Road trip: Southern Highlands

The Grand Pacific Drive is one of Australia's most spectacular driving routes. Starting from The Royal National Park south of Sydney, this route takes you through rainforests and seaside villages as you follow the exquisite coastline.

Tackle all or part of the Kiama Coast Walk, a 22km track that runs from Minnamurra to Gerringong, passing Bombo Headland’s striking hexagonal basalt columns. Head to the famous blowhole to “ooh” and “ahh” each time a saltwater plume shoots into the air, and ramble around the town’s simple 19th century lighthouse.

One of the hippest places to eat is El Corazon Cocina de Mexico overlooking Kiama Harbour. Admire the eatery’s ultra cool Frida Kahlo wallpaper while tucking into platefuls of beans, rice and pulled pork, washed down with a salt rimmed margarita or two. Werri Beach Fish Shop, a hop and a skip down the coast, is also rightly famous for its crisp take on classic fish and chips. Take the piping hot bundle, wrapped in butcher’s paper and yesterday’s news, across to the beach or devour them right there in the shop’s pretty courtyard. The 80 room Sebel Harbourside Kiama overlooking Kiama Harbour offers guests rooms and apartments with one or two bedrooms.

Less than two hours' drive from Kiama, Bundanoon is a gateway to Morton National Park, a spectacular wilderness with waterfalls, escarpment lookouts and enchanting forest, and close to the vineyards and wineries of the Southern Highlands. For the first walk of your trip, choose between a 20 minute trail starting from the Gambells Rest campground just inside the national park, to the abandoned Erith Coal Mine, and back, or a one hour loop walk to the Fairy Bower Falls, which provides scenic views on the Lovers, Riverview and Mount Carnavon walking tracks. As twilight approaches, head to Bundanoon's Glow Worm Glen's viewing platform. As the evening darkens, the rock turns into a mass of tiny twinkling lights that resemble a distant city at night.

Did you know: Glow worms are actually not worms at all. In this part of the world they’re the larvae of fungus gnats, which lay around 130 eggs and then die. When the larvae hatch, they position themselves near cracks in the rock so they can shelter from cold or dry conditions. A chemical reaction between body fluids and oxygen creates the ‘glow worm’ light that helps attract their prey. The larvae also spin sticky webs in order to then catch these creatures.

Skirt around Canberra and set your maps for Brindabella National Park - a remote alpine bush experience with an extensive network of challenging 4WD trails. Your journey will take you through unique mountainous terrain covered with red stringy bark and scribbly gums, and across ridgelines with scenic views of the entire Brindabella range.

A gateway to the Snowy Mountains and the nation's capital, this charming country town can often be overlooked. But with it's historical buildings, patrols heritage, and positioning between the Molonglo and Queanbeyan rivers, Qeanbeyan has its own distinct personality deserving of exploration.

After almost a full day cooped up in the car, the self-guided Queanbeyan Heritage Walk is perfect for stretching restless legs while discovering significant sites from the 1800s that have shaped the area to what it is today. If you'd prefer to stretch out in the sun, the Queen Elizabeth Park II is the ideal place to relax on the bank of the the Queanbeyan River while watching the kids try and dodge the jet streams in the wet-play area. The park also hosts a market every Sunday where stall offerings include homemade honey, artisan breads, local wine and in-season produce, as well as crafts, jewellery and candles. Before jumping back in the car, drop in to the Riverbank of Queanbeyan Cafe for a little treat from their all day 'Snack Menu'.

Set out for the Hill End Historic Site where you can follow in the footsteps of the early goldminers and relive the nostalgia of the 1850s Australian Gold Rush on the Gold Trail, which covers Goulburn, Upper Lachlan, Yass, Adelong, Harden, Boorowa, Young, Grenfell, Forbes and Bathurst.

If you yearn to know what 19th century underground mining was really like, then a visit to Bald Hill mine is a must. The Bald Hill lookout also offers spectacular views of the area.

Drive to Dunns Swamp, or Ganguddy as it’s known to local Wiradjuri Aboriginal people, in Wollemi National Park, and walk along the edge of the ‘swamp’, which is really a section of the Cudgegong River. The track leads up past pagoda rock formations and on to Kandos Weir offering expansive views of the park. Dunns Swamp is perfect for a range of low-key recreational activities such as birdwatching, fishing, and swimming.

Then hope back in the car and head east towards Blackheath. At the nearby Hydro Majestic Hotel, sit by a window for views over the Jamison Valley and enjoy complimentary canapes with a pre-dinner beer.

Parklands country garden and lodges has suites overlooking 28 acres of manicured lawns. Enjoy the gardens, lake and day spa surrounded by the beautiful World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains.