IT will come as no surprise to Bowral residents that their town has been voted the best rural town to visit in NSW.
The idyllic town, home to Don Bradman and Mary Poppins, was voted the 22nd best town to visit in Australia by one of the countries leading travel magazines this week.
Australian Traveller, with a circulation of 12,500, asked a panel of tourism experts where they would recommend to a friend to add one hour to their trip just to visit.
The tiny town of Yamba, on the NSW north coast, took out the top honour ahead of Esperance in Western Australia and Port Douglas in Queensland.
Bowral was the fifth best town in NSW but was the only one not to have a coastline to prop up its tourist appeal. NSW had 29 towns selected in the "100 Best Towns in Australia".
Kangaroo Valley was voted number 24, while South Coast destinations Huskisson (48), Mollymook (67) and Berry (78) also rated highly.
Australian Traveller said Sydneysiders were in love with
the "aristocratic capital of the NSW Southern Highlands." The town's cafes, restaurants, art galleries, stately homes and mansions and some of Australia's oldest cultivated gardens, lend it a distinct Scottish Highlands feel, the magazine stated.
Another little known factor that made Bowral NSW's best rural town was it status as the nation's first Booktown.
Booktowns are a rapidly growing international collection of rural outposts with extraordinarily high concentrations of booksellers and bookworms.
Bowral's famous springtime celebration, Tulip Time, during which more than 100,000 bulbs spring up, also helped the town rate highly.
The various vineyards in the region, some of which are moving into the weekend accommodation market to rival the Hunter Valley, also make Bowral an ideal weekend away trip.
Southern Highlands Tourism general manager Steve Rosa was not surprised Bowral rated so highly.
As a rural destination we top of the lot," he said.
"It will help lift Bowral's profile and gets us out there."
Mr Rosa attributed Bowral's European feel and the iconic attractions of Bradman Museum and Tulip Time as the major reasons behind the rating.
For a town of only 11,000 people Bowral has some major events from Tulip Time to the Bong Picnic Races plus new initiatives like the inaugural Highlands Harvest Hunt at Centennial Vineyards on April 22. Mr Rosa said he expected more than 3,000 hunters at the huge Easter egg hunt.
Mr Rosa said the title of best NSW rural town was a credit not just to Bowral but the Highlands as a whole.
He said people who visit the Highlands didn't just confine themselves to Bowral and historic towns like Berrima and Robertson are other big drawcards.
April will be a big month for Highlands tourism with Brigadoon is Bundanoon kicking off the month, before an international polocrosse tournament and the Harvest Hunt.
Wingecarribee mayor Duncan Gair said Bowral was an attractive town and it was great it had rated so highly.
"Council has maintained a country feel by not allowing any development over three stories," he said.
"Hats off to the people of Bowral, who maintained their gardens, properties and businesses. It is a community effort to make Bowral an ice town to visit."
Cr Gair added having Kangaroo Valley the 24 best town in Australia was big boost for the day tripper market.
"It is also good to recognise Kangaroo Valley," he said.
Bowral Chamber of Commerce president Jim Becke said having 30 per cent of Australia's population only an hour and a half drive away made Bowral an ideal travel destination.
"Bowral might have received the accolade but it applies to the Southern Highlands as a whole," he said.
"It may be the jewel in the crown but it is great for everybody in the Highlands.
"When you speak to visitors they comment how lovely the town is and how friendly people are."
Bowral businesses will be boosted by the knowledge their marketplace is a highly valued visitors destination.
"It is a magnificent part of the world. The publicity is second to none other than people passing on good word of mouth advertising," Mr Becke said.
Breakout- Australia's 10 best towns
1. Yamba, NSW
2. Esperance, WA
3. Port Douglas, QLD
4. Broome, WA
5. Port Fairy, VIC
6. Beechworth, VIC
7. Byron Bay, NSW
8. Apollo Bay, VIC
9. Strahan, TAS
10. Margaret River, WA
Top 5 NSW towns
1. Yamba, North Coast
2. Byron Bay, North Coast
3. South West Rocks, Mid North Coast
4. Burn Pine, Norfolk Island
5. Bowral, Southern Highlands
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