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.

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.

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.

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.



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.

Sleep
Accommodation options are mostly Bed & Breakfast style retreats in a country house or camping.



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