Set at the gateway to Australia’s most famous wine region, Cessnock is a vibrant regional centre offering a lifestyle that blends open space, community connection and everyday convenience.

Cessnock has evolved from its historic mining roots into a thriving town best known today as the hub of Hunter Valley wine country. It serves as the main service centre for the surrounding region, supporting both local residents and the millions of visitors who travel to the Hunter each year.

Surrounded by vineyards, national parks and rolling countryside, Cessnock offers a relaxed pace of life while remaining highly connected. The town is approximately 50 kilometres west of Newcastle and around 120 kilometres north of Sydney, placing it within reach of major city services while retaining the benefits of regional living.

Cessnock has become increasingly popular with downsizers seeking a lifestyle upgrade without the congestion and price pressures of coastal centres. The town retains a strong sense of openness and authenticity, with wide streets, established neighbourhoods and a welcoming community atmosphere that appeals to people entering a more active and flexible stage of life.

This blend of regional vitality and lifestyle opportunity is what makes Cessnock the ideal setting for Principle Living’s first land lease community, The Hermitage.

“The Hermitage offers an outstanding lifestyle balance,” said Principle Living Executive Director Andrew Mann.

“It matches the beauty of the Hunter Valley with the practicality of living in a major regional centre,” he said. “That’s what makes it such a compelling location for active downsizers who still want to be out and about enjoying life.”

Everyday living in Cessnock is refreshingly straightforward. As the commercial hub of the local government area, the town provides major supermarkets, cafés, retail, professional services and health facilities, making daily errands simple and accessible.

Just minutes from town, residents enjoy access to world-class vineyards, cellar doors, restaurants and concert venues, along with national parks and scenic countryside. The surrounding region – including Pokolbin, Lovedale and Wollombi – offers endless opportunities for weekend exploration and social connection.

“Whether it’s a casual lunch at a winery, a walk through nearby bushland or meeting friends in town, Cessnock makes it easy to stay active and connected,” Andrew said.

“It’s a lifestyle that supports independence, engagement and enjoyment, which we know is exactly what today’s downsizers are looking for.”

For those considering where next, Cessnock offers something increasingly rare: room to live well, space to move and a community that feels both established and full of possibility.

Civil works at The Hermitage are already underway with the first homes expected to start construction later in 2026.

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