .

The under-the-radar regional NSW town every foodie needs to know about

In NSW’s New England High Country, Tenterfield flies quietly under the radar, offering travellers plenty to eat, drink, see and do without losing its country charm.

Tenterfield’s thriving dining scene

Tenterfield’s other highlights