After being lulled to sleep by breaking waves in the charismatic bolt-hole of Kiama, I swapped the caress of the coast for the heights of the hinterland, with a swing through the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
I was heading for Bowral, before completing my southern self-drive by looping back to Sydney.
A coast and highlands self-drive combo is the winning formula for a memorable roadie from Sydney.
Pulling out of Kiama, I ventured west on Tourist Drive 9 to Robertson, a stirringly picturesque driving route that winds through lush and rolling hills and dales, criss-crossed with quaint leafy lanes, on its steady climb into the Highlands.
Rolling through such a bucolic escape-hatch from the rat race, I was struck by the hundreds of dry stone walls interwoven into the dreamy tapestry of pastoral greens.
Had a leprechaun spirited me away to Ireland? It turns out that many of the walls were constructed in the 19th century and have stood the test of time. Many of them are attributed to Thomas Newing, who soldiered away building wall after wall for more than 60 years!
Jamberoo is a charming village on the way, with an Insta-worthy Tudor-style historic inn lording over the main street.
It's a perennial favourite with classic car clubs undertaking a group roadie. From there, I headed up Jamberoo Mountain Rd and
A sense of serenity washed over me as I strolled up the path to clap eyes on the sublime Minnamurra Falls, gracefully tumbling over the canyon's cliff edge. Back in the car, I purred through the forest-draped mountain road to reach Robertson, famous as the town where the film Babe was made.
I soon discovered that, like all towns and villages across the Southern Highlands, they are particularly parochial about their prowess in pies.
With more pie outlets per square kilometre than anywhere else in Australia, the region has crafted a dedicated Pie Trail, where scores of outlets tout their hero product. June is prime ``Pie Time'', when an annual festival is staged on the back of the latest pie-judging results.
Robertson Pie Shop is a proven performer if you're feeling peckish. From Robertson, I took Tourist Drive 15 to layover at Fitzroy Falls, en route to Moss Vale. The Highlands brim with water-curtain spectacles, but Fitzroy Falls is the cascading king, with a spectacularly sized waterfall and wonderful walking tracks, abuzz with wildflowers, wildlife and stirring views across sandstone escarpments. After recent rain, it's euphoria-inducing.
Peckish? Hot-foot it to Bernie's Diner, a Moss Vale main-street institution for nearly a century, and proud winner of the region's Best Pie last year.
It's a very short drive from Moss Vale to Bowral, the biggest town in the Southern Highlands, abuzz with attractions.
Cricket fans rejoice: Bowral is the hometown of one of the sport's most famous sons, Sir Donald Bradman.
I felt duly obliged to survey his home ground, picturebook-pretty Bowral Oval, which rubs shoulders with the Bradman Centre.
This magnificent shrine to the Aussie legend showcases more than 35,000 artefacts, including bats, uniforms, trophies and film footage, stretched over five galleries. Immortalised in a life-size bronze statue next to the oval, the ``Boy from Bowral'' is not the town's only famous resident.
The creator of Mary Poppins, P. L. Travers, is also cast in bronze at Glebe Park. The statue pays tribute to the fact that she lived in Bowral from 1907 to 1917.
As I drove down the town's golden mile, the inimitably-named Bong Bong St, the rain started tumbling in heavy, fat bullets. Eager to venture indoors, I headed for Dirty Janes.
This remarkable emporium is spread across three repurposed warehouses, groaning with more than 75 dealers specialising in quality vintage, antiques and retro goods from all over the world.
And while you're there, stake out The Potting Shed, which serves a smashing high tea in its verdant courtyard.
Another headline retail haunt in Bowral is the Royal Doulton outlet shop, which also stocks prized pieces of Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Albert. With the rain still bucketing down, I finished off my Southern Highlands foray at the Gibraltar Hotel Bowral, a leafy and luxurious country retreat backed by the Gibbergunyah Reserve.
I had the pleasure of dining at San Fior, adjoined by the playful Harvey's Bar, a superb space with an outdoor terrace overlooking the greens.
They're very proud of their splendid mixology menu and you must try the signature cocktail, a Southern Highlands Cooler. Ingeniously served in a bathtub-glass (which are frequently stolen), this blockbuster potion comprises vodka, butterscotch schnapps, Malibu, Midori, cranberry and orange. Quite the salute to this salubrious pocket of New South Wales.
