Southern Highlands Archives - Adventure, baby!

Dirty Janes High Tea Bowral, Southern Highlands, Australia

July 27, 2020 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Your Vintage Occasion Tea Salon: Dirty Janes High Tea Bowral

The perfect high tea in Bowral. ‘Your Vintage Occassion Tea Salon’ serves up delicious high tea inside Dirty Janes Bowral, in the NSW Southern Highlands.

For an authentic high experience, we absolutely love ‘Your Vintage Occasion Tea Salon’, the quaint and quirky salon inside Dirty Janes Bowral.

With a speciality in high tea, ‘Your Vintage Occasion Tea Salon’ is also a place where you can drop by for a light meal or treat. Their cakes are absolutely incredible, all handmade each day onsite, and the scones are next level. Possibly the perfect scone – light, fluffy and fresh out of the oven.

The menu is a simple one: sandwiches, toasties, soup, pinwheel sandwiches, light meals such as frittata or quiche, and the magnificent scones. Scones are available in a variety of flavours, my favourite bing the rose scone, which comes with rose cream.

Gluten-free options are available for treats and the high tea.

When visiting on a weekday, it’s easy to stroll in and get a table. Weekends, however, are always busy and full up fast. Bookings are available at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm.

The salon puts up what I consider the best high tea in Bowral, and it’s very reasonably pried too at $29 pp or $32 for gluten-free. There was no problem accomodating us with a vegetarian high tea as well.

Each high tea comes with a choice of freshly bakes scones, a daily savoury selection and an assortment of sweets, plus a pot of loose-leaf tea by The Highland’s Tea Company or an espresso coffee.

Kids aren’t left out either, with a Little One’s High Tea for $20pp, including a delicious assortment of treats along with a fruit juice, small iced chocolate or berry swirl.

Your Vintage Occasion Tea Salon at Dirty Janes
13-15 Banyette St, Bowral
0457 106 970
yourvintageoccasion.com.au/tea-salon-dirty-janes-bowral

More things to do in Sydney and NSW

Find more things to do in Bowral.

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

More things to do on the Central Coast.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Things to do in the Southern Highlands.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Plan amazing NSW road trips.

Pick your own fruit: fruit picking Sydney.

The best things to do in Western Sydney and Parramatta with kids.

Belmore Falls, Robertson, Southern Highlands

July 22, 2020 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Belmore Falls, Robertson, Southern Highlands

Belmore Falls is a plunge waterfall with three drops. It is located in the Southern Highlands, near the town of Robertson, in New South Wales, Australia.

The waterfalls are 130m tall at the highest point, and are very easy to view from Hindmarsh Lookout.

Driving to Belmore Falls is a bit of an adventure, with a winding unsealed road through the bush, and driving over the top of the waterfalls themselves at Barrengarry Creek crossing.

Cars can drive right up to Hindmarsh Lookout where there is a car park, picnic tables and extremely basic restrooms. There is little to no mobile phone reception. Bring plenty of water as there is no drinkable water available.

It’s only a few steps from the car park to the Hindmarsh Lookout, which offers the best view of the falls. It does however require walking down several steps to reach the platform.

There is a short walk that starts at this location and follows the edge of the escapement to the top of the waterfalls at Barrengarry Creek. While it is possible to walk to the very top of the falls here, it is not advisable for safety reasons.

The walk takes about 30 mins (1.8km return) and has plenty of stunning views over Kangaroo Valley. It also, however, shares the majority of the walk with the road and cars, so keep an eye out for incoming vehicles.

Belmore Falls
Belmore Falls Rd, Wildes Meadow NSW
nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

More things to do in the Southern Highlands

Carrington Falls and Nellies Glen

Get more ideas on what to do in the Southern Highlands.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Plan amazing NSW road trips.

Pick your own fruit: fruit picking Sydney.

The best things to do in Western Sydney and Parramatta with kids.

