The Southern Highlands is one of those rare places where a well-conceived outdoor space gets used year-round, not for swimming, but for the slower pleasures of a fire on an autumn evening, a long lunch in a garden room, watching the mist lift off a paddock, or the quiet satisfaction of a productive kitchen garden. When a pool is removed, the space it leaves behind is an invitation to create something genuinely aligned with the Highlands character.
This guide offers concrete, design-oriented inspiration for transforming the post-pool area into something you’ll actually use and love.
Quick Answer (BLUF)
The most successful backyard transformations in the Southern Highlands after pool removal share a common thread: they’re designed around the Highlands’ cool climate, extended shoulder seasons and rural character rather than against them. A fire pit, a sheltered garden room, a productive orchard, or a formal lawn with deciduous tree framing will be used far more than the pool it replaced. The key is designing for Highlands conditions, shelter from wind, solar orientation, materials that age beautifully in this climate.
Understanding the Highlands Outdoor Space Opportunity
Before sketching ideas, it’s worth understanding what makes the Highlands’ outdoor context different from coastal design:
Wind. Highlands properties, particularly those on ridge lines or open paddocks around Robertson, Bundanoon and Exeter, can be exposed to strong winds, particularly in spring and winter. Wind fundamentally affects outdoor usability. Any transformation should include shelter consideration.
Sun angle. The Highlands’ southern latitude (approximately 34-35°S) means winter sun is lower in the sky. A north-facing outdoor space in winter receives good direct sun; a south-facing area receives barely any. Pool position was often dictated by sun exposure, the post-pool area is likely already well-sited for solar access.
Extended autumn and spring. The Highlands’ best outdoor seasons are March-May and September-November. These shoulder seasons are cool, crisp and often clear, perfect for outdoor use with a fire. Summer is lovely but short; winter is beautiful but cold.
Rain and frost. Designing for year-round use means considering cover for rain and frost mitigation for early-season planting.
Concept 1: The Sheltered Garden Room
The most universally successful Highlands outdoor transformation is a sheltered garden room, a defined outdoor space enclosed or bounded on three sides, with a fire pit or chiminea as the centrepiece.
Elements:
- Hedge enclosure or clipped structure on two or three sides, Portuguese laurel or English Box hedge creates shelter from wind within 18-24 months of planting
- Natural stone paving, bluestone or sandstone pavers create a surface that looks better as it ages and develops the lichen and patina that characterises Highlands properties
- Fire pit or built-in fireplace, a simple corten steel bowl fire pit costs $300-$800; a built masonry fireplace with a mantel is $3,000-$8,000 but becomes the enduring anchor of the space
- Comfortable seating, timber outdoor furniture with cushions stored during winter
- Lighting, low voltage garden lights around the perimeter and candles or lanterns for atmosphere
A well-designed garden room in a sheltered spot in Bowral, Mittagong or Moss Vale will be used on 200+ days per year. A pool in the same space was lucky to see 40 days of actual use.
Estimated cost: $5,000-$20,000 depending on paving area, fire feature and planting.
Concept 2: The Orchard and Kitchen Garden
For rural-residential properties in Robertson, Burrawang, Bundanoon and Exeter, and for any Highlands property where the owners value food production, converting the pool area to a productive space is deeply satisfying.
Elements:
- Espalier fruit trees along a north-facing fence or wall, apples, pears and quinces in the Highlands produce outstanding fruit, and espalier training makes use of vertical space beautifully
- Raised vegetable beds in Cor-Ten steel or treated hardwood, four beds of 1.5m x 3m provides substantial growing space; Cor-Ten develops its characteristic orange patina, very much at home in a rural Highlands setting
- Berry section, raspberries, currants and gooseberries on a simple post-and-wire structure along one boundary
- Compost area, designed as a feature (two or three timber bays) rather than hidden away
- A potting bench or small greenhouse, even a simple 2m x 3m greenhouse allows seed starting and protection of tender seedlings through the Highlands’ late frosts
The kitchen garden aesthetic is honest, intentional and deeply suited to the Highlands character, particularly for properties with an older farmhouse or cottage character.
Estimated cost: $3,000-$15,000 depending on scale, raised bed material, and any structure.
