The town of Berry, in the lush Shoalhaven region, may not be the centre of the world, but it seems to point in all directions - that is, if you can believe this sign post in the main street. And for Sydney-siders, or those visiting Sydney, the good news is (according to this sign) it is 'near'.

Which makes this region the ideal weekend (or longer) getaway destination. Especially if you like to taste the finest food and wines.

Our most recent visit began at this delightful ultra-luxury guest house just 800 metres from the town centre - an easy walk away. 

With sweeping views of the escarpment and 3.5 acres of gardens, as well as a solar heated pool and tennis court, it is little wonder it has gained many awards. The gardens make ideal backdrops for wedding photos, while those who are interested in cookery classes may want to check out the details of the Cooking School. 

The guesthouse was architect-designed and the five suites have everything to pamper you. They feature a step down from the sleeping area into the lounge which leads out to a patio and the gardens.  

Although Rick Rainford and Jenny Clapham are in charge of the guesthouse, Billy the Burmese doesn't realise this, and is a very efficient feline 'welcomer'.

That evening we ate at LEAF in Berry, a Thai restaurant located in a heritage building at the north-end of town. Its name stands for Love Eating Asian Food, and the menu had all our favourites. The duck and lychee curry is sensational.

Next morning we headed for Kangaroo Valley in the hinterland, down roads looped alternately by coast and brilliant green farmlands. It is a mythic-sounding spot with an almost too-Australian name. If they put it in a TV script, someone would laugh out loud, and suggest something else. But here we have it, straight-faced and wonderful: Kangaroo Valley. You almost expect Skippy to leap out from the nearby bush as you pull up in the quiet main street!

 

There are cafes, a bakery doing homemade-style pies, and others serving fudge and ice cream. Some places take a mid-week break as weekends are understandably very busy here, especially in holiday seasons.

Maddison's in the Valley (above) may be in what was once a bank, but it now deals in another currency. The coffee is excellent.....

...and a healthy breakfast on the sunny verandah overlooking the Kangaroo Valley itself is hard to beat.

The single-lane suspension bridge over the Kangaroo river at the end of town is well worth a visit too. 

It is one of few suspension bridges in Australia (the only surviving suspension bridge from the colonial period in NSW) and was opened on the 19 May 1898, just six days before floods washed the old bridge away!

Kangaroos abound in this town, so watch out for this one. Kangaroo Valley Woodcrafts is owned by Gavin Robinson, who loves working with timber, and it is the place to find excellent handmade timber furniture and souvenirs.  

Kangaroo Valley itself is sleepy and pretty in a forgotten country-town kind of way. Over the years the houses have been painted brightly in new-again heritage colours; they've spruced up some of the shops and there are crafty little places to buy pot-pourri and  folk-art decorated everythings. But still the place is much what you want it to be, anyway – a typical small Aussie country town – the ideal spot to show an overseas visitor and say, "See, this is what it used to be like. This is Australia."

It's worth taking a walk around the town to see how it evolved, and this main-street map helps.

The Friendly Inn, right on the main road, doesn't offer accommodation, but it has a lovely view from its main dining room and serves top modern Australian style food - in a friendly way, of course.

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Ship's surgeon, Dr Alexander Berry made a definite impression on the NSW South Coast. You see his name honoured in the cosy little town of Berry – and you savour his legacy in the vineyards at Coolangatta Estate, which were planted well over 180 years ago, the first to be grown in this area. The name, Coolangatta, confuses some people. It means 'splendid view' which the vineyards have across to the coast, but it is also connected to Coolangatta, Queensland, in an interesting way. 

In 1843, a 25 metre topsail schooner was built by John Blinksell for Alexander Berry. Named Coolangatta, it sailed north and was wrecked in 1846 off the far north coast of NSW. The creek near where it washed ashore was named after it, and later the town.

To see the property as well as Coolangatta Mountain, Bigfoot Adventures is the way to go. These massive vehicles take visitors through the vineyards, and past the convict-built village, and you will hear all about the history and adventures this place has seen.

