• Understand
• Get in
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Stay safe
• Get out

The Southern Highlands [1] is located south west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia.

[edit] Regions

[edit] Large Towns

Several towns in the southern highlands have a choice of accommodation, restaurants, large variety of services.

• Bowral
• Mittagong
• Moss Vale

[edit] Smaller Towns and Villages

Smaller towns and villages offer general stores, cafes, and other local attractions.

• Berrima
• Yerrinbool
• Bundanoon
• Exeter
• Wingello
• Penrose
• Sutton Forest
• Tallong
• Robertson

[edit] Understand

The Southern Highlands is within commuting distance of Sydney and is popular for weekends away from Sydney. It is a cooler climate than Sydney. It has more identifiable seasons that Sydney, with a cooler spring, and leaves falling in Autumn.

[edit] Get in

The district can be reached by train from Sydney and by car via the Hume Highway. Allow 80 minutes to travel by car from Sydney to Bowral unless driving on a weekday afternoon when an additional 30-45 minutes will be needed. Friday afternoon traffic can be particularly bad. A regular mini-bus shuttle service [2] from Sydney Airport is also available.

[edit] Get around

Private car is the easiest way to travel around the villages of the Southern Highlands. The region has a taxi service [3] and a local bus company [4], which also connects to Nowra allowing access to the South Coast.

Cycling around the many country lanes and national parks can be a pleasant way to see the area.

[edit] See

• The Morton National Park has view, waterfalls, cliffs, bushwalks, and picnic and cycling opportunities access the park at Bundanoon, Tallong and Fitzroy Falls The Macquarie Pass National park waterfalls, views, and more bushwalking and cycling opportunities. Access the National Park from Robertson.

• Flower gardens at Bowral

[edit] Do

• Cricket tragics can't miss the Bradman Museum [5] attached to Bradman Oval in Bowral. A walking tour of Bowral starting at the museum passes a number of historic sites connected with Sir Donald Bradman.

[edit] Eat

Most of the small towns of the Southern Highlands have cafes or small restaurants. A more extensive choice of restaurants is in the major towns at Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale and Berrima.

There are also several wineries in the area which serve food.

Short diversions off the main freeway from Sydney can give a much more pleasant and tasty place to eat than the highway services.

[edit] Drink

There are country pubs in Bundanoon, Sutton Forest and Berrima. There is more serious nightlife in the larger towns of Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale. The Bowral scene is more upmarket, and caters more for the tourist traffic. The Moss Vale pubs by contrast seem a little downmarket, and a bit rough around the edges.

[edit] Sleep

• Berrima Bakehouse Motel is located in Corner Wingecarribee Street and Old Hume Highway, Berrima, New South Wales.

• Country Inn Motels is a popular motel chain in Southern Highlands, NSW. It has motels in Berrima, Bundanoon, and Moss Vale.
• River Island Nature Retreat secluded naturist resort in 1500 acres along the Wollondilly River. Access via the Wombeyan Caves Road, approximately 39km from Mittagong.

[edit] Stay safe

The southern highlands is generally a safe area. Beware of some alcohol fueled violence in the larger towns, like Moss Vale. Many of the roads in the area can be narrow and sometimes unsealed. There can also be cyclists and pedestrians walking on the roads.

[edit] Get out

If you are travelling from Sydney you have made it half way to Canberra. It is only a short drive down the freeway to Goulburn.

If you are travelling on to Sydney, consider taking the Illawarra Highway from Moss Vale over the Macquarie Pass via Robertson and Wollongong, with spectacular winding mountain roads, and coastal views, and only adding 30 minutes or so to the trip to Sydney.