Pie Time in the Southern Highlands NSW

June 7, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Pie time in the Southern Highlands is the most delicious time of year. Located only an hour and a half southwest of Sydney, the Southern Highlands make for an easy day trip. Throughout the month of June the region is host to a plethora of delicious pie experiences.

Pie Time in the Southern Highlands, NSW

The Big Pie and Visitors Centre, Mittagong

The Southern Highlands is the home of Australia’s newest Big Thing – the Big Pie! Located at the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong, the Big Pie has been erected in recognition of pie month in the Southern ‘Pie-lands’ during June. The Big Pie sits at over 2 metres wide by 1.5 high. Following Pie Time ‘The Big Pie’ will be positioned in the forecourt of the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre to promote the year-round Southern Highlands Pie Trail.

Drop into the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre while you’re there to read up about the history of pies and try their award-winning toilets.

Stones Patisserie, Bowral

This beautiful bakery is lovingly run by owner Mark Stone, turning out award-winning pies and delicious dishes daily. After winning the Best Pie and Best Artisan Pie 2018 for NSW/ACT with Stone’s ‘head to tail’ pie, this bakery is a must to try their hero pie created for pie month, the Superman pie (a beef bourguignon with peas, bacon, mushroom and a veal jus). There are also vegetarian options to be found at the patisserie, and I particularly enjoyed their apple crumble pie.

stonespatisserie.com

Heatherbrae’s Pies, Sutton Forest

The iconic roadstop pie shop serves up small batches of handmade pies, baked under the watchful eye of owner and pie man Russell Cox. Each filling is cooked to a specific recipe rather than a generic base being made with flavours added to it. The result is the most delicious pies that keep people coming back time after time. As well as a large range of savoury pies and sausage rolls, Heatherbrae’s has a fantastic range of retro sweet pastries.

While the Jillaroo (beef, bacon, cheese and onion) is a popular savoury pie, I highly enjoyed the vegan Red Lentil Curry pie and will be going back for more. Cox commented that the vegan pie is the fasted growing pie on the menu in terms of popularity.

heatherbraespies.com.au

Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter

Cuttaway Hill is the place to stop to try the Pie Time Festival’s Pies and Pinot. Enjoy a Cuttaway Hill Pinot Noir or Pinot Gris with a specially made Heatherbrae venison pie. Vegetarians can enjoy the Sweetie Pie and Bubbles for Pie Time, where you can enjoy their traditionally-made sparkling with a sweet Heatherbrae pie.

Families are welcome at Cuttaway Hill and are catered for during Pie Time. The Pie in the Sky event looks particularly fun, where you can enjoy a glass of wine, a Heatherbrae’s pie and peering at the stars through telescopes from the vineyard.

cuttawayhill.com.au

Southern Highlands Winery, Sutton Forest

Drop by for the Pie and Pinot and stay for the spectacular views from the cellar door restaurant at the Southern Highlands Winery.

Head chef Marco Salvestrin has crafted a rabbit and Pinot Noir pie for this special time of year, for a bargain $22. There are vegetarian options on the menu. I enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana and spinach. Kids also are catered for on the menu.

southernhighlandswinery.com.au/

Centennial Vineyards, Bowral

Choose between the Pie and Pinot with a braised beef brisket and tunnel mushroom pie or Sweetie Pie and Bubbles with a apple, ricotta and mulberry pie and glass of the vineyard’s Brut Rosé for only $15 during pie time.

centennial.net.au

Military Vehicle Tours and Centennial Vineyards

Take a vineyard tour with a difference at Centennial Vineyards with restoration expert and owner of Military Vehicle Tours Vinh Tran. During Pie Time he is offering visitors a 15-minute drive around the vines in a refurbished personnel carrier or jeep. All money raised from the tours goes directly to Vietnamese orphans and people affected by the Vietnam War. Tours go every 30 minutes during Pie Time.

Book your tour here.

