'I went to the Hunter Valley with my family on a budget. Here are my 5 tips.'

I'm a huge fan of a weekend getaway — it feels much more achievable (and affordable) to jump in the car and get out of Sydney.

At the beginning of the year I set myself a goal of going on three mini-breaks. I like having something to look forward to, and I think that weekends can get so busy and fill up so quickly with extracurricular activities — like birthday parties and park play dates — that if you don't plan ahead, sooner or later you turn around and realise that the year has passed you by.

So when I found it was 10 months into the year and I'd only ticked one off my list, I realised I was running out of time. I wanted to look for something that I could do that was relatively affordably, kid-friendly and a maximum of three hours out of Sydney.

This was when I was given the opportunity to visit the Hunter Valley. I must admit, it's not the first place that comes to mind when I think "budget", or even "kid-friendly", but now that I've made the trip, I can't wait to visit again.

I know many families are feeling the cost of living pinch at the moment, which can make holidays feel out of reach, so here are my five affordable things to do in the Hunter Valley.

Watch: Susie Lake — Road Trip with Toddlers, No-Screen Entertainment Ideas. Post continues below.

1. Take a visit to the Pokolbin Animal Farm

If your kids are anything like mine, animal encounters are always a positive. That's why we headed to the nearby Pokolbin Animal Farm, and I'll say this: Had this not been recommended to me by a friend, I never would have known it existed.

Tucked away off a gravel road behind the general store in Pokolbin is a small, family-run petting zoo, complete with horses, goats, lambs, cows, a really big pig and some very adorable ponies.

It's a $10 entry fee, but kids under three are free. For an extra $5, you'll also get a very generously sized bucket of animal feed.

We went early when it opened at 10am, and the animals were really excited to see us. All in all, it made for a very easy and affordable visit.

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2. Check out the Hunter Valley Gardens.

A visit to the Hunter Valley Gardens is well worth adding to your agenda, especially during school holidays when they have a vast amount of both free and paid activities.

The grounds are really beautiful, and it's easily accessible for prams, as well. You can easily take a wander through the various gardens — my two-year-old particularly enjoyed spotting Humpty Dumpty in the storybook garden.

The sheer vastness of the gardens kept the kids occupied, and they really enjoyed looking at the map and heading off on an adventure. With so much to look at, it was nice to do an outdoor activity together.

There are also some rides — a ferris wheel, merry-go-round, spinning cups and giant slides. Whilst you do pay extra for these at the ticket office, there are plenty of free activities as well to mix it up. They offer free face painting (usually an expensive exercise), as well as the craft workshops — when we visited there was a grassy heads, clay, and rock painting workshops available.

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3. Keep the accommodation simple.

When travelling with kids, it's unlikely you'll be kicking back and relaxing in luxury, because, well, kids. My advice would be to keep the accommodation simple, and save the luxurious trimmings for when you're having a romantic trip or girls' weekend away.

We stayed at the Leisure Inn Pokolbin Hill. It's in an extremely central and convenient location, and while the cabins are very clean and comfortable (I fell asleep at 8:30pm every night!), the grounds are simply beautiful. There is so much open space, a tonne of friendly ducks waddling around the property, and a big pond with a water feature. 

There's also a very convenient on-site café (highly recommend a breakfast burger), a gated playground, a swimming pool and a tennis court. That is to say, there's lots to do that will keep the kids entertained, and perhaps most importantly, worn out!

Another fun thing to note about this accommodation is that it's a little old school — the rooms have actual DVD players in them, and I had lots of fun explaining to my four-year-old that 'NO, that's not a Disney book, it's an actual movie'. The in-room telephones also occupied both the kids for about 20 minutes a day.

The whole experience was a little trip down nostalgia lane, especially because the reception had a DVD library based on an honesty system, which really took me back to the family road trips I took when I was a kid, which was a nice, unexpected touch. 

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4. Explore the region on foot.

Whenever I've done Hunter Valley in the past, it's been without kids. Meaning, I've had more money to spare to splurge on guided wine tours.

Because the region feels so big, I didn't realise it's actually perfectly do-able on foot. As part of our stay at the Leisure Inn, we were given discounts to wineries and vendors that were part of the Pokolbin Gourmet Trail. We started with a cheese tasting at the Hunter Valley Gardens before walking across the road to Mcguigan Wines, and I highly recommend having a tasting. If you happen to spot Caitlin at Mcguigan, make sure to get her as your guide — her stories are the perfect accompaniment to the delicious wine!

Another 10-minute walk away is Meerea Park and Winehouse. What's so special about the Hunter is that the people are so passionate about local history, and their tips and tricks for making the most of your trip are invaluable. I'd highly recommend checking the wineries out on your first day in town, because the locals will give you the lowdown on where to eat, drink and be merry! 

I have to admit, the fact that we were walking from place to place probably went a long way towards the fact that I managed to skip the hangover (that, or the quality of the wine!), but I also enjoyed the walk, as it meant we could go at our own pace and stay as little or as long as we'd like at each stop.

Fortunately, my husband and I had friends staying in the area at the same time, so my best friend and I left the kids in the capable hands of our husbands while we enjoyed some one-on-one time. That being said, the wineries are also kid friendly, both with outdoor spaces and seating in a relaxed environment.

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5. Check out Cafe Enzo.

I had potentially the best breakfast I've ever eaten at Cafe Enzo. The coffee was excellent, everything was simply delicious, and a cute little touch was the kids' menu, which offered $10 breakfasts.

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The portions are also incredibly generous, so if you have breakfast or brunch there, you'll be full enough to just have a light lunch or afternoon tea later on.

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Nicolle stayed as a guest of Leisure Inn. All views expressed are the author's own.