This long weekend is your last chance to catch Bowral's tulip festival

What is Bowral’s Tulip Time Flower Festival?

See more than 80,000 mass planted tulips and annuals. (Image: Destination NSW)

Bowral’s Tulip Time Flower Festival this year extends from September 21 to October 6. Running for more than six decades, the annual festival has transformed Corbett Gardens in Wingecarribee Street into a floral wonderland, with more than 80,000 mass planted tulips and annuals.

Although the festival purports to be about one thing – tulips – it also honours the arrival of spring, offering a vibrant experience for visitors. A quick rewind tells us the Tulip Time Flower Festival began in Bowral when the local Rotary Club donated 500 tulip bulbs after a previous floral festival had failed due to a lack of funding. These days, the Southern Highlands festival draws visitors from across Australia to watch the seasons change.

And while it’s still very much a community event, it has grown into quite the spectacle. Visitors are invited to wander through fields that pop with red, pink and yellow blooms and provide the perfect backdrop for happy snaps.

What to see at Bowral’s Tulip Time Flower Festival?

A pond with colourful butterfly sculptures in it surrounded by tulips

Wander through fields that pop with red, pink and yellow blooms. (Image: Destination NSW)

The annual Tulip Time Flower Festival is more than just flowers. Blooming Weekends add an extra foodie focus to the affair with indulgences like The Beekeepers Long Lunch Experience and Sunset Evenings at Retford Park every Friday and Saturday. For something a bit playful, channel your inner Bridgerton babe for the annual Tulip Time Garden Party , which includes a Bloom Bar, food, markets, live bands and a DJ. You can also board the Moss Vale Picnic Train at Central and arrive in Moss Vale or Bowral in style.

Be sure to hit the Tulip Trail and alight at Bowral for a bespoke experience at Millsheds Distillery . The distillery will transform into an enchanted wonderland during the festival for Tulips After Dark: The Secret Garden. Tumble down the rabbit hole to enjoy the Alice in Wonderland theme featuring everything from twinkling lights to live music and artisan markets.

The festival honours the arrival of spring. (Image: Destination NSW)

Wondering what else to do with the kids on the long weekend? Fans of the movie Babe can catch the fun family-friendly flick on the big screen at Robertson School of Performing Arts on October 5 between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Robertson’s infamous Big Potato – affectionately known as the ‘big turd’ – has had a whimsical makeover by artist Samuel Hall who has transformed this landmark ‘big thing’ into the ‘Pig Potato’ for the film’s 30th anniversary event.

The country fair will be a celebration that is equal parts quirky, nostalgic and heartwarming, much like the film itself. This year’s inaugural Horizontal Festival also coincides with the annual Tulip Time Flower Festival over the first weekend in October.

Renowned Australian chef Mark Best will headline at the festival, hosted at Centennial Vineyards, where he will be joined by top local chefs such as Simon Evans, of Bangalay Dining and ex-MasterChef contestant Mindy Woods (Karkalla on Country). The event will also bring together artisan producers and acclaimed winemakers – such as Millsheds Distillery and Cupitt’s Estate – for the spring celebration. Check the program for guided garden tours, local market stalls, flower-arranging workshops at the Southern Highlands Flower Farm and more. And don’t miss the Bradman Dash , when everyone from seasoned sprinters to weekend warriors takes part in a series of short-distance heats on 4 October.

Where to stay

Enjoy a luxe stay at Berida Hotel (Image: Destination NSW)

The beautiful thing about Bowral is that it’s just a few hours’ drive from Sydney. If you do want to bunker down in the village, Berida Hotel is one of the most beautiful places to stay. The ivy-clad boutique hotel was recently renovated and feels worlds away from the hamster wheel of your life in Sydney. The luxe hotel was built in 1925 and you can see the leaves of the trees dancing from the comfort of your room.

The best Bowral accommodation for the annual Tulip Time Flower Festival also includes those in proximity to the petals from the Black Barn Bowral to Peppers Manor House, Park Proxi Gibraltar Bowral and Peppers Craigieburn Bowral. You can also gather your entourage and stay in The Pill Factory in nearby Bundanoon.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .

This long weekend is your last chance to catch Bowral’s tulip festival

Discover the vibrant beauty of Bowral during its annual Tulip Time Festival, a seasonal celebration of colour, blooms and community.

What is Bowral’s Tulip Time Flower Festival?

What to see at Bowral’s Tulip Time Flower Festival?

Where to stay

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