Highlife Magazine Southern Highlands

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Highlife Magazine Southern Highlands

Celebrating country life in the Southern Highlands of NSW since 1996 Highlife is produced six times a year in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

Every issue features quality writing and outstanding photography covering beautiful homes and gardens, inspiring people and places and the best of country life. Highlife is also renowned for its prestige real estate pages.

27/08/2026

The pavilion-style house on our cover has amazing views over Wingecarribee Reservoir, and its recent renovation has made even more of its dream location. The entrance now connects a new black pavilion with the renovated original house. In our Aug/Sept issue, the owners and Bowral architect Tina Tziallas tell us all about a thoughtful renovation that has resulted in a personal, colourful home with knockout views. (First photo: Natalie Hunfalvay Photography)

      Natalie Hunfalvay | Southern Highlands, South Coast and beyond tziallas architects

20/08/2026

Counting down till the weekend? Make sure to pick up a copy of the new Highlife – the perfect read when you’re relaxing on a chilly weekend.
As always, it’s packed with captivating stories and stunning photography celebrating life in the Southern Highlands. Grab a copy at your local newsagency or find us at 29 Harris Farm Markets and bring home a piece of the Highlands today! 📖💚
Harris Farm Markets

17/08/2026

Julien and Romy Besnard thought Bowral would be the perfect place for a French creperie, and regular queues outside Franquette Crêperie prove they were right. Last November they opened their second Bowral establishment, the convivial French bistro Lucette, which has also proven to be a hit.
In our latest issue, they tell us the story behind their success. French-born Julien describes working in hospitality as a calling. “I began in my grandparents’ tabac bistro in Rennes in Brittany when I was eight or nine – carrying trays, clearing ashtrays, pouring beers,” he says. “I loved everything about it – the noise, the atmosphere, making people happy. I got a lot of satisfaction and strength from my ability to do the jobs my grandfather gave me. Also, as a keen soccer player, I found the rush of service a lot like the adrenaline rush of the soccer field. A restaurant floor is my playground.”
(Franquette Crêperie and food images: Mattia Panuzio)

       Contemporary Creperie Lucette

06/08/2026

Writer, comedian, TV presenter and ABC Radio Breakfast host Craig Reucassel took up the challenge of sitting still for an afternoon recently when he posed for four artists in the lead-up to the annual Celebrity Portrait Reveal lunch. Craig lives in Sydney but grew up in Bowral, attending Bowral Public School and Bowral High School. We photographed him with the artists: Callum Worsfold, Wayne Davis, Anne-France Fulgence and Robyn Kinsela.
Craig will be in conversation with Ben Quilty at the Portrait Reveal lunch on Sunday, August 30 at Bowral’s Centennial Vineyards Restaurant. It’s the major fundraiser for the Bowral and District Arts Society, a vibrant community group of 550 members.
Read more about Craig and the lunch in our August/September issue, and for tickets, visit the Centennial Vineyards Restaurant website.

        Centennial Vineyards Restaurant Bowral Art Gallery Ben Quilty Craig Reucassel

30/07/2026

Brighten up your day with the latest issue of Highlife! ✨
Our August/September issue is packed with great stories and stunning photography celebrating life in the Southern Highlands. Homes, gardens, personalities, food, real estate, rural living, community, arts and events – we’ve got it covered!
The new issue has been delivered to all Southern Highlands outlets and goes on sale today at other NSW and Victorian outlets, including 29 Harris Farm Markets. 📖💚

17/07/2026

We’ve got a classic Classic Car column in our June/July issue – the story behind this exceptional 1967 Aston Martin DB6.
It’s owned by Rene Aalhuizen, a part-time Highlands local, who co-founded Prestige Auto Traders and co-owns the Sutton Forest Inn. Rene first saw it when he was 24 and it was owned by his then boss Greg Sanderson, founder of Sandersons Mercedes-Benz in Rushcutters Bay. Greg, who now has a house in Burradoo, had purchased the car from the Fairfax family.
Read more about this rare and desirable vehicle in our June/July issue. Pick up a copy at your local newsagency or find us at 29 Harris Farm Markets and bring home a piece of the Highlands today! 📖💚

15/07/2026

A decade after being hailed as the biggest ever donation to the National Trust, the Victorian Italianate mansion Retford Park and its impressive gardens have become one of the Southern Highlands’ most popular tourist drawcards.
For our 30th anniversary issue, we visit the Bowral estate, which was lavishly redesigned in the 1960s by former owner James Fairfax (photos here show its reception room with a 17th century tapestry, and the main bedroom). Read our story, then visit the historic house and garden for yourself.

National Trust (NSW)

13/07/2026

Calling all book lovers – the Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival is just 10 days away!
The fun kicks off on Thursday, July 23 with a black tie dinner at Bendooley Estate’s Book Barn with special guests actor/author Bryan Brown and 2025 Miles Franklin Award winner Siang Lu.
Over the next 3 days, Bowral’s Empire Cinema will host sessions with best-selling and critically acclaimed authors including Gail Jones, Bri Lee, Virginia Haussegger, Astrid Jorgensen and Yumna Kassab.
Writer and director Andrew Upton will discuss his new book live from London. And a session called ‘Saturday Night Live!’ will explore artificial intelligence through the premiere of Written In Our Voices, an immersive performance followed by a conversation with leading AI expert Professor Toby Walsh.
Tickets for all sessions cost $25. To book, visit Southern Highlands Writers' Festival

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09/07/2026

Our latest Highlands Drive runs from Mittagong to Berrima via Mount Gibraltar – a short trip that’s perfect for showing visitors a snapshot of the Southern Highlands, complete with fabulous lookouts, historic buildings, picturesque back roads and cellar doors.
These photos were all taken on The Gib, showing the historic trachyte quarries, the steps connecting the quarries to Bowral Lookout (or you can drive), and the view from Jellore Lookout.
You’ll find the full drive in our June/July issue. Pick up a copy at your local newsagency or find us at 29 Harris Farm Markets and bring home a piece of the Highlands today! 📖💚

25/06/2026

You’ll meet Minard Farm’s Highland cattle and their owners Kate Skillman and Michael Adamietz on Highlife’s back page. The couple run a herd of 80 on their 40 hectare property in Joadja and Kate knows each by name. “There’s not an animal on this property whose birth I haven’t been present at,” she says. “I check on them every morning – it’s like a roll call at school.”
You can meet their Highland cattle for yourself on a Minard Farm tour, which are so popular that Kate and Michael won the Tourism Services award on Tuesday at the 2026 Southern Highlands Business Awards. Last week the couple were also interviewed for a future Better Homes and Gardens episode.
Pick up a copy of Highlife at your local newsagency or find us at 29 Harris Farm Markets and bring home a piece of the Highlands today! 📖💚
Minard Cows

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Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
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http://www.highlifemagazine.com.au/

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