Your ultimate guide to Glen Innes - Australian Traveller

The Celtic capital of Australia, Glen Innes is a town where you can hear bagpipes in the streets as you explore charming shops and cafes in heritage buildings.

At 1062 metres above sea level in the New England High Country of NSW, Glen Innes is a cool climate town and a gateway to the wonders of the Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage Walk and Gibraltar Range National Park.

Discover local gins, mead and craft beer, visit the Australian Standing Stones, go fossicking for gemstones and crystals, and get back to nature on a Glen Innes getaway.

When to visit Glen Innes

Glen Innes has four very distinct seasons, each with its own individual charms.

In autumn you can walk down streets lined with rich red and gold trees, and have leaves gently fall around you as you picnic in the parks. The first weekend of May is one of the most popular times to visit Glen Innes; when the Australian Celtic Festival attracts visitors from across the country and further afield.

Poplar trees in the autumn season at Glen Innes in NSW, Australia — In autumn you can walk down streets lined with rich red and gold poplar trees.

Crisp and brisk are the words in winter, when the temperatures can easily drop below freezing overnight before reaching an average maximum of 14°C. Expect sparkling frosts and the chance of snow, and enjoy warming up beside the fire with a pub lunch or hearty dinner.

Spring brings pink and white cherry blossoms and bright golden wattle. Sit beside flowerbeds full of lavender as you have lunch or a coffee on the main drag, Grey Street, before a spot of shopping or sightseeing.

With an average maximum of 26°C, Glen Innes summers tend more towards the wonderfully warm than uncomfortably hot. But you’ll still want to bring your swimmers so you can take a dip in the local pool or a natural swimming hole.

How to get to Glen Innes

At the crossroads of the New England and Gwydir Highways, Glen Innes is around seven hours drive and 570 kilometres from Sydney, and four and a half hours and 366 kilometres from Brisbane.

Qantas and Rex fly to Armidale airport, which is around a 75-minute drive away, while Link (formerly Fly Corporate) flies from Brisbane to Inverell, just under an hour away.

If driving up from Grafton, consider the road less travelled. The Gwydir Highway will get you there a lot faster, but Old Grafton Road is a winding scenic drive that was considered an engineering feat when it opened in 1867. The road includes sections carved by bullock drays in the 1840s, and a 20-metre hand-cut tunnel through solid rock. Just keep in mind this route is not for larger vehicles: the tunnel has a 3.3-metre clearance and there’s no easy way to turn around.

The Tunnel in Old Grafton near Mann River in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — The Gwydir Highway will get you there a lot faster, but Old Grafton Road is a winding scenic drive.

Glen Innes accommodation

A romantic castle, family-friendly stays, rustic fishing cabins and historic farms are just some of the ways to stay in and around Glen Innes.

Glen Innes motels and guest houses

New England Motor Lodge

After being fully renovated in 2021, this four-star property now boasts 43 deluxe rooms, suites and studios. Every room comes with a microwave, toaster and fridge, as well as a smart TV with a Netflix connection. The New England Motor Lodge is also home to The Highlands Restaurant, where you can sit by the fire in the cooler months, and has a pool for when the temperatures rise.

Bedroom interior at New England Motor Lounge in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — The New England Motor Lounge was fully renovated just last year. (Image: New England Motor Lounge)

Central Motel

In the centre of town next to the Great Central Hotel, Central Motel offers classic country accommodation with a few extra touches. Every room has a fully equipped kitchenette, including a full-size fridge/freezer, and cots can be added for younger guests. The 50" flat screen TV comes with eight Foxtel channels, and there’s an undercover BBQ for those who’d like to whip up their own lunch or dinner.

Nuallen House

New to the Glen Innes Airbnb list in 2022, Nuallen House is a spacious five-bedroom, two-bathroom guest house that can sleep up to 13 guests. With a mix of queen, single and sofa beds, this family-friendly home can also be used for mixed groups of adults and has a dedicated workspace with Wi-fi for those who need to work on the road.

The Bank Guest House

In a historic bank building at the top of Glen Innes’ high street, this boutique guesthouse hosts three queen bedrooms, along with guest lounges and dining rooms. The Bank Guest House also has a game room for the children (and everyone else who loves board games!) and a garden area. And while cafes and restaurants are just outside your front door, you can use the shared kitchen for cooking your own meals.

Glen Innes caravan parks

Fossicker Caravan Park

As well as powered and unpowered sites for RVs and caravans, Fossicker Caravan Park has fully self-contained one and two-bedroom villas. Each villa has a lounge and kitchen area complete with a stove, microwave and cooking utensils. There’s even an on-site fossicking park, where you can try your hand at finding sapphires with the kids.

