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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

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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.

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.