Hi, the Grand Pacific Drive takes you to the Illawarra / Shoalhaven (South Coast), not the Southern Highlands. There are plenty of roads to the Highlands from that area - from the Mt Ousley Rd there is a road to Picton, from Albion Park there is another alternative to Robertson and/or Jamberoo, or via Berry or Bomaderry there are roads to Kangaroo Valley, then onto the Highlands. The roads via Berry and Bomaderry are windy and mountainous but extremely picturesque because they go though the last remainders of subtropical rainforest, which used to stretch across the whole coast. Kangaroo Valley is very pretty, and Berry is a hit with tourists. The Grand Pacific Drive is worth it, it's lovely.

I don't think I would every visit South Coast / Southern Highlands for wine, it's just not the thing. Having said that, we do know of one cellar door in the Highlands that we liked, Howard's Lane:

http://www.howardslane.com.au/

That was a while ago and the owners were thinking of selling up, and for al I know it could be new owners by now. There is also a winery just outside of Berry, The Silos:

http://thesilos.com/

which is popular, but I have no personal experience of it.

I think of the Highlands as quite different to the HV, find it hard to compare, as I've not been everywhere in the Hunter, but know Mudgee a bit, which was a nice gourmet experience, but if you are just looking for a few nice drives, some nice restaurants, you could find that in the Highlands too. There is sort of a snooty element in Bowral / Moss Vale (don't flame me if you live there). I think there are a few antique shops in the Highands. I remember a very good shop selling quilting fabrics in MV. Berrima is kind of cute, and the Berkelouw Book Barn is pretty good (http://berkelouw.com.au/stores/berrima) although I note it's just about to undergo extensive renovations - not sure when you're travelling, but it will reopen in October. There is also golf at Bowral, and Picton has the George IV pub, which they used to say was the oldest in Australia. http://www.georgeiv.com.au/index2.htm . I also stayed at Berida Manor once, about 25 years ago or more, and at the time it was a health spa, although nowadays I think it's just a resort. Nice pool.

If you are going via the Grand Pacific Drive, be sure and have lunch at the Scarborough Hotel in Scarborough, on Wollongong's northern beaches. Amazing sea views and good food.

Lavandula

oops, that should be 'ever visit the South Coast', not 'every'!

Lavandula

Thanks for all of the info Lavandula, you said:

"Hi, the Grand Pacific Drive takes you to the Illawarra / Shoalhaven (South Coast), not the Southern Highlands"

But I am assuming that we could do both (SH and South Coast) over a two and a half day stretch without having to hurry too much?

It takes a 2.5 hour drive driving full pelt to Berry from Sydney on main roads, and then at least another hour from Berry to Bowral (I think?), but you could productively lengthen that to a few hours by driving through the Royal National Park (just to the south of Sydney, north of the northern beaches of Wollongong) (add on an hour), and a short break at Stanwell Tops to see the hang gliders (they leave from there to land in Stanwell Park) and count the ships off to sea outside of Wollongong / Port Kembla. Great coastal views. Drive the GPD and if you are there around lunch, then stop in Scarborough. But miss Wollongong and Shellharbour, they're not so special.

Then head to Kiama to see the blowhole (this is really worth seeing, just don't try to approach it as it's REALLY dangerous, and it's got a barrier chain around it). If you are not in a hurry you could also poke around the area Gerringong / Gerroa (and visit Seven Mile Beach), or head straight to Berry (sweet township with little shops). Have a doughnut at the doughnut van, buy some sourdough bread at the Sourdough Bakery or just go to the Silos for lunch if you're there at that time (to the south of Berry by about 10 minutes). Then take the road of your choice to Kangaroo Valley. There's not much there, a few shops and restaurants, but it's unspoilt; the drive is pretty and there is a pretty nifty historic bridge which only allows one car at a time. I think there's also a fudge shop there. I think that would get you to Bowral by mid- to late-afternoon, enough time to find accommodation and settle in. If you didn't care about getting to the Highlands that day you could also explore the hinterland around Kiama - Saddleback Mountain (with amazing lookout) and / or Jamberoo (sweet litle township, set amid green pastures, but not much happening except for the pub). I think there is also a rainforest bushwalk on raised platforms outside Kiama but I've never been on it. Forget Nowra (large town south of Berry), it's really just a bridge too far. Oh - between Wollongong and Dapto there is also the Nan Tien Temple, an enormous Buddhist temple complex, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Unfortunately I don't know the Bowral side of the mountains half as well, but the drive from Mittagong to Sydney (via the M5) is on excellent roads and there's nothing on the way between the Highlands and Sydney that's worth a stop, so you could spend all of your time the following day just exploring the little townships of the Southern Highlands. In September there is a tulip festival in Bowral which is held every year. Bundanoon is sweet and Berrima is a tourist drawcard, with lots of history.

http://www.southern-highlands.com.au/towns-and-villages

It's quite a charming part of the world - you could easily spend a day poking around, spend the night there and then do your comfortable drive (2hrs, give or take) back to Sydney.

Hope you find an itinerary you like. A lot of Sydneysiders do weekend trips to the Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands, and there is a lot to do. Have fun!

Lavandula

Thanks for all of the great info! It seems to me that the SH area is a bit more "authentic" than HV and so we will give it a go!

I've been to Silos winery - they have a few good drops!

Say g'day to the lovely Bella, the winery cat.

The restaurant is quite good, too.

Apart from Berry Sourdough Bakery, I heartily recommend the 'Hungry Duck' in Berry. Really interesting food. Berry, the town, is a bit kitsch, though.

Just returned from Oz where we spent our last three nights in the Southern Highlands area and we were very impressed. Great scenery, fine little towns, and friendly people. Bowral was an especially bustling little town that offered many options. We especially liked Biota Restaurant (a special occasion restaurant) as well as Centennial Vineyards, Southern Highlands Winery, and Tertini Winery. They all specialize in cool climate varietals (Chard and Pinot) as well as a bunch of other varietal offerings. Would not hesitate to go back to Southern Highlands as an alternative to Hunter Valley.