Berrima Berrima is a village located west of
Bowral and south west of
Mittagong that once served as the main town of the Highlands. Notably, the region of Bowral, Mittagong and Berrima and various villages including the
Northern Villages used to be known as the
Berrima District. Berrima contains many historic buildings including the historical Berrima Gaol and Courthouse which is no longer in use today as well as many other historical buildings.
Bowral town centre Bowral is considered the commercial centre of the Highlands and may be the most well-known towns of the Highlands. Bowral is well known for its
boutiques,
gourmet restaurants,
Corbett Gardens and
Springetts Arcade. The town is also home to the
Sir Donald Bradman or Bradman Museum.
Bradman Museum, Bowral outside the Bradman Museum. The
Bradman Museum is a tribute
museum to
Australian cricketer
Sir Donald Bradman who grew up in and spent his early life in
Bowral until his fame. The museum contains artifacts of Bradman's life and also serves as a museum of
cricket and contains historical cricket memorabilia. The museum is located adjacent to
Bradman Oval where the
Australian Cricket Team play a friendly game annually.
Fitzroy Falls Fitzroy Falls is a
waterfall found in the
Morton National Park near the Highlands' village of the same name,
Fitzroy Falls, and located near
Kangaroo Valley. The Fitzroy Falls reserve offers lookouts of the waterfall and of panoramic views of the Morton National Park. The waterfall and village is located near the lake
Fitzroy Reservoir. The waterfall's and lake's reserve includes lookouts, bushwalking trails and picnic areas. near
Jamberoo Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk, Robertson The
Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk, also known as
Illawarra Fly is a
canopy walkway located south-east of
Robertson in the area known as
Knights Hill. The facility is a 500m long and 25m high
walk facility that opened in mid-2008. The project is similar to the
Otway Fly Tree Top Walk in
Victoria, Australia. The project consists of a 1500m walk. Moreover, 500m of the 1500m walk is 25m high among the
Blackwoods and many other trees of the
temperate rainforest of the
Budderoo National Park and
Illawarra Escarpment. In addition, the project has a 45m high lookout along with the walk that offers
panoramic views far south to
Bass Point and as far as north to
Bundeena which is part of south of the
Sutherland Shire. Other views include
Wollongong,
Lake Illawarra,
Tasman Sea,
Shellharbour,
Kiama and other localities of the
South Coast, as well as various localities of the Southern Highlands, the
Illawarra Escarpment and
Budderoo National Park.
Joadja Joadja is a historic abandoned
ghost town about 32 km west of
Mittagong. The town was established in the 1870s by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Company as Joadja valley's walls contained a vast reserve of
shale. Notably, the town back in its time was one of the most populous towns in the Highlands. However, at the turn of the century when the shale ran out, the town's population began to dwindle and the town would be eventually abandoned by the early 1900s. Joadja at its height had a post office, theatre, general store, bakery, school of arts, refinery, railway line, miner's cottages and many other buildings. Notably, it was one of the first rural towns in New South Wales to be connected to the
telephone. Joadja's legacy still remains with many of the historical buildings remaining in ruin such as some of the miners' cottages, a school house, church, cemetery and refinery devices such as shale ovens. These ovens are protected and is World Heritage listed. Today, the Joadja Distillery produces Single Malt Whisky in honour of the Scottish mining families who worked the rich coal and shale seams in the late 1800s.
Manor houses The Southern Highlands has a reputation of being an upscale area due to its upscale-style accommodation which include reputable resorts such as Craigieburn, Briars, Berida Manor House and
Peppers Manor House. Each of these places are historical and have a historic significance to the local area.
Morton National Park Robertson Home of the Big Potato and Fountaindale Grand Manor "AKA" Ranelagh House. Fountaindale Grand Manor, originally built in 1924 and opened as Hotel Robertson, has had an interesting history. The Hotel boasted a nine-hole golf course, two tennis courts, croquet, lawn bowls, billiards, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, and an onsite mechanic who looked after guest's cars during their stay. The hotel won the "Most luxurious hotel in the Commonwealth" award in 1925, and was the first hotel in Australia to have phone lines to every room.
Wineries The Highlands in the last decade has become a small yet significantly growing
wine and
cellar door region in New South Wales. It is believed that temperate climate, high annual rainfall as well as quality basalt soil makes it a perfect place for
viticulture. There are many reputable wineries and vineyards that are located in the Highlands such as Joadja Estate, Bendooley Estate, Centennial Winery, St Maur Wines, Southern Highland Wines, and Eling Forest Winery. Some of these wineries have won awards nationally as well as internationally for the optimum quality of their wines. Varieties primarily cultivated in the region are;
chardonnay,
riesling,
sauvignon blanc,
pinot noir and
cabernet sauvignon.
Wombeyan Caves ==Events==