Make your next special occasion a truly memorable one with an escape to southern New South Wales. Celebrate an anniversary in romantic Southern Highlands, gather your inner friendship circle in the Snowy Mountains or make your next birthday a family affair with an idyllic beach holiday on the NSW South Coast.

Elevate your beach holiday in Gerringong

Enjoy the best of both worlds when you celebrate a special occasion in Gerringong, a beachside holiday town with easy access to the Shoalhaven wine region just a 90-minute drive from Sydney on the South Coast.

Gather the tribe at the boutique guesthouse Soul of Gerringong – the farmhouse, which sleeps 16, and cottage, which sleeps seven, are both decked out in coastal country style, with fireplaces and open living-dining areas. Or feel instantly more calm as you discover the expansive views of the ocean at Dovecote’s two-bedroom Range or four-bedroom Headland properties commanding a headland above Gerringong.

Gaze over the vineyard and farm from the restaurant at nearby Crooked River Wines, where the focus on seafood celebrates the South Coast, as you savour a two-course menu featuring local oysters, tiger prawns and ocean trout. Take yourself out of the ordinary as you cuddle a goat during a Goat Therapy Farm Tour or sign up for a cooking workshop at Buena Vista Farm, a family farm just outside of Gerringong town. And watch the shadows lengthen across Gerringong’s Werri Beach from your perch at Gather By The Hill as you nibble on the bar’s Asian-inspired small and large plates.

Immerse in nature in Jervis Bay

You’ll feel a world away from the everyday as you walk along one of the many pretty beaches in Jervis Bay, 2.5 hours south of Sydney, with your loved one or your crew. Join a cruise with Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay or Jervis Bay Wild from the port town of Huskisson to spot the many resident dolphins and seals in the sheltered bay – you may also encounter humpback whales during their annual migration from May to November.

Retreat to a country-cool cottage or a glamping bell tent at The Woods Farm, a few minutes’ drive inland, and explore the property on foot or on bikes, dive into the pool or simply relax with a glass of wine beside your private fire pit. Or check into an elevated safari-style luxury tent at Paperbark Camp and savour a three-course set menu served by candlelight in a peaceful bush setting at its The Gunyah restaurant.

Feel free on the far South Coast

Revel in a shared sense of adventure as you seek out hidden gems on the Sapphire Coast. Feel a million miles from anywhere in one of the beautifully restored Green Cape Lightstation Keeper’s Cottages jutting from a peninsula in the southern section of Beowa National Park, near the town of Eden. Gaze out to sea from the open verandahs and cook up a storm to enjoy overlooking the water – when you’re not hiking through rainforest or along the clifftops in the national park.

Looking for something even more secluded? Cosy up during a relaxed stay in the Barn Studio at Sugar Rock Ranch, on the fringe of the northern section of Beowa National Park. After a day of bushwalking through the national park, fire up the barbecue on the deck or build a blaze in your fire pit and let the sound of the wind in the trees complete the peaceful scene.

Wind down in Berrima

Whisk away that special someone for a romantic getaway in the historic town of Berrima, a 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney in the Southern Highlands. Make your way to your luxe cottage overlooking vineyards, manicured gardens and a lake at Bendooley Estate, a short drive outside of Berrima. Make memories with an atmospheric dinner at the estate’s beautiful cellar door space, or head back into Berrima for dinner at award-winning Eschalot, where much of the produce featured on the thoughtful menus is grown by the owners or sourced from local purveyors. 

Start the next day with a decadent breakfast – including a glass of bubbly – with the Sparkling Breakfast Experience at PepperGreen Estate’s cellar door in Berrima, or come at lunchtime for a three-course Wine and Dine Experience featuring a hosted wine tasting.

After you’re recharged your batteries at your Bendooley Estate cottage, venture beyond Berrima to explore the other wineries across the Southern Highlands and charming towns such as Bowral and the foodie magnet that is Robertson, a 25-minute drive from Bowral.

Reconnect in the Snowy Mountains

Bring together up to 12 of your closest friends or family members for a memorable stay at Forty Nine Post Office Lane in the Snowy Mountains, around a five-hour drive southwest of Sydney. Feel right at home in the private luxury homestead in Crackenback, five minutes from Kosciuszko National Park for warm-weather hiking, or equally close to Perisher’s Skitube if you’re keen to hit the slopes. Or soak up the solitude and seclusion with your partner at the off-grid Crafters Cabin, looking out over bushland on the Alpine Way between Crackenback and Jindabyne.

While both properties feature fully equipped kitchens for conjuring up hearty meals, you’ll want to savour the French farmhouse-style meals served in a cosy setting at Crackenback Farm Restaurant; everything is made with local ingredients, including homegrown herbs and vegetables.

Wine and dine in Wagga Wagga

Work up an appetite as you drive past the orchards, farms and vineyards of the NSW Riverina – you’ll find plenty of great places to sample super-fresh regional produce in Wagga Wagga. Soak up the historic atmosphere of The Houston, a luxury boutique hotel set in the impeccably restored neo-gothic Belmore House in the heart of town, as you get ready for a night of gourmet treats.

Indulge in three-, five- or seven-course tasting menus of Riverina goodness at The Charles Dining Room at The Charles boutique hotel, feast on prime Junee lamb at The Oakroom restaurant at the Townhouse hotel, or relish regional cuisine and wines at Magpies Nest restaurant, set in a charming stone stables around a 10-minute drive out of town.

Dreamily recall the previous night’s feasting as you stroll through olive groves on a tasting tour of fine oils at Wollundry Grove Olives, 10 minutes north of town. Or bond over a cooking class as Food I Am helps you discover the art of preparing everything from pasta and tapas to Vietnamese favourites and Thai specialties.