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Poplar Caravan Park

Another popular Glen Innes option, Poplar Caravan Park offers spaces for your BYO home on wheels, as well as ensuite cabins. The powered and unpowered sites come with a camp kitchen and clean facilities with nice hot showers, while the cabins can sleep up to five people. And you won’t have to go far for some of the best burgers and fish and chips in town: the caravan park’s cafe has locals coming back for more.

Glen Innes farm stays

Kings Plains Castle

You don’t have to fly to Europe for a romantic castle stay; just drive half an hour from Glen Innes and check into Kings Plains Castle. Built as a 28-room Scottish Baronial-style castle in 1908, it’s now an 11-room B&B. Go bushwalking, play tennis or snooker, or just relax on one of the seven balconies in this adults-only escape.

Kings Plain Castle in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — Built as a 28-room Scottish Baronial-style castle in 1908, Kings Plain Castle is now an 11-room B&B. (Image: Kings Plain Castle)

Waterloo Station

There are six ways to stay on this historic working farm, including the luxury Waterloo Homestead, the Schoolhouse, Shearer’s Lodgings and Creek Shack. Waterloo Station has hosted writers’ retreats and other group getaways and is perfect for reconnecting with family and friends, while the slow combustion fireplace, soft linen sheets and secluded location make the off-grid Creek Shack a romantic getaway for two.

Bens Falls Retreat

Pack the fishing rods and a sense of adventure for a stay in the rustic Cod Cabin at Bens Falls Retreat. Built from slabbed timber, this off-grid cabin has six single beds and a double bed, all in the same room. Only accessible by 4WD vehicles, the cabin is right on the banks of the Severn River, where you can catch and release Murray cod and yellowbelly. You can also arrange to have a massage or join a yoga class overlooking the beautiful Bens Falls.

A man holding up a fish he caught fishing — Cod Cabin at Bens Falls Retreat, right on the banks of the Severn River, is the perfect fishing spot.

Glen Innes camping

Bellbird campground

Nature lovers should keep an ear and eye out for lyrebirds, satin bowerbirds and other rainforest creatures in the Bellbird campground in Washpool National Park. Book ahead to secure one of 17 campsites for tents, camper trailers and caravans in this World Heritage-listed rainforest that’s about a 45-minute drive from Glen Innes.

Azure Kingfisher spotted in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — Azure Kingfishers are only one of many bird species to be spotted at Bellbird Campground.

Glen Innes Showground

As an RV-friendly town, Glen Innes has free potable water and dump points, as well as a range of places to camp, including the Glen Innes Showground. Sleep among heritage buildings in shaded camping areas for tents, caravans and motorhomes. There are toilets and hot showers, including one with disabled access, and pets that are kept under control are welcome.

Glen Innes restaurants and pubs

From quality pub grub to traditional Thai, there’s a dish waiting to hit the spot when you get a hankering for a good meal in Glen Innes.

The Highlands Restaurant

One of the world’s best marbled-beef producers is found just outside Glen Innes, and while you can find Rangers Valley meat on the menu in Japan, Dubai, the USA and more, in Glen Innes you can dine on a locally raised premium cut. At The Highlands Restaurant your options include a 360-day, 400-gram Rangers Valley Wagyu-Angus cross with an MB 5+. Other local fare includes New England smoked trout and lamb, along with local wines, gins and craft beers.

The Local

The map on the wall says it all about where the ingredients on your plate came from. At The Local, the focus is on showcasing the best produce in New England, while at the bar next door, The Local After Dark, you can sip regional spirits and enjoy the best cocktails in town. The hand-crafted cocktail list includes twists on old favourites, including peanut butter coladas and a rhubarb spritz.

Glen Innes Railway Tavern

Old pub in the front, new bistro in the back: Glen Innes Railway Tavern is where you can find more of that Rangers Valley beef, along with gourmet pizzas, pastas, risotto and more. The salted caramel apple crumble with caramel popcorn is a decadent must, while all kids’ meals come with free ice cream.

Yim Thai

Have a drink on the balcony at the New England Club while admiring the King Edward Park views, then head into the club’s restaurant, Yim Thai. Here you can enjoy a wide selection of delicious Thai dishes, including a mix of the classics and chef specialities.

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Sweetie Pie’s Bake Shop

You won’t find Glen Innes’ newest bakery in the main street; instead, Sweetie Pie’s Bake Shop is opposite Glen Innes High School on Edward Street. One for the foodies, pastry chef Nicole Hyde slow cooks the meat, using some vegetables from her own veggie patch in her pies. The menu includes a surf and turf chunky beef and garlic prawn pie, as well as a vegetable satay pie with peanuts piled on top.

Things to do in Glen Innes

Forest bathing, gem hunting, art viewing and cellar door hopping are just a few of the activities you can enjoy on a visit to Glen Innes.

