Highlights
- Kiama and Robertson are just two-hour scenic drives from either Sydney CBD or Canberra
- The majestic falls in Fitzroy and Carrington offer revellers a serene sanctuary to rejuvenate and recharge
- Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are wine havens to explore in South Australia
If you are one of those people who are itching to pack their bags and hit the road for a change of scenery, there are two regions in Australia that you can visit and explore.
You can either make your way to New South Wales' south coast, a two-hour drive from either Canberra or Sydney, and enjoy the coastline of Kiama, the lush green valleys of Robertson, and the majestic falls in Fitzroy and Carrington. Or fly to South Australia and visit the scenic vineyards of Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale and try the best wine selection that Australia has to offer.
The gems of regional New South Wales
If you’re coming from the ACT, it will only take three hours to drive to Kiama. It’s a scenic drive with beautiful towns along the way. The towns are all equally beautiful and each have their own imminent charm.
Before you drive straight to the beautiful south coast line, you can spend a day in Moss Vale and enjoy a picnic at the Leighton Gardens or do a wine tour at the estates in Sutton Forest.
Robertson, the green heart of the Highlands
If valleys and falls pique your interests, you can spend a day in Robertson, where you can stay at rustic public hostels connected to local bars. The rooms have excellent views of the nearby luscious mountain—particularly in the morning when it’s moist and mysteriously foggy.
For a hearty breakfast, you can head to the award-winning Robertson pie shop. They started creating tasty savoury and sweet pies in the 1960s and passionately improved their menu over the years.
One of their best-selling and most loved pies is the chicken and camembert with leek pie. The combination of the cheese and leek add to the flavour to the chicken, a perfect as a snack for a day hike to the falls.
The town of Robertson is a 10 to 15-minute drive to both Fitzroy and Carrington falls. Both offer a serene sanctuary for travellers who want to go for a dip or just stare at the powerful launch of water from the upstream down to the water catchment. Fitzroy falls is 85 metres high, while Carrington falls is twice Fitzroy’s height. Both falls go deep to the rainforests to keep the trees and wildlife thrive.
Blowholes, rock pools and the alluring town of Kiama
A day or two is not enough to go around Kiama. The majestic town is less than two hours drive from Sydney CBD. There are plenty of things to do—from swimming in various beach spots around the area to going to breweries for a fun and light afternoon. But one thing that shouldn’t be missed is going to the Cathedral Rocks where there is a pristine rock pool unknown to the public.
Kiama is also synonymous with blowholes, which occur when waves strongly hit boulders of rocks and splashes upwards through small and big openings. It is a delightful experience seeing them firsthand, especially when people gather around and look at it in amazement.
If the waters is not your cup of tea, the small town of Kiama will surely charm you with its strip of restaurants and local art gallery scene. Their local artists pride themselves in putting into their canvasses the day-to-day scenes they witness in the town—surfers playing with high waves and the beautiful coastline walk. The art scene in Kiama is thriving and the community is very supportive of it.
The captivating beauty of South Australia
If you have had enough of the sun and vitamin sea from the NSW coast, and drinking wine is your favourite past time, you can book a flight to Adelaide and drive an hour to Barossa Valley and indulge yourself to the region's top selection of locally produced wines and farm-to-table dining experience.
When visiting the Barossa Valley, you should not miss checking out the wineries owned by the locals such as Calabria wines for their full-bodied Shiraz and citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. You can do tasting flights for $15 per person and enjoy sipping your glass of wine looking at the panoramic view of the Barossa vineyards.
Besides Calabria, and if you want to swap your wine for a G&T, you can visit Seppeltsfield Road Distillers that offers one of the best gins in town. They have an open space drinking area just outside the distillery where you can relax and chat the afternoon away with friends and family. Before you retire for the day, you can book a dinner at Vintners bar and grill for a sumptuous meal overlooking their vast vineyard with the sunset as your backdrop.
If you drive further north, about 130km from Adelaide,you will reach the town of Sevenhill, which is the heart of Clare Valley. It's the perfect place to access Riesling walking trails and St Aloysius church—the oldest Jesuit church in the region. Next to the church is the Jesuit-run winery where they grow seasoned grapes for quality Riesling and Pinot Gris.
Another town to visit in South Australia is McLaren Vale, which is located about 33 kilometres south of the Adelaide city centre. Here you can find the famous Penfolds and Hugh Hamilton wineries, but also the new Chalk Hill wine, Coriole Vineyard and D'arenberg which has a beautiful structure similar to that of Antonio Gaudi's architecture.
On the way to McLaren Vale, you can also visit the lively town of Willunga where they hold weekend farmer's market and trade local cheeses and honey. Or if you are keen for a swim, you can head to the Fleurieu Coast or Victor Harbour. You can also visit the many art galleries in Fleurieu and McLaren Vale for your amusement.
Regional Australia has so much to offer so get your hands on the free travel vouchers and flight before it's too late and enjoy the extremely enchanting and picturesque sites in our own backyard.
ALSO READ/LISTEN TO
