Mittagong to Moss Vale: 6 of the best spots to visit in the Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands are known for rolling green hills, historical towns and as a perfect place for a weekend escape or complete tree change.

As the highlands’ high seasons of autumn and winter approaches, now is the time to plan a visit to the stunning area as it recovers both directly and indirectly from the fires.

“We’re already seeing a spring in the step of visitors after some cooler days and some rain,” says Bowral small business owner Maureen Gardner.

“If you come and visit the highlands today you could go to any one of the villages and they all look spectacular.”

Mittagong

Distance: 113 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 766 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 175 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Historic buildings and an evolving dining scene

Financier Tony Harmey moved to the historic town of Mittagong with wife Angie and kids Lily and Max four years ago and discovered a happy balance between peaceful country living and urban amenity.

“There are great options for education, good sporting facilities, a beautiful pool and a great golf course. I have to go to Sydney a lot for work, and I can be there in one and a half hours,” he says.

For the visitor or local alike the town’s burgeoning food and wine scene is also a drawcard. Long-standing Main Street favourites include The Glass Cafe where you can listen to live music, the award-winning Shaggy Cow headed by restaurateur Mark Wilson, Four Seasons Bistro, with a menu catering to vegetarians and vegans, and retro coffee shop and record bar Brewsters.

For a dose of history, walk the streets and laneways and discover the restored Victorian cottages. Many of the public buildings erected in the late 1800s have also been well preserved.

And for a welcome dose of nature, Lake Alexandra offers picnic grounds and a playground and is the starting point for some scenic walks.

“We live near the lake and it’s just a lovely place,” says Harmey. “Mittagong’s got a good community and we all look out for each other. It’s got everything we could ever want.”

Bowral

Distance: 118 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 763 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 170 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Gorgeous gardens and grand properties

If there is a silver lining to the destructive bushfires, Maureen Gardner believes it to be the very deep sense of community stirred to life by the crisis.

“[There has been a] phenomenal community embrace because of what the RFS has done,” says Gardner who, with husband Chris, runs four businesses in Green Lane, an oasis within Bowral’s Acre complex.

“Signs have popped up all over town, in private homes, outside the produce store, and in business windows, saying in bold letters ‘Thanks RFS’.”

Describing herself as a classic tree-changer, Gardner moved to the highlands 12 years ago drawn by the cooler climate, natural beauty, gardens and grand properties the region is famous for.

The Gardners run two restaurants, Harry’s on Green Lane and Plantation Cafe, plus an indoor plant boutique called The Orangery and a quirky garden shop called The Potting Shed. She believes the boutique nature of Bowral’s retail along with an evergrowing cool-climate wine industry and landscape, is what attracts so many visitors.

“We’re already seeing a spring in the step of visitors after some cooler days [and] some rain. If you come and visit the highlands today you could go to any one of the villages and they all look spectacular.”

Berrima

Distance: 125 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 756 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 164 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Well-preserved Georgian architecture

There are those of us who seek adventure and others looking for a peaceful and picturesque existence.

Berrima Public School teacher Megan Moore falls into the latter camp.

“I would describe my life as idyllic,” she says. “When I’m walking along the river and around town I just feel so lucky. I love where I live and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

The Moores left Sydney 18 years ago looking for country ambience and found it just north of the Wingecarribee River in Berrima, where they built a house, raised a family and continue to enjoy “simple country pleasures”.

When she’s looking for a friendly exchange, Moore need head no further than the General Store & Cafe which not only offers coffee, cakes and light meals but has become the “local hangout” with Italian chef Diego Arata at the helm.

His neighbours include The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop for countrystyle produce and Baytree in Berrima for art and accessories.

Right across the road you’ll find hatted restaurant Eschalot, a sandstone beauty with shuttered french windows and a stone-flagged timber verandah, a venue favoured for special occasions. It’s one of a clutch of heritage Georgian buildings dating back to the 1800s and happily still in use today, some now private homes and others trading as an arts school, pubs and restaurants.

