Things to do in Berry New South Wales
Berry South Coast New South Wales Australia
Berry is a famous small rural village town located in the Shoalhaven region on the south coast of New South Wales Australia. It is hugely popular as a weekend getaway for Sydney city residents as it's only located a short 2 hour drive south of Sydney.
Berry attracts many tourists who come to enjoy the diversity of landscapes, including coastal beaches, rich dairy farming, and forested mountains.
History
Let me now tell you a little bit of the history about the area of Berry. The area of Boon-ga-ree was originally inhabited by the Aboriginal Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation. In 1810, George William Evans, Government Surveyor, reported on the Berry district as a possible settlement and on the good stands of red cedar. Subsequently, itinerant timber cutters visited to cut and send cedar to Sydney.
Alexander Berry was an early settler of the Shoalhaven region. He and his business partner Edward Wollstonecraft pioneered European settlement in the area from 1822, securing land grants to the south of the Shoalhaven River. The town was known as Broughton Creek from its beginning in 1825 as a private town and part of a large pastoral holding called "Coolangatta”. The first European settlers of this locality were seven free sawyers employed by Alexander Berry, who camped there in 1825. Soon after a tannery began operation. In the 1840s a saw mill powered by a water wheel started. By 1866, a very substantial town had grown on the either side of Broughton Creek. On the Pulman Street side a post office, school, tannery and store were established, while on the other side of the creek an Inn was opened. By this time the population had grown to 300 and the area was declared a Municipality.
After Alexander Berry's death in 1873 and the subsequent death of his brother David Berry in 1889, the family estate was passed to David's youngest son, John Berry. John encouraged the growth of the town by establishing an Agricultural Showground and giving land to four religious denominations to build churches in the town. The name of the town was changed from Broughton Creek to Berry. After the death of his father, the outlying land of the Coolangatta Estate was gradually sold. The town continued to grow as a service center for saw milling and dairying industries. In the 1980s, these industries have diminished, and tourism is now an important activity for the town.
Things to do in Berry
Berry is a spectacular base for exploring nearby wineries, beaches and nature walks. Learn about the town’s history at the Berry historic museum, browse for collectable and antiques in one of Berry’s heritage buildings or try an arts and crafts workshop. And of course you always have an array of great shopping and eateries that can keep you occupied for days on end.
Not far from Berry is 7-mile beach, just a short 10 minute drive. Why not try your hand at some surfing lessons by one of the local providers. Adult and kids classes are available to book. Also you have horse riding activities as another great choice and comes highly recommended as another family activity in Berry.
Don't know where else to take the kids well why not take them to The Shoalhaven Zoo in North Nowra (yes a zoo), which is a short 30 minute drive to see amazing animals like a variety of reptiles and animals such as birds, lions, monkeys, emus and many more. Also there is plenty of great fishing locations not too far away from Berry, so why not try your luck and catch a big fish. Over the years I've had some great fun taking my daughter and teaching her how to fish from small jetties located nearby at Shoalhaven Heads. It's always been such fun!!
Have a sweet tooth after all that? Well then head over and grab some fresh donuts from the famous Berry donut van on the main strip or the Berry treat factory.
If your into unwinding well Berry has that on offer as well and is a perfect place to book a massage service. We recommend booking well in advance as they book out pretty quickly.
Finally let me tell you about the Berry Markets. Berry has two markets that run through the year.
So if you want to get your hands on some local fresh veggies, handmade and hand produced crafts, collectables, books, plants, leathers goods, clothing and food produce and many other interesting stall that are on offer visit the Berry Markets which is located at the Berry Showgrounds and is run on the 1st Sunday of every month except for the month of February.
And of course there is the weekly Thursday afternoon local Berry Farmers Market. This is the perfect event to visit if you are in Berry during the week. This is a true farmers market that absolutely care about the Origin of its produce, the protection of local growers, producers and makers. Each week you will find a sensational selection of seasonal produce sold directly to the public from the farmer or maker. Some of the great items sold at the Berry farmers markets are your fruits and vegetables along with honey, seafood, meats, diary, breads and wines.
Accommodation
Berry is a small town located at the end of the spectacular Grand Pacific Drive, which is around 2 hours and 45 minutes from Canberra. You can also take a train from Sydney to Berry, which is another scenic journey of around 3 hours. There are plenty of accommodation options in Berry, including country cottages, garden retreats, boutique inns and farm stays.
Of course you can always book an awesome farm stay experience with Regen Pastures. We'd love to host you and your family including friends. Everyone is welcome and sure to have a great time and experience in either our main residence or a choice of 3 cabins or a unique silo accommodation experience. We are located on Coolangatta road a short 3 minute drive from the town centre and a short 7 minute drive to seven mile beach.