Kangaroo Valley
Kangaroo Valley is a small rural area two hours' drive southwest of Sydney in the Southern Highlands. This article includes the related area of Barrengarry.
Understand
Kangaroo Valley is a fully enclosed valley at the inner edge of Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands, but most of the time, considered to be part of the Southern Highlands. It is an idyllic location, with a small town (population 900) that offers a historic suspension bridge, buildings and antique stores to browse. It is the historic home of the Aboriginal Wodi-Wodi people.
There are a good number of kangaroos here (as well as wombats), although this isn't really what the area is and should be known for.
Get in
By car
Sydney is approximately 150 km and 2 hours drive away. Take the South Western Motorway, then the Hume Highway, then the Old Hume Highway and then follow the signs to Fitzroy Falls. Kangaroo Valley is 10 km drive further the same road.
Canberra is about 200km drive away. Take the M31 to Moss Vale and then turn south.
Alternatively it is also accessible from the coastal route down past Wollongong. Drive down to Kiama and then Berry and turn inland to Kangaroo Valley.
Some built-in GPS devices show Moss Vale Rd (Kangaroo Valley's main road) as Cambewarra Road.
By bus
There is a bus service between Nowra and Moss Vale. Priors Scenic Express provides a long distance coach service to Bowral, Mittagong, and Sydney as well as to the Shoalhaven and South Coast, as far as Narooma.
By train
There is no train service, however you can take a train from Sydney to Mittagong or Nowra and take a bus from there.
Get around
- On Foot. The village is tiny and all buildings are just a few minutes away so walking is the best choice. Hampden Bridge is over a kilometre away from the village.
- By Bicycle. Cycling around the area is a pleasure and there's a 10km circuit that includes fording the Kangaroo River. Several shops offer bicycle rental for about $35 for three hours. There is a footway/bicycle lane parallel to Moss Vale Road for safe cycling.
- By Car. Car is the preferred choice to see the attractions away from the village or simply to enjoy the idyllic scenery.
- A very relaxing and beautiful route travels along Upper Kangaroo River Road. The road is the first junction to the right north of Hampden Bridge, just after the left junction to Bendeela. The last kilometres of the road are unsealed and lead to the flat rock, a beautiful spot for a picnic. The minor roads out of the main road are unsealed and lead to tranquil and beautiful spots.
- A scenic route south of the village of Kangaroo Valley will take you to Cambewarra Lookout. The lookout is just off the road to Nowra, and the views over the Shoalhaven river and Jervis Bay are breathtaking. The road that leads to the lookout continues along the ridge, with several views of the coast on the right, and Kangaroo Valley on the left. Take the road until it ends in a minor road to Berry. At the junction turn left and descent back to the valley.
See
- 1 Hampden Bridge. Dating from 1889, this is the only surviving suspension bridge from the colonial period of New South Wales. The stone pillars tower over the river below.
- 2 Pioneer Village Museum Kangaroo Valley, 2029 Moss Vale Rd, Kangaroo Valley, ☏ +61 2 4465 1306. 10AM-5PM (10:00 - 17:00). A historical village museum full of many authentic homes and buildings from the 19th century. $10 adults, $5 children.
- 3 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, 179 Moss Vale Rd, Kangaroo Valley, ☏ +61 412 288 923. Held in October with local and international performers
- Morton National Park.
- 4 Fitzroy Falls. Visitor centre and walkways around the cliffs overlooking the Fitzroy Falls and the Morton National Park. $4 parking will allow any number of visitors. The closest lookout is 100 m away from the visitor centre. $4 all day parking.
- 5 Tallowa Dam, Tallowa Dam Road (From Kangaroo Valley town centre, take Mount Scanzi Road until you reach Tallowa Dam Road, and follow to the end. It should take about 20 minutes by car.). At the end of a very long road you will find a very isolated and scenic picnic area next to a dam. There are good walking trails and a canoe ramp here as well.
Do
- Golf at the Kangaroo Valley Golf Club – renting a golf cart is recommended.
- Fishing in either the river or one of the surrounding dams - freshwater licence required ($5 for 3 days).
- Kayak down the Kangaroo River. Several places offer canoes and kayaks hire for about 2-hour self-guided tours. Rates typically include transportation to the entry point at Hampden Bridge and from the exit at Bendeela. The river has several rapids of grade 1 (on a scale of 1 to 6, grade 1 are the easiest) that make the trip exciting for beginners.
