Around Kangaroo Valley
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Around Kangaroo Valley The Kangaroo Valley is one of Australia’s most beautiful: scooped out by river erosion, clothed in lush farmland and fringed with forest. Reputed to be one of only seven fully-enclosed valleys in the world, it nestles between the Southern Highlands escarpment and the Cambewarra range that separates it from the coastal plain. This valley offers a great range of possibilities for walkers. Those who want more than a stroll through its historic village don’t have to travel far, with a walk exploring Kangaroo River and tributary creeks starting just beyond Hampden Bridge. Upper Kangaroo Valley has, if possible, even more scenic charm with its swimming holes, rainforest and waterfalls. At Fitzroy Falls the latter get really serious, along with the views. Longer walks deep into Morton National Park open up other vistas, including over Lake Yarrunga and the Shoalhaven River. You’ll need a car to access these more remote walks, along with suitable protection from the elements: Kangaroo Valley experiences, as the tourist guide puts it, ‘distinct seasons’. 67 12 Kangaroo River Nature Reserve 12 Kangaroo River Walk directions Nature Reserve From the museum 1 office, walk through The lower reaches of Kangaroo the grounds to the early River have been tamed forever by At a glance settler’s hut. Beyond this, cross the 70-metre suspen- Tallowa Dam but upstream – where Grade: Easy/medium sion bridge that spans the it still flows freely – it’s a particularly Time: 2 hrs gorge of Tannery Creek. beautiful waterway. The Kangaroo Distance: 4.5 km circuit River Nature Reserve, landlocked Conditions: Walk accessible At the junction, head and inaccessible by road, is a Fri-Mon and school holidays only; 2 left on the first of two hidden gem providing walkers with small entry fee to the museum; loops, waymarked with no barriers on lookouts; supervise red-and-white markers on access to a cliff-lined stretch of young children trees. A sign indicates you the river’s northern banks. Luckily Getting there: have entered Kangaroo for walkers, two paths from the Bus: 809/810 runs from Nowra River Nature Reserve Take the next left, and over the river to cliffs to Kangaroo Valley, Mon-Fri; but the map suggests the crossing a little opposite. Continuing above neighbouring Pioneer Museum 4 T 4421 7596 Park were waymarked before the boundary is further on. wooden bridge over Target the river you’ll reach a Car: From the centre of Kangaroo Watch carefully for a little Creek, now following red second lookdown, signed reserve existed; this route combines Valley village, cross Hampden side path leading steeply markers. You’ll soon reach on a tree as Lonely Sister them. The pools, moss gardens and Bridge and immediately turn left down the overgrown river a lookdown known as Lookout. From here you into the Pioneer Museum Park rock overhangs of little Nelsons bank to a beach. Tranquillity Tops, where can scramble down to Creek are added highlights of this there are views upstream lower rocks for a distant delightful walk. This is a great through tall eucalypts upstream glimpse of 3 place to take in the Hampden Bridge. riverside scenery and you can wander upstream a short way for a T duck’s-eye view of a n n e the 1898 Hampden r N y Suspension C r e e Bridge, probably k the most 0 100m photographed Target Creek bridge in rural 9 NSW. Return Vale Rd to the main 2 Swing path and Bridge turn left, 4 Moss following Pioneer 1 Farm high Museum P above8 the T river with Kangaroo 3 occasional Cheryl's 5 Hampden glimpses Beach River Bridge below. TO KV VILLAGE & NOWRA 68 69 12 Kangaroo River Nature Reserve 12 Kangaroo River Nature Reserve continue on the upstream higher up the bank, to path at creek level. The become the red-tagged waterway has carved out a Top Trail. small gorge, complete with interesting rock overhangs. Continue ahead at a The creek is pot-holed 8 junction with the and shade ensures that the ascending path from the rocks sport a healthy cover waterhole. Presently rejoin of moss. Pass below a large the outward route and cross mossy rock with the largest back over the little bridge rock orchid you’re ever (waypoint 4), turning left likely to see. (upstream) to complete the red-and-white loop. At a bend, a rock wall The vegetation changes 7 bars further progress markedly as the path winds so you must cross back through a scribbly gum over the creek bedrock just forest and broadens into KAMBAH before reaching the de- a trail. Ignore a trail left Dr lightful Tom’s Waterhole, that leads to a farm gate on