Fairground Follies, Bowral

This warehouse of wonders is usually closed to the public. Fairground Follies is a collection of antique musical machines from the 1800s onwards, and is open this Pie Time on June 1 and 15 with a 1.5 hour tour by curator and owner Craig Robson with an apple or fruit pie and a hot drink. With proceeds going to Meals on Wheels, this is an incredible opportunity as well as a good cause.

Highlights from the collection include the original steam-powered carousel from Luna Park, pre-clockwork gravity-driven musical machines, a 1950s Decap Robot Orchestra and the grand Taj Mahal.

fairgroundfollies.com

Glass Café, Mittagong

Housed inside a 1890 heritage building, the Glass Café is hosting a special Paint Pinot event for Pie Time, with alpaca pie and Pinot Noir from award-winning winery Artemis. Paint your own alpaca using pie condiments such as ketchup, brown and yellow mustard.

glasscafe.com.au

Cycle Tours NSW

Burn off the pies on an e-bike with Cycle Tours NSW. Kick off and let the battery kick in, giving you power-assisted peddling. The tours take visitors through the regions breweries, wineries and restaurants and commence at the Mittagong Visitors Centre.

cycletoursnsw.com

Gumnut Patisserie, Berrima, Bowral and Mittagong

This famous patisserie attracts day trippers like us from Sydney and a line out the door is not an uncommon sight. Gumnut Patisserie are famous for their savoury pies and exquisite pastries. Their individually-made single-serve cakes and tarts are masterpieces, but we also loved the nostalgic, old school pastries like their vanilla and caramel slices.

gumnutpatisserie.com.au

More things to do in the Southern Highlands

Find plenty more things do to in the Southern Highlands here.

Find things do to in Bowral here.

Find things to do in Robertson here.

Find things to do in Berrima here.

Pie Time runs from 1st – 30th June. Get the full run down of Pie Time events here.

I experienced these Pie Time activities as a guest of Southern Highlands Tourism.

Sydney Escapes: Things to do in the Southern Highlands

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in the Southern Highlands: Berrima, Bowral & Robertson

The Southern Highlands are a 90 minute drive south west of Sydney or just under 2 hours from Canberra.

Comprised of the towns of Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Berrima, Bundanoon and many other smaller villages, the Southern Highlands is a great spot for a day trip or weekend break to enjoy the colourful gardens, stunning waterfalls, nature walks, history, heritage and delicious food on offer. There are plenty of things to do in the Southern Highlands!

Berrima

The historic village of Berrima makes for a charming and character-filled day trip. Stroll through the streets with their colonial sandstone buildings, visit the Berrima Courthouse or while the day away at a cafe.

Find things to do in Berrima here.

Bowral

Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands. It’s a great spot for shopping, dining, bush walking and visiting local attractions including the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame.

Find things to do in Bowral here.

Exeter

Experience our English heritage in this thriving village which is home to a large number of English-style estates, a historic stone church and country railway station.

Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter

The family-owned Cuttaway Hill Wines is a great place to stop to try premium quality table wines. I sampled raw Champagne at Cuttaway Hill and enjoyed the experience of seeing how it’s made.

cuttawayhill.com.au

Mittagong

The Big Pie and Visitors Centre, Mittagong

The Southern Highlands is the home of Australia’s newest Big Thing – the Big Pie! Located at the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong, the Big Pie has been erected in recognition of pie month in the Southern ‘Pie-lands’ during June. The Big Pie sits at over 2 metres wide by 1.5 high. Following Pie Time ‘The Big Pie’ will be positioned in the forecourt of the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre to promote the year-round Southern Highlands Pie Trail.

Drop into the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre while you’re there to read up about the history of pies and try their award-winning toilets.

Glass Café, Mittagong

Housed inside a 1890 heritage building, the Glass Café is a fun and quirky café restaurant. The menu includes gluten free and vegetarian options, and the café has a relaxed vibe perfect for families. The backyard is pet friendly and free WiFi is available.

glasscafe.com.au

Cycle Tours NSW

Burn off the pastries on an e-bike with Cycle Tours NSW. Kick off and let the battery kick in, giving you power-assisted peddling. The tours take visitors through the regions breweries, wineries and restaurants and commence at the Mittagong

cycletoursnsw.com

Sutton Forrest

This small village is the place to stop for a true country escape.

