berrima Archives - Adventure, baby!

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.

Things to do in historic Berrima

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.