A charming weekend to-do list for Berrima village

Berrima has boundless charm and is surrounded by some of NSW’s loveliest landscapes.

The historic village of Berrima is Australia’s best-preserved village from the 1830s, known for everything from its bushrangers to its book barn, its killer pies, wineries and Georgian courthouse. The Southern Highlands town, which was built around a village green, is also home to Australia’s oldest surviving gaol. Here are some of the best ways to explore Berrima village and beyond.

Canola field in bloom in the Southern Highlands, Berrima, NSW, Australia — See the canola field in bloom. (Image: Destination NSW)

Admire Australia’s oldest Georgian village

When first settled in 1831, Berrima set its sights on becoming the regional centre of NSW – and built a gaol and courthouse to celebrate. However, a new railway line was built in 1867 that bypassed the tiny community, leaving it frozen in time for close to a century.

While this probably annoyed its early residents, it allowed modern explorers to encounter a few striking examples of Australia’s colonial heritage. Located 125 kilometres southwest of Sydney, Australia’s oldest Georgian village owes its very existence to those unpredictable colonial times.

Of course, the area around Berrima was once occupied by the Traditional Owners of the Land, the Dharawal people and in fact, the town’s name originates from an Indigenous word that means ‘to the south’.

Cafe dining in the historic village of Berrima, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia — The historic village of Berrima is Australia’s best-preserved village from the 1830s. (Image: Destination NSW)

Shop Berrima’s main street

There’s a charming collection of antique shops, bakeries and cafes lining Berrima’s main street that are built from locally quarried sandstone, hand-made bricks and rustic wooden awnings. Crab apple and plum trees complete the picture.

Cafe-hop in Berrima

The General Store Cafe

Check out the Berrima Cluster Map so you can bounce between heritage sites and foodie experiences in Berrima village. The General Store Café is a local favourite owned by Italian chef Diego Arata and a top spot for country-style cakes and coffee roasted locally by Rush Roasting. If you’re self-catering, pick up some Taluca Park eggs and pork, homemade focaccia and lasagne and jams at the store where Diego’s Italian hospitality is on show.

The General Store Café, Berrima Village, NSW, Australia — The General Store Café is a local favourite. (Image: Destination NSW)

Mrs Oldbucks

Mrs Oldbucks is another charming Berrima institution for everything from confectionery to chai and chutney.

Josh’s Cafe

Josh’s Café is much beloved in Berrima village for the great food, warm welcome, live music and atmosphere the staff create. Owner Joshua Leving understands the cafe is more than just a place to linger over lunch; it’s also a charming community hub that is open for dinner Thursday to Sunday serving a rotating roster of dishes ranging from spicy dahl with flatbread to pho and pizza.

Eschalot

Eschalot has had a refresh under new owners Matty Roberts and Cassandra Wallace who have turned up the charm at the sandstone cottage. Expect fresh posies of flowers and quirky artworks inside the low-line cottage and for much of what you sample on the Feed Me Menu to be sourced from the kitchen garden out the back. Check Instagram to see what chef Matty is cooking up for his Farm, Fire, feast dinners in the courtyard festooned with fairy lights.

Try out Berrima’s pies and bakeries

The Gumnut Patisserieie

The Gumnut Patisserie has three venues dotted across the Southern Highlands thanks to the demand for its creative cakes, slices, pastries and pies. It’s the place to go for morning tea. Over Easter, Gumnut Patisserie’s spice-packed hot cross buns run out the door, but the pies are perfect all year round.

Gumnut Patisserie, Berrima, NSW, Australia — The Gumnut Patisserie is the place to go for morning tea. (Image: Destination NSW)

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Old Bakery Tea Room

Pumpkin damper, pecan plaits or freshly baked Danish pastries from the Old Bak ery Tea Room are also worth popping in the picnic hamper.

