Acclaimed fashion designer Collette Dinnigan has spent her career immersed in rich, authentic projects. Now, she’s sharing her favourite local hidden gems in the Southern Highlands – a creative, artistic enclave just a short drive from Sydney.
Southern Highlands with Collette Dinnigan
Designer
Food & Drink Pecora Cheese and Wine
‘Robertson now has an amazing cheese and wine shop called Pecora. The owners have a sheep farm, so everything is biodynamic, not just organic. They make all their own cheeses from their sheep. And it’s a wine bar. It’s a great little place to go.’
91 Hoddle St, Robertson NSW 2577, Australia
Culture Ngugunggula Gallery
‘Ben Quilty has been hugely inspiring behind Ngununggula Gallery and has done a lot of work. John Olsen, Louise Olsen and John Alexander were also involved – there are a lot of people that support it. It feels world-class and international, yet it’s very community-driven, which I love. I think I couldn’t get a better mix.’
1 Art Gallery Lane, Bowral NSW 2576, Australia
Food & Drink Harry’s
‘Harry’s is one of those places in the Southern Highlands that I tell everybody to go to, especially in winter. It’s really just the coziness of the restaurant that I love and the hospitality. It’s a place of beauty – it’s enchanting and beautiful.’
15-17 Banyette St, Bowral NSW 2576, Australia
Nature Red Cow Farm
‘Red Cow Farm doesn’t get a lot of attention, it’s kind of under the radar. It’s incredibly beautiful. It’s joyful. They have the most incredible five-acre English garden. When in season, it’s spectacular, with the rhododendrons and azaleas and tulips.’
7480 Illawarra Hwy, Sutton Forest NSW 2577, Australia
‘The Southern Highlands are a sanctuary for me.’
Southern Highlands in one word
Community.
It gives me a lot of clarity — the fresh air, the altitude, the space, the wind. Coming back here, I’ve solved my business problems; I know where I’m going to live and where I’m going to travel. Then, when I get back into Sydney, I’m so confused. It’s interesting — having space means you don’t feel confined.
The Southern Highlands are a sanctuary for me from the city. It’s hard to give it one word. It’s great that a lot of families have realized that you can get a one-acre or half-an-acre block, instead of living in a unit in Sydney, for the same price. And the schools are great; the hospital; all the services are very good. It’s very personal — you can be a recluse, you can be social, or you can be part of the community. And it’s a great community.
On being drawn to the Southern Highlands
For me, being in the Highlands feels very real. There’s a lot of real country life — it’s not pseudo-hobby farms. Also, because of the climate, it’s much more English or European. It’s really raw, and its seasons — there really is a strong spring; it’s not just a hint of it. I love winter here: it’s all grey, and there’s a bleakness that is beautiful. I love being close to nature, which is why, in essence, we moved here.
There’s also a lot of very creative and entrepreneurial people down here. But it’s not necessarily a very social set — everyone sticks to their home. It’s much more about home life and being more seasonal. For me, that’s inspirational.
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On the best places near the Southern Highlands
When we first moved here, I had to use Google Maps to work out which way was Bowral or Moss Vale. If you don’t know the area, it really is a triangle with about ten little towns, and each one is specifically different. I love Robertson, and I think it’s often left aside because it’s that extra 10 minutes out. It has The Robertson Hotel. A few films have just recently been made there. They have some great Italian food, and I think it’s another place that’s often passed by.
Berrima has got Josh’s, which is a great little café. There’s also a great pub, as well as a Pugliese family who’ve got the bakery there — they do fantastic Italian Pugliese bread. There’s a great art gallery in Berrima, too. It feels so haunted, and it’s a quintessentially perfect film-set Australian town. Burrawang has a great pub and general store. That’s much more country. So, each one is very different, and each town is about 20 minutes apart.
