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The new Central Coast hike with camping, workshops and a bush sauna

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
A new two-day guided hike is coming to the Central Coast in April, and you’ve got one chance to experience it.

A new multi-day hike is hitting the Central Coast this year, inviting guests to experience Bouddi National Park like never before. Hosted by international trekking company HIGHLANDER, the overnight adventure goes beyond racking up steps, turning into a mini eco-friendly festival after dark.

What’s involved?

Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast, NSW
The new HIGHLANDER hike explores Bouddi National Park in NSW. (Image: Destination NSW)

The guided walk is part of the brand’s first-ever offering Down Under, with previous global events held everywhere from the Himalayas in Nepal to Costa Rica’s El Camino. The Aussie launch includes just two hosted hikes, the first taking place this March in Victoria’s Alpine National Park. Spanning five days, it’s tailored more towards experienced adventurers.

The second walk is more beginner-friendly, swapping the mountainous terrain of Mount Hotham for the gentle coastal tracks of Bouddi National Park. And while guests can opt in for the full two days, it’s also offered in a range of formats to suit different abilities: Highlander Lyra, Highlander Lyra PLUS and Highlander Orion.

Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast, NSW
Clearly marked boardwalks and trails make the hike beginner-friendly. (Image: Destination Central Coast)

Lyra includes a single day on the trail and suits first-time hikers who aren’t keen on overnight camping, while Lyra PLUS adds a night under the stars. For the full experience, Orion includes the camp-out, as well as both hiking days.

No matter which option you choose, you’re in for a treat. Bouddi National Park is home to some of the best bushwalks on the Central Coast, complete with coastal views at every turn – and HIGHLANDER is taking full advantage of the postcard-perfect location.

The hike covers 35 kilometres in total, with route highlights including Cave Bay, Pretty Beach, Marang Lookout and Box Head. During the day, you’ll explore clifftops, bushland and hidden beaches, stopping for wildlife encounters, dramatic lookouts and ancient Indigenous rock art.

Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast, NSW
Along the way, guests will be treated to uninterrupted coastal views. (Image: The Legendary Pacific Coast)

As the sun sets, your guides will set up camp before preparing a nourishing and energy-packed dinner. But this is more than just a place to rest your head – it’s a space of inspiration and celebration, where you can connect with others through live music, workshops, and interactive activations.

Guests can join a range of hands-on activities at camp, from nature talks and stargazing sessions to yoga and breathwork classes. Those who make it to the finish line can also look forward to a relaxing Bush Sweat Sauna session, followed by a refreshing cold plunge.

It’s all part of a recent rise in wellness tourism, a travel trend that focuses on improving and maintaining personal health. But the beauty of the HIGHLANDER experience is that it combines multiple facets of wellbeing, from physical and spiritual to mental and emotional – all designed to enhance your life in one truly unforgettable sweep.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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Need to know info

Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast, NSW
Guests are responsible for carrying their own day pack and camping gear.

What’s one of the best things about HIGHLANDER? It does all the heavy lifting for you. While guests are responsible for bringing their own equipment, your guides take care of the rest. You’ll only need to carry your backpack and personal gear (other luggage can be stored) and transport is taken care of.

Be sure to bring hiking boots, a head torch, water bottle, eating utensils, rain jacket, compass and first aid kit. Camping gear like tents, swags and sleeping bags are also not provided, so be sure to pack your own or share with a friend.

Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast, NSW
Safety remains a top priority for the HIGHLANDER team throughout the experience. (Image: Destination Central Coast)

Everything else, including gas cartridges, maps and locator tags are supplied. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in registration – all prepared by Offgrid Provisions. You’ll also be provided with snacks along the way that will fuel your body, from electrolyte drinks to collagen bars and beef biltong.

Safety is always a top priority for HIGHLANDER – guests can rest assured knowing that 24-hour medical staff are available throughout the entire hike. The experience also includes participant injury insurance, public liability coverage and sweepers that close the track to ensure no one is left behind.

The new Central Coast HIGHLANDER hike will run from 18–19 April 2026. Registration is now open, with prices ranging from $155pp for Lyra, $299pp for Lyra PLUS and $449pp for Orion.

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Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.

    The new Central Coast hike with camping, workshops and a bush sauna