Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley sits in a bowl of farmland ringed by sandstone escarpment, reached by winding descents from the Southern Highlands or the coast, and the entry to the village crosses Hampden Bridge, a suspension bridge of 1898 with castellated sandstone towers that is the oldest surviving suspension bridge in Australia. The valley is dairy country with a single main street of cafés, a pie shop and the Pioneer Museum. The Kangaroo River below the bridge is used for kayaking and canoeing, with hire operators running trips downstream, and wombats are common in the paddocks at dusk. Walking tracks climb to escarpment lookouts, and the Kangaroo Valley end of Morton National Park is close.

What you actually see

• Hampden Bridge - the 1898 suspension bridge with sandstone towers.
• The river - kayaking and canoeing on the Kangaroo River.
• The dairy valley - green paddocks ringed by escarpment cliffs.
• The wildlife - wombats and kangaroos in the paddocks at dusk.

When to go

September to May for river activities and warm weather; the valley is cold and often foggy in winter. Weekends bring day trippers from Sydney and Wollongong. Heavy rain floods the river and closes kayaking, and the valley has been cut off by floods more than once.

Honest expectations

The roads in and out are steep, winding and slow, and unpleasant for anyone prone to car sickness. The village is small and gets crowded on weekends. Accommodation is limited and priced accordingly.

Nearby

Fitzroy Falls is up the mountain north; Berry and the coast lie east.