Concept 3: The Formal Lawn with Seasonal Flowering Display
The classic Highlands residential garden statement: a broad, flat lawn panel framed by seasonal flowering trees and perennial borders.
Elements:
- Cool-season lawn (tall fescue and ryegrass blend), stays green through Highlands summers without irrigation
- Feature trees on the corners, perhaps a weeping cherry for spring blossom and a liquidambar for autumn colour
- Mixed perennial borders along the boundary fence, peonies, delphiniums, old roses, lavender, salvia
- Mown grass paths between areas if scale allows
- A simple arbour or rose arch as a focal point, timber with climbing roses
This transformation works superbly for Bowral and Mittagong heritage properties where the garden character calls for formality and tradition. It presents magnificently at open homes and requires only mowing and seasonal perennial maintenance.
Estimated cost: $3,000-$10,000 for establishment (lawn, planting, basic structure).
Concept 4: The Winter Retreat, Spa, Hot Tub and Pavilion
For properties where a luxury element is desired, a far more usable alternative to a swimming pool is a high-quality outdoor spa or hot tub combined with a covered pavilion.
An outdoor spa can be used year-round in the Highlands, in fact, soaking in a hot spa on a cold Highlands winter evening, looking at stars or frost on the lawn, is an experience far more aligned with the region’s character than a cold swimming pool in February.
Elements:
- Quality outdoor spa (not a pool-attached spa, a dedicated standalone spa or hot tub), quality spas cost $10,000-$25,000 but have ongoing running costs far lower than a pool
- A covered pergola or pavilion, 4m x 6m pergola with a polycarbonate or Colorbond roof provides weather protection for year-round use
- Heated and lit, outdoor heating (wall-mounted infrared heaters), festoon or pendant lighting
- Stone or composite decking around the spa area
This approach gives the “luxury water feature” result of a pool at a fraction of the ongoing maintenance and compliance cost, and is genuinely usable for nine to ten months of the year in the Highlands.
Estimated cost: $20,000-$50,000 for spa + pavilion + decking, but ongoing costs dramatically lower than a pool.
Materials That Work in the Highlands Climate
Whatever transformation concept you choose, material selection for the Highlands climate matters:
Stone and masonry (sandstone, bluestone, basalt), ages beautifully, frost-proof, develops patina Cor-Ten steel, develops a stable rust patina; very “of the land” in the Highlands Treated hardwood timber, durable, warm character, ages to silver if untreated Recycled brick, salvaged brick for walls, steps or paving feels authentic to the heritage character of the region
Avoid: Lightweight composite decking and modern polymer products that look out of place in the Highlands’ traditional and rural character. Poured concrete pool surrounds are rarely the right aesthetic continuation.
FAQs
How long does backyard transformation take after pool removal?
The physical removal takes one to three days. Basic landscaping (topsoil, lawn seeding) can be done in the same week. A pergola or structure typically takes another week or two once a builder is engaged. Planting establishment takes one to two growing seasons for perennials and two to five years for trees to show real presence. Budget your timeline across several seasons rather than expecting immediate results from plantings.
Should I do all the landscaping immediately after removal?
Not necessarily. Immediately after removal, the backfill needs time to settle (particularly in the first winter in the Southern Highlands). Installing lawn seed or simple plantings immediately is fine. Major hard landscaping (paving, structures) is better after six to twelve months of settlement. This phased approach also lets you observe how the space works throughout the seasons before committing to a design.
Can I get a professional landscape designer for this?
Yes, and for significant transformations ($30,000+), a landscape designer’s fee ($2,000-$5,000 for plans) is easily justified. Several landscape architects and designers work specifically in the Southern Highlands and understand its climate, heritage character and the lifestyle of Highlands property owners. For smaller transformations, a good garden centre consultation or a single visit from a landscape designer is often enough to get a coherent plan.
What transformation adds the most value at resale?
For properties in the $1M-$2M Bowral/Mittagong market, a formal lawn with established planting and a simple outdoor entertaining area adds the most broadly appealing value. A productive kitchen garden appeals strongly to a specific buyer type. A luxury spa/pavilion appeals to buyers who’d have been drawn to the pool anyway, and costs less to maintain. See our Highland buyers guide for more on buyer preferences.