[category]
[title]
Few NSW towns lean into charm quite as effortlessly as Berry. With its heritage shopfronts, leafy streets and wildly impressive curation of bakeries, boutiques and top-tier seasonal eateries, the historic village two hours south of Sydney has long been a fave for city dwellers chasing a cottagecore-coded weekend away. The town’s appeal hasn’t gone unnoticed: Berry won Gold in the Small Tourism Town category at the NSW Top Tourism Town Awards three years running (2022–2024), earning it a coveted spot in the awards’ Hall of Fame. But for locals and business owners, Berry’s cutesy rep isn’t necessarily a welcome accolade – with a good handful of visitors (myself included) heading here for nourishing, early-night weekends, leaving the streets a little too quiet on weekdays and after dark. The solution? Berry’s ‘Extend the Weekend’ campaign might just be the most appealing government-backed initiative I’ve stumbled upon during the course of my career: a local-led push to encourage visitors to extend their stays by tacking on Thursday and Sunday nights in town, dodging the peak traffic and spending more time revelling in the delights that this buzzy little community has to offer. Keen? Here’s your cheat sheet to a long weekend in Berry.
How did Berry get its name?
First up, it’s important to acknowledge the history of colonisation. The town is on the traditional lands of the Wodi Wodi people, a subgroup of the Dharawal Aboriginal nation, who cared for this Country for countless generations. Just over 130 years ago, the town was named after Alexander Berry, a Scottish-born entrepreneur who, alongside business partner Edward Wollstonecraft, established large agricultural estates in the region in the early 19th century. Their farming ventures helped shape early European settlement across the Shoalhaven region, though as with many colonial landholders of the era, Berry’s legacy is complex. Sovereignty was never ceded, and long before European settlement, the region was home to thriving Aboriginal communities who had deep cultural and custodial connections to the land.
Where is Berry?
Berry sits on the NSW South Coast in the Shoalhaven region, roughly 145 kilometres south of Sydney. Positioned between rolling farmland and the spectacular Kangaroo Valley escarpment, the town sits in a magical bucolic bubble – just 10 minutes’ drive from Seven Mile Beach but wrapped in farmland that gives real old-world countryside energy.
How do you get to Berry?
Driving is the easiest option. From Sydney, it’s about two hours via the Princes Highway, tracing the dramatic coastline through the Illawarra region. If you’d rather travel by public transport, the NSW TrainLink South Coast line runs from Sydney Central Station to Berry Railway Station, dropping you right in the heart of town – though trains can be a little unpredictable, so it’s worth leaving a buffer if you’re on a strict schedule.
What is there to do in Berry?
Berry specialises in the art of the slow-paced meander, and you could easily spend a whole day browsing the boutiques and antique stores along Queen Street, the town’s adorably quaint main strip. To maximise your time in the area, I’d suggest getting out of town to Bundanon – a mind-blowingly beautiful art museum and wildlife refuge hiding in the hills. If the sun is shining, head to Seven Mile Beach for a swim, or book a surfing lesson with Currarong Surf School. Founder and surf coach Sam is the most intuitive surf coach I’ve ever come across, and the conditions at this dreamy sheltered beach are perfect for beginners. Wine enthusiast? Silos Estate on the outskirts of town offers casual wine tastings with a super friendly, knowledgable team.
There’s also a growing cultural calendar, so if you’re keen to catch a gig while you’re in the area, time your visit carefully. The village-wide A Day Well Spent series will bring stacked genre-specific line-ups to a handful of live music venues across town across Thursday and Sunday nights in the coming months. Upcoming instalments include jazz and blues nights on March 19 and 22, followed by indie nights in May and funk and soul nights in June. More on that over here.
Where are the best places to eat in Berry?
Small town, big appetite – strap in. First up, brekkie. Il Locale is a locals’ fave (sounds like a gimmick, but I fact-checked this and, based on the demographic during my visit, can confirm), and Easy’s is a new addition serving an on-point modern menu and excellent coffee. For snack time, join the queue at Berry Donut Van, or swing by Milkwood Bakery for perfect pastries and loaded sambos.
If you eat at one place in Berry, make it Berry General Store. This breezy warehouse-style space is home to the coolest café in town, serving a creative brunch menu by day (order the chicken katsu sandwich and a house-made lavender soda) and gyoza and cocktails in the evenings. Looking for somewhere for a special occasion? At the southern end of town, you’ll find South on Albany – a gorgeous family-run restaurant serving a masterfully crafted set menu that changes every week or so depending on the best local produce in the area. With host-of-dreams Sonia working the floor and her husband John on the pans, this place is a true labour of love, and an evening spent here will be cast in your memory in a honeyed glow.
Where are the best places to stay in Berry?
The Berry View on the edge of town is the ideal base for couples or larger groups – often booked out by big parties of wedding guests. With an infinity pool overlooking the fields and neatly appointed, hyper-Instagrammable rooms just ten minutes’ walk from the centre of town, it’s an ideal base for your Berry weekender.
If you’re after a little extra luxury, nearby Bangalay Luxury Villas tops our list: a polished coastal escape brought to life by visionary interior designer, host and all-round hospitality powerhouse Michelle Bishop. The restaurant here is exceptional, so swing by for dinner if you can’t swing a weekend stay. Otherwise, Mount Hay Retreat is just on the outskirts of town, and Linnaeus Collection operate a collection of truly beautiful accommodation options in the area.
There are also plenty of Airbnbs in town if you’re staying with a larger group and want to live like a local.
How to make the most of a trip to Berry
The golden rule? Stay longer than you planned. Berry’s new Extend the Weekend initiative is all about encouraging visitors to slow down, explore midweek and hang around beyond the usual day trip. You’ll find more about how to extend your weekend in Berry (plus upcoming gigs in the area) over here – and we’ll be sharing more stories on the region over the next few weeks and months.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.