The Southern Highlands

just an hour south of Sydney, just perfect.

The Southern Highlands, located just over an hour south of Sydney, New South Wales, is the perfect weekend escape for anyone looking to get away and unwind from the hustle and bustle of big city life.

The area attracts well over a million visitors each year and they come not only to enjoy the lifestyle the Southern Highlands offers, but to also enjoy the peace and tranquility they find there.

From the breath-taking scenery of the countryside, to the boutique stores and luxury resorts, in the Southern Highlands you can find yourself miles away from the burdens of modern living, unwinding to the sounds of silence.

One of the main attractions of visiting, or living in, the Highlands is the wealth of natural beauty in the area.

Surrounded by thousands of acres of largely untouched natural bushland and rugged country, there are many places to visit and see the Australian countryside.

There are bush walks, lookouts, picnic and camping areas, and plenty of places where you can go horse riding, exploring and rock climbing, or you can even go underground to some spectacular caves at Wombeyan.

One of the first things you’ll notice in the Highlands is the large number of colourful native birds; parrots and cockatoos with their unmistakable ‘chattering’, curious magpies always looking for a handout, kookaburras, also fondly known as the laughing jackass, to wake you at dawn, laughing at the new day, and if you get really lucky you might just see a wedge-tailed eagle, bower bird or a lyre-bird.

Or perhaps a mammal or marsupial is more your style?

Possums are the easiest to find as they are quite happy to live close to us humans, (some would say too happy!).

You’ll see them at dusk running along the phone lines, you might hear them in the middle of the night scampering across your roof and you’ll almost certainly hear them ‘talking’ to each other in the very early hours.

Highlands kangaroos and wallabies.

Koalas are usually quite private creatures but they have been spotted recently in the Morton National Park near Bundanoon.

Your best chance of seeing one would be to go out in the early evening and wander through the eucalypts keeping your eyes trained on the upper branches.

They are quite difficult to spot as they rest in the crook of the branches but if you persist, and you get lucky, who knows?

You might see a platypus in the river near Berrima, if you are lucky enough to know one of the locals, and emus can be seen close up at the ostrich and emu farm at Joadja, near Berrima.

In the Highlands many colourful, and poisonous, snakes are to be found, however, you're not likely to encounter these unless you wander carelessly through the bush during summer.

You are more likely to see a friendly goanna, a large lizard, even in people's gardens.

These wonderful creatures are quite fearsome to those who have never had the pleasure but, as a general rule, when they wander up to you it’s only to get some free tucker.

Just be aware that they have been known to try to climb up a leg or two if they get frightened!

If you are looking for an adventure off the beaten track, then a trip to Belmore Falls is worth including in your itinerary.

Located on the edge of the escarpment south-east of Burrawang, on the headwaters of Barrengarry Creek, the falls tumble dizzily 78 metres down to the floor of the valley.

To get there travel from the scenic village of Burrawang, turn south at Church Street, and on to Wildes Meadow.

At the Myra Vale Road intersection follow the sign to the left, then right into Belmore Falls Road just a short distance along.

Park your car and follow the signs to the Hindmarsh lookout which offers spectacular views over Kangaroo Valley.

From here there is a 1500 metre circular walk which takes you to other lookouts, the last one providing views of Belmore Falls.

Once you have taken in the views, continue on your journey towards Robertson and stop for a ‘coldie’ or a cup of coffee.

The Fitzroy Falls.

Although long known to the aborigines, who passed by it on their migrations from the coast to the Highlands, the Fitzroy Falls were 'discovered' in the early 1800’s by a pioneering settler whose property extended as far as the falls itself.

Its spectacular beauty made it a favourite place for the locals to bring their many guests on picnics and it’s still as spectacular, and popular, today.

The falls lie in the path of the Yarrunga Creek, which drops over 80 metres down the escarpment, and flows on into the Kangaroo River.

The water flow is not as massive, nor as irregular, as in the past due to a water catchment dam further upstream today.

Long recognised for its natural beauty, 4000 acres was set aside as a reserve in 1882, and later attempts to urbanise the area were, fortunately, thwarted by local residents.

The small, sleepy village of the same name lies astride the main road between the Highlands to Kangaroo Valley and the South Coast at Nowra, and is a favourite stopping off place on that journey, and for the thousands of tourists each year who come to the Highlands.

The reserve became part of the Morton National Park in the 1960s when control over it was vested in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service who maintain the area around the lookouts and falls and operate a well-equipped visitors' centre.

The Visitors' Centre is situated in a wildlife reserve.

There are displays of flora and fauna and the works of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, tourist information, picnic area, toilets, and a cafe.

A boardwalk leads alongside the creek and through restored native bushland to a lookout at the top of the falls (about 100 metres).

The views from here are spectacular, you can see down the cliff along the falls, and out towards Kangaroo Valley.

From the top of the falls there are a number of bush walking trails along the escarpment to lookouts.

The next nearest is about 1.6kms round trip to a lookout from where you can see the full glory of the falls.

There are other trails on the left and right side of the falls to other lookouts (from 3 to 5 kms round trip.)

Paths are well cut and maintained, with frequent easy stairways.

There are resting areas, and signs strategically placed identifying native fauna and flora and the lookouts are well fenced for safety.

The National Parks Visitors Information Centre is open 7 days from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

The public are able to access the falls and lookouts during these times.

For more information phone: (02) 4887 7270

Just a short distance from the town centre of Robertson, is Robertson Nature Reserve.

The Yarrawa Brush.

By the turn of the 19th century the Yarrawa Brush had largely disappeared, and the villages of Burrawang, Kangaloon, and Robertson, with their surrounding farmlands, had grown up in its place.

Except for isolated pockets of scrub, only this 5 hectare portion remains of the original rainforest.

Pass through the gates and step back in time to a primeval rainforest, with tall trees, dense shrubs, tangled hanging vines, and tropical ferns.

All that can be heard is the sound of the many native birds which make this particular habitat their own.

The cool temperate rainforest here consists of tall trees and vines making up the canopy, an understorey of ferns and vines, and in the low light of the forest floor, mosses, fungi, and decaying leaves and vegetation.

At various levels in this ‘jungle’, birds make their home: bowerbirds, Lewin's honeyeaters, crimson rosellas, white browed scrub hens, wonga and brown pigeons, and the Eastern Whip bird.

There is plenty of opportunity for bird watching, and even if you can't see them, the forest is filled with the distinctive whip crack call of the Whip birds.

Of particular interest to dedicated ornithologists are the wonga and brown pigeons: as this micro-climate is now isolated from their original more extensive habitat, they display different behaviour to their cousins found elsewhere in remaining rainforests.

At ground level the forest floor is home to an abundance of insect life, and evidence of wombats can often be seen.

The small area of the remaining rainforest, and the proximity of settlement and feral animals means that other original animal life can no longer be found here.

A visit to the Robertson Nature Reserve is a must for the tourist in Robertson.

It’s ideal for nature lovers and especially good for student groups, who can learn valuable information about rainforests and about the early history of the area.

Entrance is free; open every day during daylight hours.

As I said, just an hour south of Sydney, just perfect...............enjoy,

John.

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