'Why you don't have to drive far to have a refreshing road trip'

If you really want an adrenaline rush, forget skydiving, bungee jumping or paragliding.

Just drive along Kangaroo Valley Road in New South Wales with your 80-year-old mother.

With more hairpin bends than Monaco's F1 track, it's certainly a change from Sydney's straight streets.

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But on a road trip from the city, it was an essential route to explore some of the glorious countryside of the Southern Highlands.

And it was actually quite helpful that my mum was a back seat (well, front seat) driver, as those winding roads do take some getting used to.

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Despite bellowing "slow down!" and "not so fast!' at me at regular intervals along the route (going at the speed limit is too fast is her philosophy) at the end she declared, I "did well."

Phew.

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Road trips from Sydney

"A road trip!" I hear you cry. "In this economy!" Well, yes.

You just have to do it right.

Most Aussies probably think it's not a road trip if you don't bring an esky filled with snacks, play at least 50 games of 'I Spy' and count the distance in days not hours.

But that was in the days when fuel cost 50 cents a litre.

On this trip we set ourselves a limit of just two hours drive from the city to budget that pricey petrol.

We headed south to Berry in the NSW Southern Highlands in a borrowed swanky new car, a Mazda CX-60 SUV.

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Things to do in Berry NSW

Berry has won 'best tourist town' so many times you can't even read all the dates on the sign as you drive into town.

And it might be popular, but it has kept its charm.

The main street, Queen Street, and a handful behind it as well, are filled with mostly independent shops. That makes it just perfect for pottering.

My mum and I stopped for a coffee at the busy Milkwood Bakery before admiring the cute offerings in Goldfish Toy Shop.

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Don't miss sniffing all the upmarket perfumes at the swanky boutique, Sainte.

We also loved wandering local artists' wares at Co.LAB.

There's even a super Vinnies where I picked up a pair of designer trainers for $30.

If labels are your thing too, my favourite spot, for drooling at least, was Long Weekend Store.

We ate lunch at tasty café, Il Locale, opting for fish and chips (my mum) and a kale quinoa bowl (me).

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I did however cancel out that healthy choice by grabbing some delectable home made scones from The Berry Tea Shop to take home (book in advance if you want to dine in, it's tiny and popular).

There are also two pubs, Great Southern Hotel and Berry Hotel.

And if that's not enough, further away you've got vineyards to explore.

There's also Seven Mile Beach nearby if you get bored of those emerald rolling hills.

And you can't leave without visiting the Berry Donut Van; it's basically the law. It's been selling the piping hot pastries on the main street for decades.

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Where to stay in Berry, NSW

Arriving at some hotels kind of feels like coming home.

It was just like that when we pulled up to Mt. Hay Retreat up a rather hefty hill on the edge of town.

It's a small adults-only all-suite accommodation spot run by couple, Louise and Anthony.

Their mantlepiece is groaning with prizes, including the most recent, the Five Star Luxury Accommodation Silver Award they scooped at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

It's easy to see why.

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Each suite comes complete with a living area and mini kitchen.

It was perfect for preparing our cheese and wine, which we ate overlooking postcard sunset views over the hills all the way to the coast.

You also get a spectacular bath too - ours was outside - though we struggled to choose between that and the mammoth rainfall shower indoors.

Louise took us to meet some of the animal residents, which include goats, cows and chickens.

We even spotted an echidna wandering the expansive grounds, which also has an epic swing, perfect for that Insta shot.

There are also brush-tailed rock-wallaby and wombats you may be lucky enough to see, as well as lots to keep twitchers poised.

The Retreat also has an indoor heated pool making it ideal for autumn and winter escapes as the weather cools down.

Driving in the Southern Highlands

While I'm not a car girly, I was impressed with many of the features of the new petrol hybrid Mazda CX-60 we borrowed.

It was ideal for those sharp mountain roads we ventured down while driving back to Sydney via the quaint town of Kangaroo Valley.

(And yes, we did stop for another scone, this time at cute café, The General Café; they're de rigueur around here.)

For somebody who doesn't drive much, it was easy to handle, despite being quite large.

Keeping costs down with hybrid vehicles is a key consideration when planning road trips.

We spent just under $40 in fuel travelling to and from Berry and Sydney making it super efficient.

And we might not have driven far, but we arrived home refreshed after a peaceful country jaunt.

The writer travelled as a guest of Mt Hay Retreat and Mazda.

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