The estate has grown into a truly family-friendly place with fun for everyone.

Of course if you come here, a wine tasting is top of most people's list. The cellar door, staffed by two Bens (one of whom, Ben Wallace, is a member of the family which owns this place) has a full range of the wines. The company is very proud that  they only make wines from vines grown on the estate itself. 

Alternatively, you may choose to taste the wines with lunch at the Firegrill just outside.

As well as oysters, prawns, or soup, there are two starter 'boards' - Blacksmiths' and Grapepickers' - as well as steaks and fish of the day from the grill. Bring your appetite, though, as their servings are generously country-style. This was our delicious snapper served with Idaho potatoes, camp oven beans and a spicy chimichurri relish.

It is also worth taking time to explore inside the dusty pink main building and learn more of Coolangatta Estate's history from the old photgraphs and memorabilia.

Family-owned Coolangatta Estate has grown to become the largest wine producer in the Shoalhaven and the most awarded winery on the South Coast of NSW. It is the Shoalhaven's only five-star winery.

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Berry has been welcoming visitors for a long time, as you can see from this sign. You could come to this town and have a coffee, pick up some needlepoint and a teddy bear and move on south, but locals are keen for you to stay. So keen that new places are opening, and the town 'centre' is stretching south along the main road.

Think of Berry, if you like, as a sort of coastal Mudgee. City refugees have flocked here in the past few decades, lured by the ocean just minutes away, a vibrant winery scene, the magnificent hinterland of rolling farmland, some of it with distant views of the sea -  and the town itself, small enough to be personal, yet with a variety of shops and boutique businesses only dreamed of in suburbia.

Just on two hours south of the centre of Sydney, it's no wonder people have 'emigrated' here.  Those who don't move in permanently, take up residence at weekends and in holiday periods, sunning themselves at the footpath tables of the thirty or so eateries in the town. 

That's way too many for the official resident population of around 1600. But numbers swell enormously in tourist season as people stroll Queen Street, the one main street.

The hotel has become a sort of hubcab centre too, and is also the place to see the signpost at the top of this page.

Milkwood Bakery is the main street branch or Berry Sourdough Bakery. Recently expanded, there is now indoor and outdoor seating.......

...with good coffee, and of course the exquisite bakery items this Berry-based centre has become known and loved for.

Nearby, Flavours Shoalhaven, is well worth a visit too. The sign on the window says it all.

One morning, we dropped into the Berry Sourdough Bakery Cafe, just around the corner, for breakfast. 

This is where all those wood-fired loaves and other goodies come from.

Crispy and flaky, this is about as good as breakfast gets on a frosty morning.

But Berry is not all about coffee and snacks. At South on Albany, the restaurant's upmarket menu brings out the best in the local produce it sources. Chef John Evans and Sonia Greig have created a friendly and unique venue for their guests to enjoy the best the South Coast has to offer. This plate of citrus-cured kingfish, teamed with smoked local Pecora Dairy yoghurt, Buena Vista Farm radishes of various colours, and pink finger lime, was just the beginning of a wonderful dining experience for us. 

Proof of its popularity was that mid-week in winter the room was filled to bursting on the night we dined. And why not? Food such as this is rare and wonderful anywhere. In a small country town it is even more precious.

If you love gelato, make sure you taste what is perhaps the world's best gelato at Il Locale Gelato also in the main street. The milk that is used to make these decadent treats comes from The Pines Dairy overlooking Kiama. The Grey family have owned this land since 1854, when the 70-hectare dairy farm was first established. 

Unable to continue competing in the commercial dairy industry, the current generation has expanded into new ventures, including the renovation of the original farm house for holiday lettings and produce such as this amazing freshly made gelato.

The Pines recently switched to using only organic fertilizer and materials on the pasture and the cows eat a balanced diet of grass, hay and grain to produce high quality and tasty milk.

Another place worth visiting is South Coast Providores where this mother-and-daughter team are constantly baking and stirring and bottling a wide range of cakes, pies, jellies, jams and chutneys. 

