Bundanoon

Bundanoon is a village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. It has a choice of cafes, craft shops, bakeries and a historic pub. It is located adjacent to the Morton National Park which has opportunities for bushwalking, cycling, and admiring the views over the gullies.

It has a population of around 2,900 (2021) and caters well for tourists. The town centre is usually quite busy on a Sunday, with a bit of coffee and craft shop feel.

The town sells itself on having a somewhat Scottish sounding name, despite the fact that the origin of the name is likely derived from the local Aboriginal dialect. The town hosts the Brigadoon at Bundanoon festival annually, which attracts around 20,000 people to the village.

Get in

 * Trains service from Sydney with a connection at Campbelltown.  The train station is in the centre of town, and a short walk to the Youth Hostel.  Services run around every two hours, so check timetables.  Opal cards can be used on the trip, or buy single tickets.  Standard network trains all the way to Bundanoon are now rare and you usually have to take a bus from Moss Vale.  An alternative is to take the long-distance (NSW Trainlink) services to Canberra (3 daily) or Melbourne (2 daily), which both stop in Bundanoon - you can book ahead on the website (trains usually fill up) and the fare is around $30 one-way.
 * Bundanoon is clearly signposted at turns from the Hume Highway, almost half way between Sydney and Canberra. The town centre itself is around 10 km from the freeway.

Get around
The town itself is all within easy walking of the train station. The park entrance to the Morton National Park is around 1.5 km from the town. There is a picnic area and some walks located just inside the park. The walk to the lookouts if a further 4 km or so.

You can get around the town and to the National Park by bicycle. Bicycles can be brought on the train from Sydney free of charge and they can also be hired in Bundanoon. Some of the services are operated by coach services, so check that it is a train service, as buses can be awkward for bikes, although the drivers are usually obliging.

You can access the National Park, lookouts, bushwalks, and town by car. There is a daily admission fee of $7 to take cars and motorcycles into the National Park. Bicycles and pedestrians are free. Annual NSW Parks pass holders are free also.

Events
Brigadoon at Bundanoon, annually in April, is a celebration of everything Scottish. Held at the oval on the north side of the tracks, just east from the station.

Buy
Shop around the small craft, second hand clothing, and antique stores.

Bundanoon hosts the local markets on the first and third Sunday of the month. 8:30am-2:30pm in the hall opposite the station. A lot of local produce will be available.

The small supermarket is 100 m east of the main shopping strip opposite the train line.

Drink
Bundanoon was the first town in Australia to ban bottled water — they sell reusable bottles and have refilling points on the main street for your own bottles.

Other drinks and refreshments are available at the following places:



Connect
Mobile reception may be limited. Some parts of town and the Morton National Park have a signal on some networks, other parts do not. There is a payphone by the post office near the station.

Go next
See the rest of the Southern Highlands.