KANGAROO VALLEY ACCESSIBILITY – WOMBATS, SHOPPING & PICNICS

I’ve been visiting Kangaroo Valley since I was a child. This quiet town is about two hours south of Sydney (give or take) and is the perfect spot for a day trip or weekend getaway. On our most recent stay we found the countryside in Kangaroo Valley and surrounding towns so lush and green after a rainy summer. Our time away was a much needed escape from city life.

The fresh air, quiet lifestyle and relaxed pace was perfect. We didn’t do a whole lot but top of my list was seeing the wombats.

KANGAROO VALLEY WOMBATS

Kangaroo Valley’s wombats are somewhat famous and yet we’ve never managed to see them before. We are usually visiting Kangaroo Valley on a day trip and we never stay late enough to see them emerge from their burrows.

If the number of burrows is an indication of the wombat population in Kangaroo Valley, it’s booming. It was wonderful to actually see the burrows the wombats call home. I was a little concerned, as I tentatively peered in, that one may come charging at me but fortunately they were either not at home or sound asleep.

The wombats at the Bendeela Picnic and Campground are quite used to company, with the area being popular with campers. They seem to work on the theory that if they ignore the camera-toting visitors, a photo will be taken and then the snoopy guests will move on. I’m rather passionate about seeing wildlife in its natural habitat so we did stick around for quite some time but happily watched on as the wombats grazed and had a good old back scratch on the fence posts.

BJ doesn’t feel quite as warm and fuzzy about wildlife but even he seemed intrigued by the wombats. Some of the wombats were spooked by the clanging of the wheelchair over the roadway but others seemed oblivious.

If you’re keen to see the wombats, head to the Bendeela Picnic and Campground before dusk. The number of wombats increases as the sun goes down but quite a few seem to find it hard to wait for their dinner and come out earlier. We also spotted several kangaroos snacking on the grass at the campground.

You can see the wombats as you drive around but if you’d like a closer look there’s a rough path. We had BJ’s off-road tyres on his chair in anticipation of going over grass and gravel to see them up close.

Accessible bathrooms are located in the campground.

We arrived before the wombats came out to play and enjoyed the tranquil setting beside the river. AJ took her watercolours and did some painting, Hubby took the opportunity to indulge in some photography and BJ and I played ball games. It’s such a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy a picnic any time of the day.

KANGAROO VALLEY

Kangaroo Valley is filled with quaint cafes and lovely shopping. Though some of the stores are inaccessible, we did notice we could enter many with BJ in his wheelchair.

The scenery all around Kangaroo Valley is just spectacular and will make you feel like you are a million miles from city life.