Heatherbrae’s Pies, Sutton Forest

The iconic road stop pie shop serves up small batches of handmade pies, baked under the watchful eye of owner and pie man Russell Cox. Each filling is cooked to a specific recipe rather than a generic base being made with flavours added to it. The result is the most delicious pies that keep people coming back time after time. As well as a large range of savoury pies and sausage rolls, Heatherbrae’s has a fantastic range of retro sweet pastries.

While the Jillaroo (beef, bacon, cheese and onion) is a popular savoury pie, I highly enjoyed the vegan Red Lentil Curry pie and will be going back for more. Cox commented that the vegan pie is the fasted growing pie on the menu in terms of popularity.

heatherbraespies.com.au

Southern Highlands Winery, Sutton Forest

Drop by for a delicious meal created by head chef Marco Salvestrin, and stay for the spectacular views from the cellar door restaurant at the Southern Highlands Winery.

There are vegetarian options on the menu (I enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana and spinach) and a kids’ menu featuring chicken schnitzel and chips, fish and chips, gnocchi napoletana, short pasta bolognese, meatballs with crostoni bread.

southernhighlandswinery.com.au/

Robertson

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budaroo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience.

Find things to do in Robertson here.

Robertson NSW: Sydney Day Trips

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in Robertson NSW

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budderoo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience. Robertson is an appox 90 minutes drive south of Sydney.

The Big Potato

The Big Potato was modelled on the Sebgo potato. At approx 10 metres long and four metres high, it’s a rather large spud that sits in the middle of a park on the side of the Illawarra Highway.

Illawarra Highway, Robertson

Robertson Pie Shop

The popular pie shop is the spot to drop by for a hot savoury or sweet fruit pie. The Robertson pie Shop has been a family-run business for 37 years. It’s a very casual shop, with plenty of seating. Pies are served to go. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. We loved the ricotta and spinach rolls and took home a large peach pie.

4400 Illawarra Highway, Robertson
robertsonpieshop.com.au

Robertson Cheese Factory

Carrington Falls

The magnificent Carrington Falls, a 50m waterfall plunging into a natural swimming gully, is located in the Budderoo National Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The Kangaroo River flows over a sandstone escarpment into the gully below. There is a loop walk that takes approximately 25 minutes to complete and takes visitors to three lookouts with stunning views as well past cascades, waterholes and rockpools.

Read more about visiting Carrington Falls here.

Fitzroy Falls

The spectacular Fitzroy Falls is located inside the Morton National Park, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, a two hour drive from Sydney or Canberra and 60mins from Wollongong. The 81-metre waterfall is easy to access and makes for a stunning day trip.

Fitzroy Falls are viewable from several lookout points, the first of which is only a short walk from the Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre and is full accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Read more about visiting Fitzroy Falls here.

Belmore Falls

Belmore Falls is a plunge waterfall with three drops. It’s extremely easy to drive directly up to the lookout point and enjoy these stunning views over the Kangaroo valley. There is a 1.8km return walk that can be taken from the lookout to the top of the waterfalls.

Read more about visiting Belmore Falls here.

Illawarra Fly

Fly through the tree tops at Illawarra Fly, the highest zipline tour in Australia. Illawarra Fly is located 2 hours south of Sydney, and also includes a 1.5km Treetop walk.

Things to do in nearby Bowral

Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands. It’s a great spot for shopping, dining, bush walking and visiting local attractions including the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame.

Find things do to in Bowral here.

Things to do in nearby Berrima

The historic village of Berrima makes for a charming and character-filled day trip. Stroll through the streets with their colonial sandstone buildings, visit the Berrima Courthouse or while the day away at a cafe.

