Destination Southern Highlands has announced the launch of its first tourism campaign video in four years, under the banner ‘Closer Than You Think’.
This initiative targets Sydney and Canberra with a compelling truth: a mere 90-minute drive from either capital unlocks a 2,700sqkm haven of natural splendor, cultural depth, and year-round appeal, a destination too often overlooked.
Beyond the Southern Highlands famed winter mists and spring blooms, the region offers hidden waterfalls with water so pure it rivals bottled, framed by rolling green hills and sunsets free of city skylines. Seven national parks, including Morton and Budderoo, cradle less-trodden trails for adventurers, while over a dozen cellar doors pour award-winning cool-climate wines and gins that have sommeliers buzzing. Truffle hunting in cooler months, platypus and koala conservation efforts, and a thriving arts scene, think high tea in Bowral or beekeeping workshops ensure there’s always a story to uncover, no matter the season.
The campaign video is a masterstroke of subtlety and strategy, born from a collaboration with Sydney-based experiential agency BBR Group Australia, creators of the beloved Bastille Festival, Xmas in July Festival in Canberra, Mov’in Bed Cinemas in Barangaroo, and Australia’s first Halloween festival, Ghost Festival. BBR Group teamed up with Destination NSW and Wingecarribee Shire Council to dig deep into the region’s roots, intent on shattering outdated tourism moulds.
BRR Group delivered a video stripped of branding, and no single winery, restaurant, or attraction steals the show. Instead, it’s a cinematic whisper, with misty trails fading into vineyard glows and horse silhouettes at dawn, teasing a collective allure that positions every business in the same industry with an equal shot at discovery. Launched alongside an exclusive media night on Wednesday 26 February, at a private location for 20 of Australia’s leading publishers and editors, it’s a bold reset that lets the Highlands’ tapestry, from truffle-scented forests to cricket-obsessed hamlets, unfold as a personal journey for every viewer.
“Closer Than You Think” rekindles the Southern Highlands’ enduring appeal for those who’ve lost touch and invites newcomers to explore its vibrant essence, all just 90 minutes from Sydney or Canberra. Learn more at www.visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.