fringed by mossy rocks private property. Drakeford and rainforest foliage and backed by the sandstone As the trail curves D e L cliff. You may, if you’re 9 right, look for a foot- it tl patient, see the azure pad heading into bush left e kingfisher that fishes here. of a coppiced tree. This Athllon Cr A sign on a tree says ‘Moss weaves through shrubs of St Turn away from the A short downstream Garden - 5 minute circular kunzea and tea-tree, passes Dr Cct 5 river, following high 6 detour (no path, but walk’. This section is a tad private property signs and Grounds T N above Nelsons Creek, fairly easy going) allows confusing, with the intro- then veers right to follow Taylor which can be viewed from for close inspection of duction of yellow tags, but above Tannery Creek, Dr e 0 250m nearby rocks. The path rock overhangs where it heads further upstream, returning to the suspension c n e soon splits into the second the creek bends. Return passing a healthy array of bridge. Cross the bridge r lo loop: keep left, heading to the crossing point and yellow rock orchids, and to return to the museum F downhill to cross then back, car park. Lewis Target Creek Ngadyung r e Beach m the creek on Walk 24 i 9 t Vale Rd r o rocks. Kangaroo River For families – What life was like M Dr Nature Reserve 2 Swing Nguru A visit to the PioneerBridge Museum Park, run by the Kangaroo Valley Historical Beach Nelsons Trail Society, will give you a great insight into the life and work of the valley’s early Canberra Lake OXLEY 4 Moss s farming families. The main1 building houses a collection of 19th-centuryNature fashion, Tuggeranong Park District s Tom's REFER TO tools and household items. Dotted around the one-hectare grounds are an Waterhole Moss Top 6 OTHER MAP Park Gardens 1870 homestead, a bushP school, a settler’s hut, a dairy, a forge and sheds Pioneer T exhibiting horse-drawn vehicles and early farm implements andAthllon machinery. N Farm Museum 8 Creek Kangaroo 3 Each building is wired for sound so you can hear about residents’ life stories Drakeford 5 RiverCheryl's and the items on display.Hampden Kids will love swinging on the suspension bridge, Cheryl's River Bridge 0 100m Beach Beach looking for fossils on the giant Selby Rock, running on the fun barrel and seeingP T the double-seated family loo.TO There are picnic tables, barbeques and toilets 7 KV VILLAGE and all buildings have wheelchair& NOWRA access. For opening times and entry fees, see 9 Kangaroo www.kangaroovalleymuseum.com.au GREENWAY Lake P Tuggeranong College Cowlishaw St Anketell St 70 71 P N Pitman St Wy Dr 0 250m P Soward Tuggeranong Reed St S Weir 17 Mt Ettalong Lookout 17 Mt Ettalong Lookout 72 73 13 Minnie Ha Ha 13 Minnie Ha Ha Falls and Flatrock Finding the track on the underside deliver a nasty sting. The footpad Falls and Flatrock From Kangaroo Valley soon leads to a low cascade village, cross Hampden on the creek. One of the loveliest short drives in Bridge and soon turn right the Shoalhaven wends upstream At a glance into Upper Kangaroo Continue alongside River Road. Drive for 14.3 the creek, the footpad of the Kangaroo River, penetrating 2 Grade: Medium/hard kilometres (the last few becoming more obscure. deep into the cliff-girt upper Time: 2 hrs 30 mins unpaved) and park at a Progress can be made on Kangaroo Valley to an idyllic spot Distance: 2.5 km circuit clearing on the left. the true right bank (that known unofficially as Flatrock, Conditions: Slippery rocks and is, the left as you walk Walk directions where the savvy locals come to stinging trees; no formed track upstream) combined with swim and picnic. Agile types adept rock-hopping in the creek. cascade. The footpad Walk down the road Look out for the superb climbs beside the creek at rock-hopping will be amply rewarded by this short walk following 1 towards the concrete bird’s-nest ferns and in sight of more cascades contributory Gibson Creek up to lovely Minnie Ha Ha Falls. Along the ford of Gibsons Creek elkhorns growing high in before veering left uphill way, try not to let the creek’s cascades and the lush rainforest scenery but do not cross it. At the the canopy on the opposite to join an old cedar-getters distract you from the task of staying upright while negotiating the many back of a tiny clearing on bank. trail. slippery rocks. your left, pick up a narrow footpad which follows the Shortly, you’ll reach Soon leave this to creek upstream. You are 3 a broad, two-tiered 4 descend again to the immediately immersed drop-off with several creek at a place where in a world of cool, dark threads of water flowing the opposite bank forms rainforest.