Littlebourne Guest House is reason enough to make a beeline for this underrated country city.
Bathurst might be known for supercars and gold mining, but there’s a gentler side to the regional city that makes it one of the most underrated destinations in New South Wales. I recently visited on a weekend away with my sister, and we were both pleasantly surprised by how lovely it was. Why aren’t more people talking about it? Bucolic rolling hills, fantastic produce and laidback charm make it an idyllic destination for a relaxing sojourn. And the place to stay? Undoubtedly, Littlebourne Guest House, located a five-minute drive from the city centre.
Bathurst is no stranger to historic buildings. But when we enter the circular driveway, I see a centaur sculpture by Nicole O’Regan and the home’s bright white facade with a scalloped veranda and I can’t wait to discover what lies within. The property was built in 1830 as a wedding gift for 17-year-old Mary-Jane Hawkins when she was married off to Lieutenant Thomas Evernden, who led Australia’s first Mounted Police unit. The house was extended using gold rush money in 1885, and again in the 1930s, before being majorly refurbished from 2020. Today, it stands as a high-end historic guesthouse with six suites sleeping up to 14 people. The gardens were restored and designed by Hugh Main of Spirit Designs.
The historic home features a wraparound veranda. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)
A centaur Sculpture by Nicole O'Regan. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
Our host Annabelle greets us warmly before leading us through the property, sharing the history and design choices behind each room with a passion and understanding that reveals her years of dedication to its restoration. “Inspiration was drawn from the story of Mary Jane Hawkins – a pioneering young woman who hosted family and friends in a loving household while also entertaining some of the most influential dignitaries who visited the inland areas," she shares. “To me, Mary Jane was young and energetic, with a spirit of adventure and love of light and laughter. That is the soul of Littlebourne."
The accommodation is spread across the original 1830 house, the 1885 Webb wing, the 1930s rear additions, plus the new dining room and the contemporary Pavilion. It features soaring ceilings across a library, billiards room (with the largest pool table I have ever seen) and an open-plan kitchen and living area.
The home is filled with antique finds. (Credit: Rachael Thompson
The elegant reception room features painting by Margaret Hogan of Winburndale Rivulet. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
Annabelle worked with Source Architects in Orange and renowned Australian designer Sibella Court on the refurbishment. It’s all so perfectly curated with an eclectic mix of pieces from friends, family and “fossicking adventures" including sumptuous lounges, contemporary artworks evocative of the surrounding countryside (from local artists Gabrielle Hegyes, Steven Hogan and Margaret Hogan), antique candelabras and dark timber furniture. Each guestroom is unique, from the Darwin Suite – a nod to the naturalist and biologist who made a curious detour to Bathurst in 1836 – to the Mary Jane Suite – which is swathed in delicate pink and purple tones and overlooks a vegetable patch – to the charming Convict Cookhouse Suite – tucked into the former servant’s kitchen.
I’m staying in the stately Chifley Suite. This room pays homage to Ben Chifley, a Bathurst train driver who became Prime Minister from 1945 to 1949, and features a fireplace, writing desk with rose garden views and a freestanding bath (bath salts supplied).
The Webb Suite features a bath and fireplace. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)
Suites are spacious and calming. (Credit: Ishita Moghex).
The Darwin Suite pays homage to the botanist and naturalist. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
We share a glass of local Rock Forest sauvignon blanc (I implore you to try this, especially if this isn’t your normal varietal of choice!) in the modern country-style kitchen, which opens onto a large living room with a fireplace – the perfect spot to curl up with one of the books from the library. The accommodation feels like your own home, a place to host friends and family, where you can cook feasts in the kitchen, fire up the pizza oven and spill out into the garden with a glass of local wine from the fridge. English garden beds full of roses and a diverse array of Australian natives fill the landscape, with an incredible 200-year-old rose bush stealing the show.
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Guests can cook up a feast in the country-style kitchen. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
The dining room is an idyllic spot for breakfast. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
A farmhouse-style breakfast is served each morning with coffee, juice, eggs, fresh bread, yoghurt, homemade granola and berries. We enjoyed this sitting in the dining room, and I almost felt as though I was in a Jane Austen novel.
Littlebourne is luxurious yet homely and transports you back in time while catering to your modern sensibilities. You will walk away with an overall sense of calm and some guaranteed design inspiration. “Littlebourne is an adventure that unfolds. From the quiet country-style entrance, to the journey through soaring rooms and light-filled spaces. You are a friend visiting a country home, not a guest in a hotel, and all your friends are full of stories to share."
Details
The modern, sun-lit living area. (Credit: Ishita Moghex)
Best for: Family or friends getaways, romantic weekends away and those looking for a serene getaway.
Extras: This is a hosted stay and you will be offered ideas for the best things to do in the region. Special services, including catering, yoga, musicians, or micro weddings can be arranged onsite, so you don’t need to leave.
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Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and Hotel Addict. She's responsible for the foundational content on AustralianTraveller.com, helping to manage and grow the brand’s destination guides. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love and Bed Threads. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