- Glenmack Park, 215 Moss Valley Road (At Kangaroo Valley village, next to the show ground), ☏ +61 2 4465 1372. A convenient choice for those staying at the village. $35.
- Kangaroo Valley Tourist Park (At Hampden Bridge), ☏ +61 2 4465 1310. They are just at the entry point at Hampden Bridge. $35.
- Bushwalk (hike). There are all kinds of bush walks around Kangaroo Valley. Get the "Walks Guide - Kangaroo Valley and Adjacent National Parks" available for around $7 at many of the shops in the area. Don't expect the walks described within to be well signed, and when they say difficult they mean it. They will however get you into some really beautiful spots.
- 1 Horse Riding, 24 Hillcrest View Ln, Kangaroo Valley, ☏ +61 2 4465 1912.
Buy
The main strip in the town of Kangaroo Valley has a few antique shops to browse. You may find some of them overly twee, but then again there are those who thrive on such shops. Most businesses are cafes, pie shops and restaurants.
There is a pharmacy.
Most locals head to Nowra for larger supermarkets and general shopping needs.
- 1 Ampol petrol and groceries, 32 Moss Vale Road. Don't be fooled by the petrol station exterior. There is an entire grocery store packed in there; not just your gas station convenience store either. Best selection of groceries of any of the places in Kangaroo Valley.
- 2 Galeria Aniela Fine Arts, 261A Mount Scanzi Rd, Kangaroo Valley, ☏ +61 2 4465 1494.
- 3 Kangaroo Valley Olives, 110 Cedar Springs Rd, Kangaroo Valley (Drive up Bendeela Road and then take a right onto Cedar Springs Road. Drive up the narrow lane to the top of the hill.), ☏ +61 447 491 245.
Eat
There are various cafés, bakeries and milk bars around town, as well as a few restaurants. Check out the pizzeria - it's really good.
- 1 Jing Jo, 160 Moss Vale Road, ☏ +61 2 44 65 1314. Open from Thursday to Monday, it's overlooking the historic Hampden Bridge. Breakfast and lunch are modern Australian, dinner is Thai cuisine. Fully licensed.
- 2 Kangaroo Valley Pizza, 160 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley. A descent pizza place with some outside tables. Offering takeaway as well as eat in pizza. Also serving breakfast and coffee; the coffee is exactly what you would expect from a pizza place.
- 3 Bistro One 46, 146 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley, ☏ +61 2 4465 2820, bistroone46@gmail.com. Expensive but most delicious option in town. Free Wi-Fi. $25+ mains.
- 4 Kangaroo Valley Pie Shop, 2167 Moss Vale Rd, Barrengarry, ☏ +61 2 4465 1360. Apparently the best pies in the world
Drink
- 1 The Friendly Inn, 159 Moss Vale Road (Right in the center of Kangaroo Valley village), ☏ +61 2 4465 1133. Offers a wide range of beers and bistro dinner. An ideal place to watch your Footy game.
Sleep
Accommodation options are mostly Bed & Breakfast style retreats in a country house or camping.
- Roveroak Lodge, 149a Moss Vale Rd, ☏ +61 2 4465 2123. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. A decent place to spend a night in. Rooms are small, and you can't fit 3 persons into one room, but couple will enjoy the room layout. Rooms don't have TVs in them, and the internet is available only from the extra-slow pre-2000 PC sitting near the entrance. $100-160.
- Glenmack Park, 215 Moss Vale Road (Next to the show ground), ☏ +61 2 4465 1372. Check-in: 1pm, check-out: 10am. This is a family and pet friendly place that offers cabins from $50 and camping sites from $10 per person. They also rent kayaks.
- 1 Kangaroo Valley Tourist Park, 5 Moss Vale Road (Next to Hampden Bridge), toll-free: 1300 559 977 (local rate). This tourist park offers camping sites, bunk bed accommodation ($35) and cabins of various sizes from $70.
- 2 Bendeela Recreation Area (Off Lower Bendella Road). Free camping site by the river. This is also the launch site for some of the local Kayaking companies on the slow moving part of the Kangaroo River.
Connect
Mobile Phone and Data services are patchy in the town, and very sporadic outside.
Wi-Fi connections are available around town. Jing Jo has free wi-fi for patrons. The computer store behind the pizza place offers paid Wi-Fi.
Go next
- Take a trip to Fitzroy Falls overlooking the Morton National Park
- Visit Tallowa Dam in the Morton National Park
- Greenwell Point (About 10 km SE of Berry on the coast). A cute town on a beautiful bay. Worth a 1/2 day trip.