It’s autumn here in Sydney. I can’t think of a better weekend getaway than heading to the Southern Highlands, Kangaroo Valley, which boasts warm fireside dining, wineries and amazing food.  

This is our first trip out as a family of four, with our youngest being nine weeks old and hates the car. We are in for the ride of our lives with two kids, but we still want to travel and enjoy the finer things in life (we’ll try to anyway).  

We booked a great Airbnb in Kangaroo Valley, with two bedrooms and a beautiful outlook over the valley. It’s May, so the frosts have set in and created the crisp overnight temperatures dropping to single digits but beautiful sunny t-shirt-like days where we could enjoy all that Kangaroo Valley has to offer!  The stunning scenery was something I hadn’t even realised was only one hour’s drive from our home in Sydney.  I almost feel ripped off that I hadn’t discovered this area when we were one child deep or before we had kids!! It has Hunter Valley vibes with some historical towns within driving distance, stunning winery scenery, and modern cafe culture, with fantastic food options that your mouth waters when revisiting.  

Our Airbnb was in Suttons forest on a beautiful farm with many acres.  The modern converted farm shed was completely wooden and smelt of the delicate eucalyptus scents everyone loves. The 5 horses would come up to the fence to greet you as you watched the sun drop over the mountains, and the wooden fireplace would welcome you as you entered back from the chilly outside.  The property also had an amazing hot bath outside to enjoy the crisp nighttime escape – perfect for couples!

The town of Bowral was only a 20-minute drive from Suttons forest, and it was well worth a visit.  The top five tips  of where to eat have to be;

1. We visited The Press Shop cafe four times during our three-day stay and were not disappointed. The blue boutique-style cafe brought country vibes with city quality, especially the Turkish Eggs and Gabriels coffee. Every meal and coffee were amazing.
2. They even had a sister cafe, Highlands Merchant, in Moss Vale, a suburb closer to Sutton’s Forest, for your early-morning coffee. It was full of early-morning runners, bike riders, and young families who had woken at 5 a.m. The bacon and eggs roll was second to none, and, of course, the coffee. 
3. Harry’s on Green Lane was also such a great find in Bowral. It has floor-to-ceiling books, greenery everywhere, and fantastic food. The outdoor seating here was more conducive to active toddlers. Bistro Sociale at Berida Hotel is an excellent lunch spot to add to your trip to Bowral. Its beautiful vine-wrapped hotel bursts with stunning decor and exquisite food. 
4. The multi-award-winning Gumnut Patisserie was a must-eat. Its high-quality pastries, desserts, and pies were so good that we could have eaten the whole shop. The vanilla slice and almond croissant topped our list. If a celebration was in order, we would have grabbed the cheesecake, which was lusciously decorated.
5. In between Moss Vale and Bowral is Briars Inn, positioned on the rise with a great view out to the mountains and countryside. It has modern-style indoor and outdoor seating for big groups, fantastic food, and lots of green grounds perfect for the kids to run around. The locals there say it’s one of their favourite pubs. 

We started our trip by driving our family straight to Berrima, the neighbouring historical town to Bowral, which is a stone’s throw away from our Airbnb and meant we could venture into a charming restaurant for lunch without feeling like we had to detour.  We made sure to stop here first so we didn’t have to come too far all the other days following. Josh’s Cafe was excellent, the Lamb & chicken skewers and the rosemary chips were on our list. It was great sharing plates and food for the whole family. We were lucky enough to get a large table out the side of the restaurant for our kids.  The Courtyard Cafe also had relaxed tables and a safe place for toddlers to wander in the laneway around your table.

We filled the days with some beautiful activities and loved seeing a few of the wineries surrounding Sutton Forest.  Ben Dooleys estate was by far one of the favourite places to visit. The restaurant and cellar door have beautiful views over the wineries and mountains, and the restaurant has such character, sharing the space with Berklous book store.

We also spent a night staying at Peppers Manor House in Sutton Forest. a stunning historic home with a restaurant and accommodation attached to the estate home.  It was so easy with two kids. We had a king bed and sofa on which our toddler could sleep.   The house itself has multiple big drawing rooms with fireside games, so we took one that overlooked the sunset and ordered from the bar while our toddler played Jenga, which was borrowed from the hotel, and I was able to nurse our new addition in the warmth. And then, instead of lining up for the restaurant in the hotel, we ordered room service to our little spot in the drawing room. The food was delicious, and we were all happy watching the sunset.  The massive bath in the hotel room made for a beautiful relaxing time with our small family, all having fun in the warm water. For older kids there was a pool and tennis court as well.

The Southern Highlands was a memorable family trip for us all with our three-year-old and 9 week old. We all had a wonderful time, and it set us off for a wonderful winter stay.  There are so many more places to see on our next visit.