On the music (and wine) scene in the Southern Highlands
There are a lot of reasonably good wineries, and with those, there are a lot of people who do classical concerts. The Centennial had Tim Finn play not so long ago. Mark Burrows has classical concerts twice a year at the Kangaloon Hall — that’s another little pocket people don’t know about unless you do the tourist drive. Artemis hosts a lot of acoustic musicians. There’s also a jazz festival that happened recently that doesn’t get a lot of publicity, which is a shame because a lot of very good jazz musicians came out. The Fold is a really good Instagram account to follow, and they post what’s happening locally.
Boujee on a budget? Have a day out to one of the 60 wineries in the Southern Highlands, where some cost as little as $10 to try 6 different wines. Or, if you’re looking for something with an eco-edge then why not visit a sustainable wine producer.
On a hidden bushwalk
There are a few very good bushwalks in the Southern Highlands that we take our dogs on. One is called the Box Vale Walk. It’s one of the old walks through the caves, which all end up at different waterfalls — whether it’s here or Robertson or Fitzroy Falls. The Box Vale Walk is the old coal train route, where they used to take the coal out to meet the train line. You can still pick up pieces of coal while walking along the route, which is quite amazing. These pieces of coal are over 200 years old. Many bushwalks are very interesting and exciting, especially if you come down on a nice day.
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On where to see world-class art in the Southern Highlands
There are a lot of artists down here. Ngununggula Gallery is open now. This would probably be one of my favourite galleries in the world, not just in the Southern Highlands. It’s such a great initiative. Each exhibition is important but very different. And that’s a testament to the curators as well. It’s also in one of the most historic buildings in the area, in an old dairy that’s been converted. So it has a real contemporary feel, but it feels solid and has a lot of strength in it. Ben Quilty — he’s an outstanding Australian artist and very strong in our community — has been hugely inspiring behind the gallery and has done a lot of work.
John Olsen and John Alexander were also involved — I’ve seen John Olsen’s exhibition here, which was a highlight for me. We have a lot of high-profile people who have joined forces to make it happen. It feels world-class and international, yet it’s very community-driven, which I love. I think you couldn’t get a better mix. It’s very much about representing Australian art, and it has an intimacy that makes it accessible and unintimidating for most people. And it has a great café. I mean, if you’re not going to come for the art, you can come for the food, but both together is a win-win.
On what motivates you to travel
There are a lot of countries and cities, especially in Europe and Asia, that specialize in certain crafts. I love the artisanal side of travelling and finding places where fabrics are woven or ceramics are made — it’s very much specific to that area or culture. I went to the Maldives for my honeymoon, and after about 15 minutes, I was like, ‘OK, is there a plane to Sri Lanka?’ You either want to lie on a beach and drink a cocktail, or you’re just inquisitive and want to learn about the culture. Maybe you start to think differently about people and cultures. Preconceived ideas of places are very different from the actual experience.
On exploring the unknown
One of the reasons we spent the last few years in Italy was because it was unknown to us. That’s what I love the most: you never know where you’re going to end up and whose table you’re sitting at. I’m very curious, and I love the idea that you don’t actually know where you’ll end up.
When I was in Paris, it was very much a working place, so you had the comfort zone of work. Everything was a more controlled environment. Whereas taking an adventure to Italy wasn’t necessarily about having the structure or the comfort of a working environment. It was very much about exploring and not knowing what tomorrow will bring, and who you’ll meet and where it might change the direction of your life. When you’re young, you think you know everything; as you get older, you [realize you] know nothing.
‘I love the artisanal side of travelling and finding places where fabrics are woven, or ceramics are made — it’s very much specific to that area or culture.’
Next stop: sydney
Creators
Beau Nielsen
Creator Director & Philanthropist
One of the most prominent figures of the Australian art world, Beau lives and breathes Sydney’s culture. Her curated collection of music venues and exhibition spaces will surprise you.
Simon Lister
Photographer & Founder
The Sydney-based travel photographer has explored every corner of the world. But nothing beats the delectable delights of his neighbourhood bakeries and beach-side restaurants.
Nash Edgerton
Director, Actor & Stuntman
The stuntman and film producer loves exploring Sydney on foot. He knows where to leave the tourist trails and connect with the city in a unique way.
For more exceptional creators, visit www.exceptionalalien.com
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