Morning Drive
Highlights
Bowral, Fitzroy Falls, Wildes Meadow and Burrawang
Overview
This drive is designed to fit into a morning, but allow time for lots of shopping and an early morning refreshment. Then head south along Kangaloon Road, which becomes Sheepwash Road, then left onto Nowra Road and into Fitzroy Falls. After visiting the falls, take a drive through the rolling hills of Wildes Meadow and into Burrawang for lunch. The drive then takes you back down the Illawarra Highway and back to Bowral.
The Drive
Your journey begins in the busy town of Bowral. Spend time browsing through the many specialty shops and treat your self to an early morning coffee and cake, or even a hearty breakfast. From the town centre, travel down Bong Bong Street and veer left at the Kangaloon Road roundabout into Kangaloon Road. As you continue along Kangaloon Road you will pass through on e of the older sections of Bowral, and the town’s historic cemetery can be seen on your right just before the Eridge Park Road roundabout.
Continue straight through this roundabout, and on your left you will see the recent urban expansion known as East Bowral. A little further along on your right is the famous Bong Bong Picnic Race Course. From here you will notice town dissolve into country as what is now Sheepwash Road winds through magnificent rural pastureland.
Upon reaching the crossroads of Sheepwash Road and the Illawarra Highway, go straight ahead and meander through some of the lushest dairy farm pasture in the Southern Highlands. The tiny rural village of Avoca will appear on your left and here you can see a real country primary school and village hall, famous for its old time dances. Keep an eye out for roadside stalls selling fresh produce and a not so fragrant “garden helper”.
The Sheepwash Road will take you to the intersection of Nowra Road where you turn left. This is Fitzroy Falls, a village set amongst the bushland of the Morton National Park. Just along on your left-hand side you will see the NPWS Visitor Information Centre. Park your car can enjoy a well-deserved coffee. The centre is well stocked with local information and products.
The walk to view the falls from the Visitors Centre is easy for people of all ages and abilities, with a boardwalk under the road to the viewing platform. For the more active, this is also a popular starting point for longer bushwalks. Check with the centre for walking maps.
From Fitzroy Falls turn left as you leave the carpark and continue along Nowra Road until you reach Myra Vale Road on your left. This is just past the Fitzroy Falls reservoir (a great place for a picnic or cup of tea with boiling water on tap, while you let the kids loose on the excellent playground equipment). Travel along Myra Vale Road, which becomes Pearsons Lane until you reach the Wildes Meadow intersection on your right. Travel along this road until you see Church Street on your left, which will take you right into Burrawang, an ideal spot for lunch.
The ever popular Burrawang Hotel serves light lunches with fine wines and refreshing beers. Sit near the window or outside to take in the most romantic country views. Burrawang is an historic village with a rare collection of authentic Colonial cottages.
You can now follow Church Street back to the Illawarra Highway and follow the signs to Bowral, or wherever the mood may take you.