Baked in Berrima

Pop into Baked in Berrima downstairs from Mrs Oldbucks for apple tarts and chunky beef pies, one of many irresistible stops along the Southern Highlands Pie Trail. The bakery is the sister business to The General Store Cafe run by Diego Arata and it is where to find one of the finest brews in Berrima village. The European-style bakery-cafe is also a charming spot to pick up coffee, some fresh sourdough and croissants, which is open Friday to Sunday.

The Magpie Cafe

High tea at The Magpie Cafe is also popular in Berrima village.

Fill up on pub grub at Surveyor General Inn

A personal favourite is the Surveyor General Inn, which continues to serve up some wicked pub grub and is said to be the oldest continually operating hotel in Australia. The menu at Bistro 1834 at The Surveyor General Inn reads like a Greatest Hits list: expect classics like bangers and mash, char-grilled Scotch fillet with red wine butter, and chicken parmigiana. There’s also a vegan curry of chickpea, potato, tomato, steamed rice and crispy onions, which is one of the finest plant-based pub meals in the region.

Surveyor General Inn, Berrima, NSW Australia — Surveyor General Inn continues to serve up some wicked pub grub and is said to be the oldest continually operating hotel in Australia. (Image: Destination NSW)

Tick off Berrima’s heritage sites

The Berrima Courthouse & Museum

Built out of convict-hewn sandstone and completed in 1838, The Berrima Courthouse & Museum is a place for history buffs, and those interested in early colonial architecture. The façade of this impressive heritage building comprises four Doric columns with classic Greek bases. You can learn about the history of the building, experience an immersive Sound & Light show, take a self-guided tour of the Courthouse to learn about infamous court cases or steel yourself for an overnight ghost tour.

The Berrima Gaol

Overlooking the Surveyor General and a stone’s throw away from the Wingecarribee River, the impressive Berrima Gaol building housed German internees during the First World War, munitions during the Second World War, and bushrangers and crooked State politicians, too.

Inmate Rex Jackson was famous for making cuckoo clocks during his stay. Before the gaol was built, convicts were chained up in one of the cellars beneath the inn. You can gawp at the gaol on a self-guided tour of Berrima village.

Exterior, Berrima Gaol building, Berrima, NSW Australia — The impressive Berrima Gaol building has housed many infamous prisoners. (Image: Destination NSW)

Harper’s Mansion & Cottage

From its imposing position overlooking Berrima village, Harper’s Mansion has enjoyed stints as a home, presbytery, convent and almost abandoned ruin. The original mansion was built by James and Mary Harper soon after 1834. But the couple’s grand vision for the property was stymied during a financial downturn in the 19th century.

Despite temporarily falling into disrepair, locals have reclaimed the red-brick property in recent years and returned it to its former grandeur. As well as reproducing original paint samples and zhoozing the veranda, residents planted a backyard maze that’s deceptively tricky to navigate. Visit the heritage-listed property, which is managed by volunteers, to enjoy a picnic amid the heritage roses or back at the charming brick-and-stone Harper’s Cottage.

Take a self-guided walk

Thanks to the tireless work of nature-loving locals, the Wingecarribee River continues to offer up a stunning assortment of bushwalks, fishing spots and secluded picnic haunts. To explore the area grab a map from the Berrima Court House Museum, which also has the keys to various historic buildings. The well-maintained paths are easy to tackle and great for adventurous visitors.

Picnic, The Wingecarribee River, Berrima, NSW Australia — The Wingecarribee River continues to offer up secluded picnic haunts. (Image: Destination NSW)

Walking the Wingecarribee River on the traditional lands of the Gundungurra people is one of the best ways to experience Berrima. The Berrima River Walk is signposted to point visitors to the boat-building efforts of the German nationals who were interned in Berrima Gaol from 1915 to 1919. The boats were built using bush timber or scrap metal and were created when the internees were out on day release. The signed walk starts in the Berrima Picnic and Camping Ground and follows the river’s natural curves. It is a mostly flat track that takes just over an hour.

