ITINERARY

Capital and Country, Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory –

Canberra – – Yass – Young – Canberra

Step back in time in quaint colonial glass window of a century-old church villages such as Berrima and Braidwood and wander through rose gardens and and explore the gracious gardens, art cherry orchards. From food and wine to galleries and antique stores of and history and scenery, you’ll savour the Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands. delights of the Capital Country region.

Wind through ’s most fertile farming country to Yass, where Banjo Paterson lived on a farm here in his AT A GLANCE youth. Then explore the orchards and vineyards of the cherry capital of Young. Visit the cool‑climate wineries near Murrumbateman and enjoy gourmet delights in Gundaroo and tiny Collector, before returning to Canberra. On this scenic touring route you can picnic on picturesque lakes and visit historic homesteads. See the sun fracture through the stained

DAY ONE

Drive out of Canberra and through the Australia’s oldest inland city. Visit historic >> Canberra-Mittagong (2 hours) pretty riverside town of , landmarks such as St Saviours Cathedral, >> Mittagong-Yass (1.5 hours) once a gold, silver and lead mining the 1849 Goulburn Courthouse and hub. Stop for a coffee in , heritage-listed Riversdale Homestead. >> Yass-Young (1 hour) renown for its art, craft, antiques and Stop in South Hill Homestead, which >> Young-Canberra (2 hours) restaurants, or detour south to the is said to be haunted, and have a pint National Trust town of Braidwood. Tour at the Old Goulburn Brewery. From Australia’s colonial past in Braidwood’s Goulburn you can take a side trip USEFUL LINKS century-old buildings, crammed antique to Crookwell, the place to fish from shops, tea houses and old world pubs. sparkling streams and see an old stone Canberra Have lunch here or wait until you reach inn. Or continue north to Mittagong in http://www.australia.com/en/places/ the rose-lined streets of Goulburn, the heart of the Southern Highlands. canberra.html ITINERARY

DAYS TWO TO FOUR

Have breakfast at a sandstone café on Have breakfast on historic Comur Head out of Young and stop to explore Lake Alexandra then walk to Mount Street, where the colonial buildings Boorowa if you missed it before. Spot Gibraltar, Mount Alexandra Lake or along have been lovingly restored. Then visit platypus on the river, learn about the the Box Vale Walking Track. In spring Cottage, once home to the great town’s Irish history on the Shamrock the floral displays in Winifred West Park Australian explorer . He Heritage Trail and see native birds at the are breathtaking. Check out the town’s added classical Greek style wings and local aviary. Visit an 1884 courthouse with famous antiques and art and craft stores portico to the 1835 colonial cottage. Roman arches, then admire the stained before driving the short distance to Drive north out of Yass, stop for a picnic glass windows and Italian marble altar Bowral, at the foot of Mount Gibraltar. at Burrinjuck Dam and visit the glassware of the first Catholic church west of the Wander past gorgeous country gardens galleries along the road between . Next door in the and grand old estates and learn about Bowning and Binalong. Take a small side twin town of Harden-Murrumburrah, Australia’s best cricketer at the Donald trip to the river town of Boorowa and the local museum showcases a 19th Bradman museum. Next door is Moss tiny villages of Rugby, Frogmore, Rye century apothecary’s shop, music Vale, where you can wind down the tree- Park and Reid’s Flat. Or head straight room, colonial kitchen and bathroom lined main street, visit Leighton Gardens to Australia’s cherry capital of Young. complete with thunderbox. Next, and browse antique and speciality shops. See the pink-tinged cherry blossoms in stop off at the excellent cool-climate Before you get back on the highway, early October, join the ten-day harvest wineries near Murrumbateman. Take a stop in Berrima, an 1830s pioneer celebration in November and pick fruit short detour to the gourmet village of village with gracious Georgian-English between November and April. If you Gundaroo and enjoy the fresh, quality architecture. You can visit Australia’s prefer your fruit fermented, head to the produce in a sandstone restaurant or oldest jail and tour the restored Hilltops wine region, where the signature with a picnic on the Yass River. Drive Courthouse Museum that doubles as an blends are cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, through the tiny town of Collector and information centre. Drive back through riesling and chardonnay. Alternatively, join the Canberra university students Goulburn and the 1820s blue stone learn about Young’s controversial who line up for the famous food of the buildings of Gunning. Next stop is Yass, goldmining history in the Lambing Lynwood Café. Soak up the scenery in the rich sheep grazing country where Flat Folk Museum and walk to Tout’s on the slow drive back to Canberra. Banjo Paterson lived in his youth. Lookout for views over Wirrimah Valley.