There are too many yummy things to mention - so it's best to pop in and see what is just coming out of the kitchen.

 

Next day, back to the coast, we visit Two Figs Winery, named for the two massive Moreton Bay fig trees near the cellar door. 

Overlooking the Shoalhaven river, this boutique winery just twelve kilometres from Berry, opened in 2003 and now makes a full range of wines. The region's climate is temperate with maritime influences which is ideal to produce soft approachable wines not always found in other regions.

Two Figs is especially proud of its 'stickies'. Do make sure you see the Tipsy Tawny port and the White Fort in their tipsy decanters.

Inside the cellar door, visitors can choose to taste the full range of wines at the bar, then take their tasting platter outside to enjoy with a glass of their choice of wine, backdropped by that spectacular view. Or they might prefer (as we did) to taste the wines inside with the platter. In keeping with the ethos of businesses in this area, the cheeses, olives, marinated figs and even the mustard pickles are all locally grown and made. 

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The name 'Bannisters' has become synonymous with luxurious accommodation in this lovely corner of the state, an hour south of Berry. Bannisters by the Sea with Rick Stein's seafood restaurant at Mollymook, has long been for many a favourite holiday bolthole, but wait, there's now more.....

Bannisters Pavilion opened in December 2015, and is proving just as popular. Set amongst eucalyptus forest trees, at first glance it's hard to realise that the beach is just a hundred metres away. There is the same high standard of luxury here as there is at the beachside sibling, and of course it's just as easy to nip down and sample Rick Stein's food there. 

The new boutique hotel offers 33 stylish guest rooms and two luxurious penthouse suites, with a stunning backdrop of eucalyptus trees. The hotel is set back from Mitchell Parade and Beach Road, just steps away from Mollymook Beach which is famous for its natural beauty, surf breaks, and unspoilt coastline.

Food in the Rooftop Bar & Grill is more casual, inspired by Mediterranean, Southern Californian and Mexican cuisines. As it is complemented by seasonal cocktails, craft beers and an Antipodean-focused wine list, it suits the holiday vibe and the Scandinavia meets Aussie decor.

Breakfasts are served in the sundrenched area which overlooks the pool.

A highlight of Bannisters Pavilion is the expansive rooftop lined with sunbeds, umbrellas, private lounge spaces, a bar-and-grill, and spectacular suspended pool.

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Moving into the hinterland again, we visit the award-winning Cupitt's Winery, begun in 2004. Cupitt’s Kitchen offers seasonal food with traditional French and English influences, and a meal here, overlooking the vines - especially for a long and lazy weekend lunch - is one of life's great pleasures.

Vigneron and cheese-maker, Rosie Cupitt is the leader for Slow Food Shoalhaven so of course the kitchen only uses fresh local produce and follows the philosophies of the Slow Food Movement, believing that dining should be a source of pleasure. 

The winery's cellar door is located in an 1851 building on the property, but just as interesting is the winery itself, tucked underground. This is where the wide range of the winery's fine reds and white come into being. On ground level again, check out the latest innovation for this family-run venture: a boutique micro brewery, and of course there are always Rosie Cupitt's sheep and goat milk cheeses to sample.

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Sadly, our time in the Shoalhaven finally comes to an end, but we cannot leave without dropping in at a longtime favourite - Hayden's Pies in  Ulladulla.

Perhaps Hayden's roast mushroom, creamed spinach and goat's cheese may have looked better without a bite taken out of it - but as our farewell meal in lovely Shoalhaven, it seems somehow appropriate to show it this way. First bite was delicious, tasty, and left me wanting more. The remainder was even better.

Which, I guess, is how the Shoalhaven region affects most people. A first visit is just a taster of what is to come, and makes you want to return over and over again.

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And here's the tempter, an excuse to return soon. The Shoalhaven Coast Winter Wine Festival, featuring nine local wineries and offering food and entertainment, is on the June long weekend, 11th-13th, June, 2016, so why not go and take a look for yourselves!