Wingecarribee River, Berrima, NSW, Australia — Walking the Wingecarribee River is one of the best ways to experience Berrima. (Image: Destination NSW)

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Visit the Berkelouw Book Barn Bookshop

The literary-minded should plan to spend an entire day exploring the atmospheric Berkelouw Book Barn, which sells books on every imaginable topic. The Berkelouw Book Barn was built last century and has been converted into a little fantasy land for bookworms, boasting exquisite chandeliers and stunning artworks, and famed for its collection of second-hand, rare and antiquarian books and huge sections dedicated to specific genres.

After letting your imagination roam in the section dedicated to Fiction, set yourself up in the Berkelouw restaurant to savour cuisine inspired by the seasons of the Southern Highlands.

Berkelouw Book Barn, Berrima, NSW, Australia — Spend the day exploring the atmospheric Berkelouw Book Barn, which sells books on every imaginable topic. (Image: Destination NSW)

Stop for a tipple at Berrima’s wineries

Bendooley Estate

The swanky new cellar door at Bendooley Estate is open for wine tastings matched with cheese and charcuterie from 10 am and from 3 pm daily with wine sales until 5 pm each day.

The sumptuous setting, which is adjacent to the Berkelouw Book Barn, overlooks the estate’s vineyard and is an architecturally designed masterpiece of glass, steel, century-old pine and locally sourced stone.

After sampling wines that grow in the rich, red volcanic soil of the Southern Highlands, retire to one of the elegant studios and cottages on the property. And don’t leave the Southern Highlands before popping into Bendooley Larder in nearby Bowral.

Bendooley Estate, Berrima, NSW Australia — The sumptuous setting is an architecturally designed masterpiece. (Image: Destination NSW)

Peppergreen Estate

The cellar door at Peppergreen Estate in Berrima village was once an antique store and now houses a tasting room where you can sit and enjoy a glass of premium cool-climate wine produced from the undulating slopes of Canyonleigh in the beautiful Southern Highlands.

All up, there are more than a dozen wines to taste, and a range of Australian extra virgin olive oils to sample as part of the cellar door experiences, which include a Wine and Dine option, Sparkling Breakfast Experience and Wine & Canapes.

Pepper Green Estate and Cellar Door, Berrima, NSW Australia — There are more than a dozen wines to taste, and a range of Australian extra virgin olive oils to sample at Pepper Green Estate. (Image: Destination NSW)

Stay at Berrima Vault House

The Berrima Vault House is a contemporary, heritage-preserved restaurant with rooms that have reimagined the Taylor’s Crown Inn for a new era. The Berrima Vault House was originally hand-built by convicts in 1844 and it remains a creative space to gather, drink and dine (on weekends only for non-guests). Bunker down in Berrima for a long weekend by booking a stay at The Residence at Berrima Vault House, which accommodates four. The Residence is fully self-contained with a private kitchen and amenities. Time your visit to coincide with Acoustic Nights in the Rose Gardens every Thursday and the quintessential Sunday Roast.

Berrima Vault House, Berrima, NSW, Australia — The Berrima Vault House remains a creative space to gather, drink and dine. (Image: Berrima Vault House)

Book a group stay at Hillside Cottage

Sometimes a bit of peace and quiet is all that is required of a weekend away. The historic Hillside Cottage sits on a corner of scenic countryside, nestled in the heart of beautiful Berrima village. Established in 1843, the character-filled cottage can accommodate up to eight guests and is well placed for weekenders who want a romantic getaway, to play golf, visit local wineries or simply relax and retreat. Although the cottage has had a lick of paint, and a rejig, its heart and soul remain intact.

Berrima Hillside Cottage, Berrima, NSW Australia — The historic Hillside Cottage sits on a corner of scenic countryside, nestled in the heart of beautiful Berrima village. (Image: Berrima Hillside Cottage)

Getting to Berrima

Berrima is situated on the Old Hume Highway and is about a 90-minute drive from Sydney on the way to Canberra. One of the most relaxing ways to get to Berrima is to catch the train to nearby Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale, which takes just two hours from Sydney’s Central Station. You can then get a taxi to Berrima.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens, and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands, a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head. Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au.