There’s a particular kind of magic that happens in the Southern Highlands every September, when Corbett Gardens in Bowral bursts into a sea of colour and the whole region seems to exhale after winter.
Tulip Time, one of Australia’s longest-running flower festivals, is back for another season – running from 11 September to 5 October — with more than 80,000 hand-planted tulips and annuals filling the gardens under this year’s “Together We Bloom” theme. Expect market stalls, live music under the elms, garden workshops and a genuine community buzz that’s kept visitors returning for over sixty years.
But here’s the part the day-trippers often miss: some of the best of the Southern Highlands isn’t in Bowral at all. It’s just ten scenic minutes down the road, through rolling countryside, in the historic village of Berrima.
Tulip Time gives you the flowers. Berrima gives you everything else — the boutiques, the history, the long lunches, the cellar doors, and a slower pace that makes the perfect companion to a busy festival morning. Combine the two, and what started as a day out to see the tulips becomes a full Southern Highlands experience.
Berrima is a genuine step back in time, with Georgian-era cottages and heritage buildings dating to 1834 lining streets that have barely changed in two centuries. It’s a working village, not a museum piece — family-run boutiques, cafes and cellar doors sit inside buildings that have been standing since before Sydney had a rail line.
Once you’ve had your fill of tulips, spend an afternoon exploring Berrima’s unique, family-run stores. Stop by Tillaura Lou, the Southern Highlands’ own artisan floral designer, for a bouquet that will keep the spring feeling going well after you’ve left Bowral. Duck into The Brown Shutter , Berrima Village Stores, Berrima’s Overflow and Mrs Oldbucks Pantry & Table for gifts, giftware and pantry treats you won’t find anywhere else — the kind of considered, one-of-a-kind shopping that boutique-lined main streets do best.
A day of garden-wandering and village-browsing calls for a proper feed, and Berrima doesn’t disappoint. Grab something fresh from Baked In Berrima , Berrima General Store Café or settle in at Berrima Cottage Cafe for a relaxed lunch. For something a little more special, Eschalot Restaurant brings an elevated, seasonal dining experience to the heart of the village — reason enough on its own for the short drive from Bowral.
Berrima’s history runs deep, and there’s plenty to discover on foot. Take a self-guided Berrima Historic Walking Tours past heritage sites dating back to 1834, including the Berrima Courthouse and Berrima District Museum , or follow the river walk for a quieter, scenic stretch of the visit. History buffs and families alike will love Harpers Mansion National Trust , complete with its charming children’s maze — a favourite for younger visitors who’ve had enough of admiring tulips for one day.
No visit is complete without raising a glass — or at least popping your head in — at The Surveyor General Inn , Australia’s longest continuously licensed pub, or tasting your way through the cellar door at PepperGreen Estate, one of the region’s most exquisite wine experiences.
Berrima sits just two kilometres from the Hume Highway, making it an effortless add-on to your Tulip Time visit and an easy run back to Sydney, Canberra or Wollongong at the end of the day. Ten minutes of rolling countryside is all that separates the tulip fields of Bowral from a village that feels like a different era entirely.
Discover more aboutTulip Time . Make the short drive, and give your Southern Highlands day trip the second act it deserves.