You can experience the Georgian charm up-close by staying at The Surveyor General Inn, which claims to be the oldest continuously licensed hotel in Australia.

Bundanoon

Distance: 152 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 745 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 153 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Brigadoon, one of the largest highland gatherings in the southern hemisphere

Andrew Thornton lost everything. His house, all its contents and his property’s outbuildings burnt to the ground in the wake of the catastrophic Morton fire. But ask him where his focus is today and he doesn’t hesitate.

“The plan is definitely to rebuild,” he says. “My philosophy is focusing on moving forward, getting ourselves over this insurance hurdle and rebuilding.”

Thornton and his wife Kate only moved to Bundanoon from Sydney three years ago but have clearly found their tribe in the highland hamlet.

“We feel blessed to have lived in this area and it’s just been amazing how supportive everyone has been.”

While the leafy environs fuelled the bushfire, they also remain one of the area’s key attractions, alongside the character-filled guest houses, antique, garden and craft stores.

The annual Bundanoon Highland Gathering is a Scottish festival that attracts thousands of visitors to the town every April and this year will donate a percentage of ticket sales to the local rural fire services.

Bundanoon Hotel is set amid 0.8 hectares of gardens and prides itself on country-style service. The selection of restaurants and cafes include Ye Olde Bicycle Shoppe and Cafe where cyclists can glean information on bike trails in nearby Moreton National Park.

“We chose to live in a beautiful place like Bundanoon, we wanted a little bit of land among nature,” Thornton says.

“Anywhere there’s bush there’s a risk of fire, and [losing our home] has brought that home, but I would say to tourists it’s still a beautiful place to visit … and to those still contemplating making a tree change, you should go ahead and do it.”

Robertson

Distance: 144 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 775 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 182 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Arts and crafts

Towards the end of the FireAid charity concert held at Bowral’s Bong Bong Picnic Racecourse on January 24, the water bombing helicopter affectionately known as Elvis did a fly-over of the 6000-strong event.

Robertson resident Patsy Peacock was in the crowd and described “the cheers and tears” as quite extraordinary. Peacock says the event was pulled together in just a few short weeks by Robertson local and veteran entertainer John Waters and his wife Zoe, raising more than $300,000 with help from the community.

“People asked ‘what can we do to help?’. They got security, council approvals, an agreement from Bong Bong race club to donate the grounds for the event and school kids were there on the day directing people around.”

Originally from Sydney, Peacock says close communities like the one she has been a part of in Robertson for more than 20 years are what draw city folk to the Southern Highlands.

Robertson also caters for nature lovers with rainforest walks in the local nature reserve, and history buffs will appreciate a visit to the National Trust-listed Robertson Heritage Railway Station.

When hunger strikes, the Robertson Pie Shop offers 24 different sweet and savoury pies, while the Robertson Cheese Factory stocks a great selection of local cheeses and has an on-site cafe.

Moss Vale

Distance: 131 kilometres south-west of Sydney, 756 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, 162 kilometres north-east of Canberra

Renowned for: Agriculture and gardens

Moss Vale resident Kaye Tompson says the town has traditionally been viewed as the little sister to the larger Bowral and Mittagong but that attitude is shifting.

“The village itself has started to progress,” she says. “At one stage we had a lot of vacancies on the main street, that has now changed.”

Tompson credits Suzie Anderson’s homewares and lifestyle store, Suzie Anderson Home with kick-starting Moss Vale’s retail hub which now plays host to Nest & Burrow, Bowerbird on Argyle, Country Homes & Interiors and Mossy Store.

Cafes include Highlands Merchant, The Post Office and Il Pranzo, and Tompson says the Moss Vale Hotel and Bernie’s Diner are also great venues.

“Moss Vale also has antique shops and wine bars which all add to the atmosphere of the area. It’s just delightful how it’s starting to be transformed.”

“We’re still open for business and we need the support from other areas to get us moving again.”