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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Exeter, New South Wales
Exeter
Skip as a base: Exeter is a two-shop village with one guesthouse and no dinner after 15:00. Sleep in Bundanoon, 5 km away, and stop here for an hour.
Exeter is a Southern Highlands village of about 950 people on the Southern Highlands line between Bundanoon and Moss Vale. The centre is a station, an antique store and a general store that closes at 15:00. There is no pub and no evening meal. Come for the gardens and the train ride, or use it as a quiet one-night stop, but plan dinner and supplies elsewhere.
- Country
- Australia
- Local name
- Exeter
- Best months
- Oct–Apr (gardens and mild walking weather)
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cold, wet, few open gardens)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$60–100 excl. bed · Mid A$100–180 excl. bed · High A$180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112 · Bushfire information 1800 679 737
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at the general store | A$4–6 |
| Café meal before 15:00Café meal before 3:00 PM | A$12–22 |
| Pub meal in Bundanoon | A$20–35 |
| Train fare, one stop | A$3–5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SYD · Sydney Kingsford Smith
- Train to Campbelltown, then the Southern Highlands line; about 2.5–3 h door to door
- CBR · Canberra
- Drive via the Hume Highway, about 1.5 h
Typical fares
- Train Sydney (Campbelltown) → Exeter
- about A$12 one way, 1.5–2 h
- Train Exeter → Bundanoon
- about A$4, 5 min
- Taxi Moss Vale → Exeter
- A$25–40
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk the village in 15 minutes. Trains run about every two hours on weekends and roughly hourly on weekdays toward Campbelltown and Goulburn; regional booked trains do not stop. A car is needed for anything beyond Bundanoon and the surrounding villages.
See and do
Known for
- Garden village streetscape
- Exeter General Store
- Antique store by the station
- Southern Highlands line stop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bundanoon | Train one stop, or cycle 5 km (3.1 mi)Train one stop, or cycle 3.1 mi (5 km) | About 10 min by train |
| Morton National Park | Cycle to Bundanoon, then 2 km (1.2 mi) onCycle to Bundanoon, then 1.2 mi (2 km) on | About 45 min by bike |
| Bowral | Train toward Campbelltown, about 25 min | About 35 min |
| Mittagong | Train toward Campbelltown, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Goulburn | Train southwest, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Picton | Train toward Campbelltown, then change | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Exeter village
- One guesthouse, walking distance to the station; book ahead and bring cash.
- Bundanoon
- 5 km (3.1 mi) away by road or bike; more beds, a pub and evening food.3.1 mi (5 km) away by road or bike; more beds, a pub and evening food.
- Sutton Forest
- Nearest evening meal by car; a few kilometres north on the Hume Highway.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me | Excuse meik-SKYOOZ mee |
| Thank you | Thanksthanks |
| How much is it? | How much is it?how much iz it |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card?kan eye pay by kard |
| Where is the station? | Where is the station?wair iz thuh STAY-shun |
| Is there food after 3 pm? | Is there food after 3 pm?iz thair food AF-ter three pee-em |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- The general store closes at 15:00 daily: no dinner in the village.
- No pub in Exeter; the nearest are in Bundanoon or Sutton Forest.
- Mobile reception is patchy indoors and behind buildings.
- The guesthouse has taken no credit cards: bring cash.
- Regional booked trains pass through without stopping: use the local service.
A quiet village and safe by day. The real risks are bushfire in summer, unlit roads at night, patchy mobile reception and no evening food: eat before 15:00 or drive to Bundanoon.A quiet village and safe by day. The real risks are bushfire in summer, unlit roads at night, patchy mobile reception and no evening food: eat before 3:00 PM or drive to Bundanoon.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Exeter, New South Wales yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Garden village streetscape
- Exeter General Store
- Antique store by the station
- Southern Highlands line stop
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Transport for NSW — Southern Highlands line: transportnsw.info/routes/details/trainlink/shl/76shl
- Visit NSW — Southern Highlands: www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/southern-highlands
- Wingecarribee Shire Council: www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Exeter (New South Wales), revision 5306270 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5306270
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Exeter, New South WalesExeter
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance000
- From mobiles112
- Bushfire information1800 679 737
No consulates in the Highlands: embassies and consulates-general are in Canberra and Sydney.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/exeter-new-south-wales). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.