The first stop on our relaxing holiday is at the Mt Annan Botanical Gardens, where you can enjoy more than 400 hectares of open space, gardens and native woodland areas and over 4000 native and introduced plant species.

After a delicious lunch and short wander around the native gardens we travel south via Razorback, known for its steep hills and dramatic scenery with views over Picton, Cawdor Valley, Camden and Sydney, then continue down the Old Hume Highway to our stunning destination, the Southern Highlands.

The Southern Highlands region is beautiful at any time of the year, but especially so as the landscape begins to be transformed by the vibrant colours of Autumn.

This is a very historic area with the various charming villages, offering some fantastic examples of fine Colonial architecture and gorgeous sandstone buildings.

We check in to our stylish hotel in Bowral where we can take some time to relax before coming together in fellowship for our first group dinner.

A relaxed start this morning with the opportunity to wander the beautiful town of Bowral with its boutiques, gift shops, antique dealers, cafes, bookshops and art galleries.

Perhaps you are keen to visit the Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame, which celebrates Bowral’s favourite son, Sir Donald Bradman, and the game at which he excelled. Alternatively you may wish to simply make the most of your time at our delightful resort – it’s your choice and we will provide a courtesy shuttle to and from town.

We travel the short distance to Berrima, one of Australia’s best preserved Georgian villages. Here we will visit Harper’s Mansion – this 1834 two-storey brick house has been extensively restored by the National Trust and is a superb example of an early Georgian country house. The house sits proudly high on a hill overlooking Berrima amidst two acres of fine cool climate gardens and features a maze of tall Leylandii hedge: the only one of its kind in NSW.

After our tour, you will have time to wander through the interesting old shops in town with antiques and old wares, arts, crafts and galleries, including Australia’s oldest continuously running licensed Inn.

This afternoon, we will take a scenic drive through green rolling hills and various “Highlands” villages including Sutton Forest and Moss Vale, once the very outer limits of the colony when it was settled by white pastoralists in the 1820s.

Brigadoon Festival transforms the little village of Bundanoon into the mythical destination of Brigadoon and it’s time for all things tartan. This beloved event began back in 1978 and has been held annually to celebrate all things Scottish and raise funds for the local community – let’s join in the fun!

Watch the Street Parade, the massed Pipes & Drums, displays of Scottish dancing and feats of great strength with “Warriors” lifting the “Bundanoon Stones” or “Tossing the Caber”.

For those of you with Scottish roots this is the perfect opportunity to discover more about your own Clan at one of the many ancestry information stalls. Regardless of your heritage you can enjoy the music in the Fiddler’s Tent, don a kilt and join in the “Kilted Dash” (open to all ages), admire the wonderful displays of the Sheep Dogs, browse the many stalls and so much more! This is sure to be a Bonnie Day for all!

Connect with local Christians when we share worship this morning at Bowral church.
We then bid Bowral a fond farewell and drive north to historic Campbelltown and Camden to visit Glenalvon House, a fine colonial Georgian townhouse built 1840. We take a tour through the beautiful historic property that showcases the agricultural heritage in the area, coach house, stables and heritage garden.

From here it is onto the renowned Camden Valley Inn for a scrumptious lunch before we return to Sydney. We head home feeling blessed with happy memories of sharing fun, fellowship and a “Highland Fling” with new friends.