What do you make of a place that is more a point on the map than anyone's actual destination; where a huge grey-brown 'something', meant to be the symbol of the region, is prominent in the local park across from the general store; and the main claim to fame lies in a talking pig?
Robertson, home of the Big Potato, for that is what the unnamed concrete sculpture on the highway, next to the Trading Post (conveniently housing public conveniences) is meant to be, could so easily be simply the place on the way to somewhere else.
You go through Robertson to get to Kiama and Wollongong from the Southern Highlands. You turn here for Belmore Falls, Fitzroy Falls, Carrington Falls or Jamberoo. Coming from the other direction, it's a blip on the map en route to Bowral and Mittagong.
The famed Cockatoo Run, a steam train must-do from Wollongong to Moss Vale, stops for a few moments at the seventy-year-old Robertson railway station. It is here that some people break their trip which has taken them up the scenic escarpment from the coast, and lunch at the gracious and historic Ranelagh House, built in 1924, then pick up the train for the journey back in the afternoon.
But to do just this is to miss the wealth that Robertson has to offer. Babe, the movie, has moved on of course. After some initial excitement and the pointing out of the house and farmland used in the films to anyone who was halfway interested, Robertson has gone back to doing what it has done best for well over a 100 years.
Just a small place, and pretty much at the transition between the Southern Highlands and the coastal Illawarra region, Robertson's main claim to fame has always been its rich red volcanic basalt soil, known as Robertson soil. This, plus a dependable rainfall and chilly winters, are the ideal formula for potato growing, an unassuming yet vital industry. So the village has become best known as the centre of the largest potato-growing area in NSW.
Yet there are high spots nearby that allow expansive views of the gently rolling almost British landscape, dotted with cattle and amazing panoramas across the coastal plains to the ocean. See this, and you realise that dairying is also basic to this area.
Named for Sir John Robertson, a former Premier of NSW, the town was established in the 1860s and was at first called 'Yarrawa'. These days people know it more for the famous Robertson Pie shop, located on the outskirts of the town, that daily dishes up dozens of different pies. Closer to town, the Old Cheese Factory - now a toy factory and craft outlet - is about the only real link with the area's dairying past.
To get a contemporary taste of the place, though, you must schedule a stop at a real estate office (yes, that's right, Mackeys Real Estate) to buy a bag of freshly dug Robertson potatoes. Or make the trip to one of the region's most exciting new ventures - Farmgate at Statford Park.
Just a few minutes drive from the town of Robertson, this recently established place has more than 20,000 lavender plants, as well as olives and vines. The Farmgate Shop features lavender products of course - everything from pet shampoos to perfume, aprons to aromatherapy - but there are also honeys, mustards, olives and soaps. Just a walk away, through the gardens, the cellar shop has daily tastings of Statford Park wines as well.
Back in town, there's Kev Neel's Old Time Music Machines, a music memorabilia museum serving up morning and afternoon teas, and panoramic coastal views, seasoned with a dash of nostalgia: 78s played on aging phonograms. There's a village woodworks, a pottery shop and a couple of second-hand and memorabilia shops in town, as well.
In fact there are so many arty-crafty folk around these parts, they have formed themselves into the Robertson Guild, complete with its own symbol. On the long weekend in October, at the 'Hand Made' Festival, an initiative of the Guild, you can see it all. Wine, music, cheese, produce, fashion, writing - if hands can make it, you will find it there.
So if, after a culinary tour of Robertson and its district, you feel you've (quite appropriately, given its film connections) made a - well - pig of yourself, and need some exercise, you don't have to go far. There are plenty of bushwalking tracks close to town in unspoilt national parks, and those three great waterfalls to visit, all within 15 minutes drive of town.
Babe I and II may been valuable for putting Robertson on the map, but she's moved on now, and this small town is showing it's perfectly capable of saving its own bacon.
Spend a night at one of the Peppers' properties and enjoy a complimentary breakfast when you book with your NRMA Member Card. Find out more...
They say that Babe was filmed around Robertson. I can see why this countryside was chosen. Lush and serene are two words that come to mind. There is plenty to see, eat and do. A nice alternative to the busier Berrima/Bowral options, keep Robertson in mind for quiet drives, but leave the kids at home. I didn't see much that would appeal to young ones.
Grace, Kogarah
Statford Park Lavender Farm. Pearson's Lane, Wildes Meadow about 3km from Robertson in the Southern Highlands. They have a huge range of lavender based products, mustards, honey, olives, oils & they also sell lavender plants. The rose & lavender hand cream was really lovely & didn't leave my hands greasy at all. Leave plenty of time to have a good look around. There is a winery attached, which we didn't have time to visit - next time! The staff were very friendly & had a lot of local knowledge, so ask them to suggest some places to visit that aren't on the tourist track.
Emily Jordan, Camden.
4WD
