Braidwood
Braidwood is a heritage treasure brimming with things to do. The colonial streetscapes in the historic gold-rush town are crisscrossed with antique shops, country pubs and bakeries designed to beckon travellers driving between the national capital, Canberra, and the glittering seaside township of Batemans Bay.
Gold fever struck this already prosperous pastoral area in the 1850s. Learn more about the era and the Jembaicumbene, Majors Creek and Araluen goldfields – and the bushrangers they brought with them – at the Braidwood Museum. The old Royal Mail Hotel, built from local granite in the 1840s, was a staging point for coaches.
Braidwood is a National Trust-classified town and the first to be listed on the NSW State Heritage register. Its charming colonial buildings, rustic streetscape and rural beauty led to it being the backdrop for iconic Australian films such as Ned Kelly (starring Mick Jagger), The Year My Voice Broke and Flirting.
Braidwood is a hub for artists, potters, ironworkers, craftspeople and designers whose creative influence helps inspire the events calendar. Plan your visit to the village to coincide with the Festival of Braidwood and Airing of the Quilts in November. The Majors Creek Festival is a jazz, blues and folk music event held in the same month.
Gather with local folk in quirky cafes, tuck into hearty pub meals or grab pizza with the family in a rustic restaurant tucked away off the main street. Stopping for a pie at Dojo Bread is also a must. Taste local apple cider at Sully's Cider at the Old Cheese Factory, close to the village of Majors Creek.
Nearby is beautiful Monga National Park, which stretches from Braidwood towards the South Coast. You can enjoy horse-riding or walking along the Penance Grove track. After meandering around the ancient rainforest, enjoy the free BBQ facilities at the Mongarlowe River picnic area.
Braidwood is around three hours’ drive southwest of Sydney and just over an hour from Canberra. A range of accommodation options are available in and around Braidwood: bunker down at a campground, on a farm, in rustic tin huts or an atmospheric B&B built in 1866.
