Mittagong

Berrima

Bradman Museum, Bowral

Bowral Tulip Time

Steam locomotive 3801 steaming up Flamborough Heights towards Moss Vale on the Cockatoo Run

Carrington Falls

Minnamurra Rainforest

Hang gliding at Bald Hill Lookout, Stanwell Tops

This day trip is perfect for visitors to Sydney who'd like a taste of regional New South Wales but don't have a lot of time up their sleeve. The Southern Highlands has long been the perfect weekend escape for jaded Sydneysiders looking to get away and unwind for a while. There is something for everyone - markets, antiques books and speciality shops; quaint historic villages, all surrounded by rolling green hills, rain forest and national parks. After touring the Southern Highlands, we visit the coastal towns of the Illawarra, and to the north, Royal National Park.

Berrima Gaol

Location: Southern New South Wales

Length: approx. 300km

Features/attractions: The towns and villages of the Southern Highlands - Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Berrima, Bundanoon, Robertson; Moreton National Park (Fitzoy, Belmore and Carrington Falls); Macquarie Pass; Lake Illawarra; city of Wollongong; coastal Illawarra townships of Thirroul, Bulli, Scarborough, Stanwell Park; Stanwell Tops; Royal National Park (south).

Minimum duration: 4 hours

The Drive: from Sydney, take the South Western Freeway, Milperra Road or Hume Highway to Liverpool. Access the South Western Freeway and proceed south to the Southern Highlands. The first town, Mittagong, is a commercial and tourist centre. The lookout at the top of Mt Gibraltar has views across the region.
Bowral is the largest town in the Highlands and hosts many boutique stores, galleries restaurants, and many, many cafes. Bowral hosts a large weekendmarkets. It is also the home to the Bradman Museum, a must for cricket lovers. During Spring, Bowral's annual Tulip Time event becomes one of the Highland's biggest annual attractions, bringing in many thousands of visitors every year.
Moss Vale is on the main Southern Railway Line; the tourist steam train 3801, regularly visites Moss Vale on the Cockatoo Run. Leighton Gardens, a grand park in the centre of Moss Vale's Main Street is one of the districts highlights.
No visit to the Southern Highlands would be complete without a stopover for a bite to eat or a wander around the speciality shops at Berrima. Established in 1831, Berrima is a unique and historic village that is the only example of a largely preserved Georgian colonial village in mainland Australia.
Robertson is the most easterly of the Southern Highland's towns. On the way to Robertson from Moss Vale, you will pass through Morton National Park. Fitzroy, Belmore and Carrington Falls, in various parts of the park, all have walking path and lookouts with escarpment views. Robertson has a number of shops selling local gourmet produce. The Robertson Pie Shop has a legion of fans who drop in for a pie and coffee before making the trek down Macquarie Pass.

Morton National Park

Minnamurra Rainforest, located in Budderoo National Park near the village of Jamberoo, is a rare remnant of subtropical and warm temperate rainforests that were once extensive in the Illawarra region. Visitors regularly see first hand the fauna of the area such as the normally allusive Lyrebird, the Eastern Water Dragons, Swamp Wallabies and a host of bird species which make Minnamurra their home.
Proceed to Albion Park and turn left onto the Illawarra Highway. Unless you wish to explore Wollongong, proceed north along the Southern Freeway, taking the Memorial Drive turnoff at Gwynnville.

Sea Cliff Bridge, Coalcliff

At Bulli, turn right into Lawrence Hargrave Drive. If you are ready for a coffee break, there are plenty of good coffee shops and cafes in Austinmer. Proceed north alongside the cliff face, crossing Sea Cliff Bridge before climbing the hill at Stanwell Park to Stanwell Tops. At the top of the hill, turn right into Lady Wakehurst Drive. Immediately to your right is the Bald Hill Lookout at stanwell Tops, a favourite hang gliding launching site. The views down the coast are spectacular.
From the lookout, you can either return to Sydney via Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the Southern Freeway, or continue north along Lady Wakehurst Drive. This is the longer way, but includes more panoramic ocean views before entering Royal National Park from the south. The drive through the park is picturesque and well worth taking if you have the time.