Find things to do in Berrima here.

Things to do in Bowral NSW

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in Bowral NSW

Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands, around 90 minutes drive south of Sydney. It’s a great spot for shopping, dining, bush walking and visiting local attractions. There are plenty of things to do in Bowral!

Corbett Gardens

This beautiful park is the main attraction every spring for the Tulip Time Festival. The garden itself dates back to 1911 when the local tourist association bought Deadmans Paddock at the suggestion of Mrs Ada Corbett, and transformed it into a public park . Each spring the park blooms with 75,000 tulips and 15,000 annuals.

The garden is free to enter except during the Tulip Time Festival. If you attend the festival, an absolute must is to try the Devonshire Tea in the tea rooms run by the Country Women’s Association.

Wingecarribee St, Bowral

Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame

Take a trip back to the glory days of cricket with a visit to the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame in the country town of Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The museum features state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and a large collection of cricket memorabilia. Adjacent to the park where the Bradman Museum is housed you’ll find a cricket-themed children’s playground.

St Jude Street, Bowral
bradman.com.au

Image courtesy of DNSW.

Mary Poppins statue

Mary Poppins author Pamela L. Travers lived in Bowral as a child in a house on Holly Street. Local legend says that the famous story was born in the town, where Travers would tell the story of a nanny who floated in on the north wind to her younger sisters. The statue was unveiled in 2013 to commemorate the famous resident.

Bowral Street, Glebe Park, Bowral

Dirty Jane’s Emporium and Antique Market

A family business, Dirty Jane’s is a unique shopping experience located inside a large warehouse. Over 75 independent dealers have shops set up inside, selling a range of vintage and antique pieces including furniture, homewares, artwork, clothing, jewellery, kitchenware, glassware, china, collectibles and more.

You will want to spend a solid hour or more pouring over all the treasures inside!

13-15 Banyette St, Bowral
dirtyjanes.com

Your Vintage Occassion Tea Salon at Dirty Janes

Stop by ‘Your Vintage Occassion Tea Salon’ for delectable scones and pastries. They serve delicious tea blends in fine bone china cups, plus a range of light meals including gourmet sandwiches, tarts, soups, cakes and what has been called Bowral’s finest High Tea.

We highly enjoyed our rose scones. The tea salon offers a different selection of scones daily and is open seven days, 10am to 4pm.

Read more about high tea Bowral at Dirty Janes.

13-15 Banyette St, Bowral
dirtyjanes.com

Gumnut Patisserie

This famous patisserie attracts day trippers like us from Sydney and a line out the door is not an uncommon sight. Gumnut Patisserie are famous for their savoury pies and exquisite pastries. Their individually-made single-serve cakes and tarts are masterpieces, but we also loved the nostalgic, old school pastries like their vanilla and caramel slices.

Gumnut Patisserie is in three locations in the Southern Highlands: Berrima, Bowral and Mittagong.

Shop 1, Post Office Corner, Hume Highway, Berrima
gumnutpatisserie.com.au

Bowral’s Sweets & Treats

Big and little kids alike will absolutely love this sugary heaven. Sweets & Treats is filled with domestics and international candy of every kind, with a great assortment of locally-made products including award-winning fudge and handmade chocolates.

High Street Arcade, 310-312 Bong Bong St

Centennial Vineyards

A beautiful sprawling vineyard with a top notch restaurant, Centennial Vineyards is open for lunch from Wednesday – Sunday and High Tea Monday – Friday and weekends on special request.

centennial.net.au

Fairground Follies

This warehouse of wonders is usually closed to the public. Fairground Follies is a collection of antique musical machines from the 1800s onwards curated by owner Craig Robson.

Highlights from the collection include the original steam-powered carousel from Luna Park, pre-clockwork gravity-driven musical machines, a 1950s Decap Robot Orchestra and the grand Taj Mahal.

fairgroundfollies.com

The Press Shop

This modern cafe is home to the locally owned Bespoke Letterpress, making for a unique place to dine and shop for fine stationary in the one place.

