As much as I love our house, months stuck at home have left me desirous of a change of scenery. Originally planning to drive through the Southern Highlands, a sudden increase in the weekend workload left me suggesting Otford and Stanwell Park as an alternative. We were driving down the freeway, when Beatrice decided she didn’t want to see the beach, so instead of turning off at the intersection, we continued on towards Wollongong and decided to follow our original plan.
Past our old University (Wollongong) and the Nan Tien Buddhist temple we drove, until we reached the Albion Park turnoff. From there we drove inland through rolling countryside that would have been perfect for a hobbit, though I did not agree with a the name of one of the dairy farms: Lothlorien. Then it was up the steep and twisting road through Macquarie’s Pass. This previously daunting road lessened in stature after our New Zealand trip, but the temperate rainforest and sandstone escarpments are still magnificent to behold.
The Southern Highlands are a pretty, rural area of dairy farms and pine tree windbreaks. We stopped off at Robertson for cheese, Moss Vale for nothing, Bowral for lunch, Berrima for a wander through the craft shops (should have bought lunch there) and Mittagong for needlework kits (Victoria House – my Mum would love it!). Then back to Sydney by evening.
I think I prefer the area on a colder day then an Autumn 27 degrees C. You then appreciate the log fires that burn in every restaurant and the hearty food food they serve. I wish also that we had time to travel further. I’m in that mood again that makes me feel like staying in Canberra. A train ride there would be nice. Brings back memories.