I've been saying for years that the Hunter has the best wine in Australia; the best food, with so many hatted restaurants; the best people; and some of the most beautiful countryside you'll ever see. Well, guess what? We've now officially got some of the best places to stay as well. I want to give a massive shout out to the team at Hunter Holidays, who've just taken out the Property Management Company of the Year, Emerging at the 2026 Australia and New Zealand Short Term Rental Association Awards. That's right—a little business from the Hunter Valley has taken on the rest of Australia and come out on top. Here's the impressive part: they've done it in just 16 months.

Starting from scratch, Georgia and her team have built a business that's all about looking after property owners, making visitors feel welcome and delivering good old-fashioned customer service. They haven't done it alone either. Behind every great holiday property are cleaners, tradies, maintenance crews and local businesses that have helped keep everything running. They're the backbone of the tourism industry.

The Hunter Valley is already Australia's best wine region, and awards like this show we've got the hospitality to match it. It's local businesses, like Hunter Holidays, that bring visitors to our region, support local jobs and keep our economy ticking. Congratulations to Georgia and the entire Hunter Holidays team. You've done us all proud. Keep up the good work. I look forward to having a wine with you soon. Cheers!