The Press Shop is known for their excellent coffee and seasonal menu (there is a kids’ menu available for children aged 12 an under).

A stunning blue curved door on the main street of Bowral marks the entry.

5/391-397 Bong Bong St, Bowral
thepressshop.com.au

Green Lane

This leafy boulevard is home to the restaurant Harry’s on Green Lane, The Potting Shed garden centre and the elegant The Orangery.

Harry’s on Green Lane is open daily from 10am for brunch coffee and snacks, with lunch from 12pm. Green Lane Kitchen serves takeaway coffee and meals if you need food to go. The alfresco dining area is the big draw here for us. The tables are tucked away inside what looks like a citrus grove, giving it an airy, leafy feeling.

Stop by The Orangery to browse their palms, ferns and indoor plants plus a colourful selection of vintage tables, lamps, vases, jardinieres, candles and gift items.

15-17 Banyette St, Bowral
harryswinebarbowral.com

thepottingshedbowral.com

Things do to in nearby Berrima

The nearby historic village of Berrima makes for a charming and character-filled day trip. Stroll through the streets with their colonial sandstone buildings, visit the Berrima Courthouse or while the day away at a cafe. Berrima is a 10 min drive from Bowral.

Find things to do in Berrima here.

Things to do in nearby Robertson

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budaroo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience.

Find things to do in Robertson here.

More things to do in the Southern Highlands

Finds things to do in Exeter, Mittagong and Sutton Forrest here.

More things to do in Sydney

Find the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Sydney here.

Chase waterfalls in Sydney.

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Historic Berrima, NSW: Sydney Day Trips

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in historic Berrima

The historic village of Berrima makes for a charming and character-filled day trip. Stroll through the streets with their colonial sandstone buildings, visit the Berrima Courthouse or while the day away at a cafe.

Berrima Courthouse

Bendooley Estate Book Barn

A must for bibliophiles, the Book Barn is located inside a transformed hay shed on the historic Bendooley Estate. The Book Barn is packed with thousands of new, second-hand, rare and antiquarian books, including an excellent children’s section.

After browsing the books, take a seat in front of the fireplace and enjoy lunch at the Bendooley Estate Restaurant and cellar door. The woodfire pizzas are excellent. You can also drop by for coffee and a snack.

Lolly Swagman

The sweetest spot in Berrima, the Lolly Swagman stocks old favourite lollies and chocolates, Dutch, English and American imports and homemade fudge. Try the Coconut ice, which is made to made to Lolly Swagman’s grandmother’s original century-old recipe.

Old Hume Highway, Berrima
lollyswagman.com.au

The General Store & Cafe

This rustic cafe serves up hearty meals in a casual, friendly environment. The General Store & Cafe offers breakfast, lunch, coffee and pastries.

The cafe is large and has plenty of space for families and big groups. The General Store & Cafe are particularly family-friendly, and have a focus on local produce and beautiful food.

1/13 Old Hume Highway, Berrima
facebook.com/berrimageneralstoreandcafe

Gumnut Patisserie

This famous patisserie attracts day trippers like us from Sydney and a line out the door is not an uncommon sight. Gumnut Patisserie are famous for their savoury pies and exquisite pastries. Their individually-made single-serve cakes and tarts are masterpieces, but we also loved the nostalgic, old school pastries like their vanilla and caramel slices.

Gumnut Patisserie is in three locations in the Southern Highlands: Berrima, Bowral and Mittagong.

Shop 1, Post Office Corner, Hume Highway, Berrima
gumnutpatisserie.com.au

Berrima Marketplace Park

This gorgeous playground is beautifully themed to historic Berrima and is located in a family friendly park with easy access and great facilities. In the park you will also find toilets, picnic tables, electric BBQs and a large shelter shed.