Australian Celtic Festival

Thousands of people flock to Glen Innes on the first weekend in May for the Australian Celtic Festival, when the sounds of bagpipes fill the streets and echo around the Australian Standing Stones. Every year up to 20 clans representing the six Celtic nations march in a street parade, joining the festivities that include almost 200 individual events over four days. There are live bands, jousting and medieval re-enactments, Celtic dancing, and a marquee full of children’s activities. You can even try your hand at highland games and test your strength in the strongman competition.

Australian Standing Stones

Like the Celtic stone circles before them, the Australian Standing Stones are arranged as a calendar, with the Celtic cross and Southern Cross incorporated into the design. Find the solar noon shadow marker at midday to see how long winter shadows compare to shorter summer ones. Let the kids try to pull Excalibur from the stone before lunch or coffee at the replica taigh dubh, Crofters Cottage.

Minerama

A rockhound’s delight, the Minerama festival is held on the second weekend of March and is the largest annual fossicking gem and jewellery show in NSW. As well as browsing more than 100 stalls at the Glen Innes Showground, you can enjoy entertainment, gem cutting, beading displays and more. You can also join workshops at The Makers Shed, where you can learn how to make your own piece of jewellery.

Fossicking around Glen Innes

Pop into the Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre to hire fossicking equipment and get tips on some of the best places to hunt for sapphires, emeralds, crystals and more gems. Or cheat a little and buy a bag of sapphire wash at Fossicker’s Caravan Park and watch the kids find their sparkly surprises. You can also learn about the history of local mining and see more than 4000 gem and mineral specimens at the Emmaville Mining Museum.

A family fossicking — Hunt for sapphires, emeralds, crystals and more when you go fossicking around Glen Innes.

Get into nature

Go forest bathing beneath the world’s largest group of coachwood trees at Washpool National Park, or hike through huge granite boulders in the Gibraltar Range National Park, where you might even spot flowering waratahs in October and November. Both national parks are around a 45-minute drive from Glen Innes, making them an easy day trip; they also have camping options for overnight stays. Closer to town, picnic among impressive granite boulders at Stonehenge Recreation Reserve, just 12 kilometres south of Glen Innes.

Boundary Falls in the Gibraltar Range National Park in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — Gibraltar Range National Park has amazing views for communing with nature.

Take a self-guided history tour

Download the Glen Innes Heritage app for a free self-guided walking or driving tour of more than 50 of the town’s heritage buildings. If you’re in town on a Friday, be in Grey Street at midday when a bagpiper plays in front of the Town Hall. For more history lessons, visit Land of the Beardies History House Museum, where children can win an iceblock if they spot all the cute Beardies around the museum.

Entrance to the Land of the Beardies History House Museum in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — The Land of the Beardies History House Museum is an excellent place to bring the kiddos for history-centred playtime.

Do a cellar door tour

Discover local gin, mead and beer on a 140-kilometre tourist drive loop. Start at Glen Gowrie Distillery, just outside Glen Innes, to try small batch gins and liqueurs (including Australia’s first beer liqueurs), then travel to Torrington for a tasting at 2Wild Souls, where chemical-free native timber honey is used to make sparkling meads the méthode ancestrale way. Continue to Deepwater for ‘brewed with altitude’ craft beers at Deepwater Brewing before heading back to base. Be sure to book ahead for gin and mead tastings.

Bottle of beer liqueur from Glen Gowrie Distillery in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — Glen Gowrie Distillery has Australia’s first beer liquers. (Image: Glen Gowrie Distillery)

Visit an Aboriginal art gallery

Local Aboriginal artist Lloyd Gawura Hornsby has had work displayed in European galleries, including the Louvre Museum, but closer to home you can see his art at Gawura Gallery. You can also take part in a cultural tour, which includes a visit to the Mann River Nature Reserve. The tours must be booked ahead of time.

Interior of Gawura Gallery in Glen Innes, NSW, Australia — Take in the artwork by local Aboriginal artist Lloyd Gawura Hornsby. (Image: Gawura Gallery)

See a show at Glen Innes Chapel Theatre

Home to the oldest continuously running Arts Council in NSW, the Glen Innes Chapel Theatre was originally built as a Methodist church in 1885. These days it’s where you can catch movies or live shows, including local arts council productions and touring shows.

The Glen Innes Chapel Theatre in NSW, Australia — The chapel was originally built as a Methodist church in 1885, but now functions as a charming theatre. (Image: Glen Innes Chapel Theatre)

Discover garagenalia

This is one for car lovers and anyone who enjoys stepping back in time, as John and Josie Ellis display more than 100 vintage petrol bowsers from around the world in an incredible collection of ‘garagenalia’. Bookings are by appointment on 0419 030 222. You’ll never look at petrol bowsers the same way again.

An example of — Garagenalia: the ultimate man cave decor.

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 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

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.