Old Hume Highway, Berrima

Things to do in nearby Bowral

Only 10 mins drive away is Bowral, the largest town in the Southern Highlands. It’s a great spot for shopping, dining, bush walking and visiting local attractions including the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame.

Find things to do in Bowral here.

Things to do in nearby Robertson

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budaroo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience.

Find things to do in Robertson here.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Carrington Falls and Nellies Glen, Budderoo National Park, NSW

March 25, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Carrington Falls and Nellies Glen, Budderoo National Park, NSW

The magnificent Carrington Falls, a 50m waterfall plunging into a natural swimming gully, is located in the Budderoo National Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The Kangaroo River flows over a sandstone escarpment into the gully below. There is a loop walk that takes approximately 25 minutes to complete and takes visitors to three lookouts with stunning views as well past cascades, waterholes and rockpools.

The loop walk starts from northern car park off Jamberoo Mountain Road. Start at Carrington Falls picnic area, also known as Thomas Place. Located in the park’s north west, there is a picnic area here and rest rooms and the start of a variety of walking trails. The start of the path is paved and there is disabled access to the first lookout.

Further along the path are more lookouts and a gorgeous rock shelf with large pools of water.

From the lower car park, at the Nellies Glen picnic area, visitors can choose from more scenic walks, including the Warris Chair lookout track or Missingham lookout track for views over Carrington Falls Gorge.

Nellies Glen picnic area is another gorgeous spot. A 100m walk from the car park leads to a short cascading waterfall that flows into a natural swimming hole. Bring towels and take a swim if you don’t mind the water on the chilly side!

From the Nellies Glen picnic area we we also took the Warris Chair lookout trail, which is a 1km / 1 hour return walk to a gorgeous lookout.

Get more info on Carrington Falls here.

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures Australia

March 11, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Fly through the tree tops at Illawarra Fly, the highest zipline tour in Australia. Illawarra Fly is located 2 hours south of Sydney, and also includes a 1.5km Treetop walk.

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

The perfect day trip for a special occasion, Illawarra Fly offers Australia’s highest zipline tour for adventure junkees, and a stunning accessible walk with views of the Southern Highlands and Pacific Ocean from an elevated treetop walk.

The zipline tour includes three flights, two suspension bridges and five cloud stations connecting them. The price for the zipline tour also includes admission to the self-guided treetop walk.

I would recommend booking your zipline tour in advance as the time slots book out – plus the tickets are cheaper when you book them online.

Arrive at your time slot 15 mins early to check in, fill in the waiver forms, use the bathrooms and store your belongings in a free locker.

At your allocated start time, a guide will give your group a 15 minute safety briefing which includes suiting up in safety harnesses and helmets, before walking down to the start of the zipline course, accompanied by two guides.

All loose belongings must be left behind. Cameras that are attached by a strap are allowed. I took my GoPro plus my DSLR with me on the course. Illawarra Fly offers GoPro hire for $30 and Dri-Pouches for $10 that you can put your mobile phone in to hang around your neck. Sunglasses or glasses are allowed to stay on.

The zipline experience from the start of the course takes roughly around 45 minutes – one hour and ends at the start of the treetop walk.

Participants must be over four years of age and over 105cm tall, have a reasonable degree of physical ability, be under 117kg and not be beyond the first trimester of pregnancy. Enclosed shoes are required.

Treetop Walk

After the zipline tour, we took a stroll along the treetop walk, a 1.5km walk that takes visitors through the rainforest including 500m of steel walkway nestled in the tree canopies 20-30m above the ground.

The best views can be found at the top of the Knight’s Tower, a spiral tower 45m above the forest floor. The tower is the only part of the treetop walk that is not accessible to strollers and wheelchairs.

There are two swaying springboard cantilevers included in the walk, each suspended 25 metres above the forest floor which are pretty exciting to stand on, especially when the wind is blowing!

As a family who cares deeply about the environment, we were happy to read along the walk that the treetop walk was built on an existing fire trail so no trees being cut down during construction, and both the treetop walk and zipline were constructed without causing any damage to the trees they are attached to.

Magic in the Treetops

When we visited there were some incredible fairy and elf houses scattered along the rainforest floor. Pick up a kids’ activity guide at the front desk and fill in the letters at each fairy station to reveal a mystery word and receive a magic sticker when complete.

Rainforest Ranger Trail

Ask at the front desk for the Rainforest Ranger Trail booklet for kids who are budding junior rangers.

There is a decently-priced cafe on site plus plenty of tables to enjoy a picnic meal brought from home. We ordered a kid’s honey sandwich which was made fresh to order for $4.

Getting to Illawarra Fly

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures is located on top of the Illawarra Escarpment, on the South Coast on NSW, about 2 hours drive south of Sydney. There are no direct public transport options to the Illawarra Fly.

FROM SYDNEY YOU CAN COME VIA CAR OR TRAIN.
If you are travelling by car – travel down the Hume Highway and take the Bowral turn-off, then drive through the lovely Southern Highlands to Robertson and follow the signs from the Famous Robertson Pie Shop. OR travel down the picturesque Grand Pacific Drive – take the Illawarra Hwy (Macqaurie Pass) towards Robertson. Turn left at the ‘famous’ Robertson Pie Shop onto Jamberoo Mountain Road. Travel 10 kms and turn left at Knights Hill Road. Alternatively drive through Albion Park towards Jamberoo, taking the turnoff at Jamberoo Mountain Road, and follow the signs to the Illawarra Fly.

FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS
15 minutes from Robertson, via Jamberoo Mountain Road, taking the turn opposite the ‘famous’ Robertson Pie Shop towards Kiama.

FROM KIAMA – SOUTH COAST
35 minutes from Kiama, via Jamberoo and Jamberoo Mountain Roads- 15 minutes past Minnamurra Rainforest – towards Robertson.

How to get the best value tickets to Ilawarra Fly

Book online to receive 10% off the treetops walk or 20% off the zipline tour.

The MYFLY pass option lets Illawarra and Southern Highlands residents revisit Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures free for 12 months after their first paid visit.

The absolute best value however is to buy an annual Merlin Pass which includes 12 months admission to Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast, WILD LIFE Hamilton Island and Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium.

Merlin annual pass details.

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures
182 Knights Hill Rd, Knights Hill
Online

We were hosted by Merlin Entertainment. All opinions are my own.

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Fitzroy Falls Morton National Park NSW

February 8, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands / 0 comment

The spectacular Fitzroy Falls is located inside the Morton National Park, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, a two hour drive from Sydney or Canberra and 60mins from Wollongong. The 81-metre waterfall is easy to access and makes for a stunning day trip.

Fitzroy Falls are viewable from several lookout points, the first of which is only a short walk from the Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre and is full accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Continue along the West Rim track to see the falls from more lookout locations. Continue the walk to the Twin Falls for another beautiful waterfall.

The entire West Rim track is 3.5km return, however the Twin Falls are located around halfway along this walk.

The Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre has information on local history, wildlife and birdwatching plus a basic cafe with a kids’ play area and picnic tables and bathrooms outside.

During spring, the East Rim Wildflower walking track offers beautiful blooms.

There is plenty of wildlife to discover along the way. We came across a giant termite mound not far past the first lookout and a lyrebird in full song.

The bush blooms even in summer are beautiful to discover.

Opening times
9am to 5pm daily. Closed on Christmas Day. Opening times can vary depending on the season.

Accessibility
Disability access level – easy
This area is fully wheelchair-accessible
Toilets, elevated walkway to main lookout, visitor centre and cafe are wheelchair-accessible.
A wheelchair is available on request

Parking
Parking is available at Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre, including several designated disabled spots. Bus parking is available. A daily motor vehicle entry fee applies at the visitor centre carpark. There are coin-operated ‘pay and display’ machines – bring correct change!

Get more info about Morton National Park here.

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