In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Sydney’s south-western edge via Bowral and Georgian Berrima to the marble caves of Wombeyan, to the gorge rims of Bundanoon and Fitzroy Falls, down into Kangaroo Valley and via Robertson and Macquarie Pass to the Illawarra Escarpment: around 730 km in short stages with steep passes.
The spirit of the route
An hour’s drive south-west of Sydney, the land tips into a different climate. On the plateau of the Southern Highlands, oaks, elms and maples stand alongside eucalypts, tulips and rhododendrons bloom in the gardens in spring, and in the mornings the fog often lies so thick over the paddocks that cows and fences only appear at ten metres. Then the plateau suddenly breaks off: near Bundanoon and Fitzroy Falls, creeks plunge over sandstone edges into gorges full of tree ferns, and below, the Kangaroo River winds through a green valley. In the evening at Bendeela, you look out of the sliding door onto grassy flats where wombats waddle about while sulphur-crested cockatoos squabble in the trees. The route is short but not casual: Barrengarry Mountain, Cambewarra and Macquarie Pass demand low gears, and if you experience the Robertson rainforest in drizzle, you understand why everything here is so green.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Campbelltown (south-western edge of Sydney) to Mittagong and Bowral (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Sydney serves only as the starting point: from the south-western edge at Campbelltown, take the Hume Motorway (M31) south-west – wide, four-lane and toll-free – through eucalypt forest and over the Nepean bridges. After Yerrinbool, leave at the Mittagong exit onto the Old Hume Highway, drive through Mittagong and continue on Bowral Road to Bowral. A good hour’s driving; on the plateau from around 600 m altitude it is noticeably cooler, and frosty on winter mornings.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame in Bowral at Bradman Oval, where Don Bradman played as a youth – a good introduction to a piece of Australian identity, even if you know nothing about cricket.
- Corbett Gardens in the centre of Bowral: a park known for its tulip beds in spring; all around are cafés, bookshops and old gardens on Bendooley Street and Bong Bong Street.
- Mount Gibraltar (Mount Gib) between Mittagong and Bowral: lookouts over the plateau and towards Wollondilly; the access is a narrow mountain road, so with large vehicles you are better off going on foot via the summit track.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mittagong Caravan Park on the Old Hume Highway in Mittagong: powered sites, amenities, suitable for caravans and motorhomes; Bowral itself has no campground in the centre. Book early on weekends with garden festivals and in the school holidays. Check facilities and dump options with the park in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Wingecarribee Shire designates no areas for free camping around Mittagong–Bowral; camping in your vehicle on streets, in car parks and in parks is not provided for, and the residential streets are narrow. Plan on a campground.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the centre of Bowral, parking is short-term and the car parks are height-restricted. For longer vehicles, the side streets around Bradman Oval are better. The Mittagong–Bowral area has the last large supermarkets and cheap petrol stations before the detour to Wombeyan.
2Stage 2: Bowral to Wombeyan Caves (via Berrima, Goulburn and Taralga) (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- West to Berrima, then on the Hume Motorway (110 km/h) via Marulan to Goulburn and north on Taralga Road through open grazing land with granite boulders to Taralga. From there, the last section of Wombeyan Caves Road runs around 23 km over a mix of bitumen and gravel with bends down into the limestone valley. According to NSW National Parks, the old, narrow and steep access road directly from Mittagong is closed until further notice after severe storm damage – the caves can only be reached via Taralga, i.e. from Goulburn or from the north via Oberon. About 2.5 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Berrima: a Georgian village laid out around 1830 with sandstone houses. The gaol (Berrima Gaol, c. 1839) with its high wall, the Courthouse with a small museum and the Surveyor General Inn line the main street; a riverside path follows the Wingecarribee River.
- Taralga: a small country town with 19th-century stone buildings, a pub and a shop – a good break before the gravel section.
- Wombeyan Caves in the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve: marble caves, some guided, some self-guided (Fig Tree Cave); cave access only with a valid ticket and during the day, according to NPWS from 9 am to 3:30 pm.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wombeyan Caves Campground (NSW National Parks) on the valley floor next to the caves: marked sites for motorhomes, caravans and campervans, 17 powered sites, drinking water, amenities block with hot showers and flush toilets, communal kitchen, coin-operated washing machine. Book online with NSW National Parks. Fire rings are provided at 21 marked sites (bring your own wood, collecting is prohibited). According to NPWS, chemical toilets are not permitted at the campground – so do not use your on-board toilet and empty the cassette beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The reserve only allows overnight stays at the campground. Along the way via Goulburn and Taralga there are no sensible free camping spots; rest areas on the Hume Motorway are meant for breaks, and truck bays are off-limits.
- Insider tip for campers
- Wombeyan has no petrol station and hardly any mobile reception – fill up, shop and top up your water in Goulburn. In Berrima’s village centre, park large vehicles on the edge of town and walk. After heavy rain, check NSW National Parks alerts before setting off, as the gravel part of the access road can suffer; clarify rental conditions for unsealed roads in advance.
3Stage 3: Wombeyan Caves to Bundanoon (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Back via Taralga to Goulburn, then north-east on the Hume Motorway to the exit towards Exeter/Bundanoon and on narrower country roads through paddocks and hedgerows to Bundanoon on the edge of Morton National Park. Around 2 hours’ driving; leave Wombeyan early so you still reach the gorge rims in the afternoon.
- Highlights & must-sees
- In the morning at Wombeyan, one more self-guided cave or the short walk to the marble gorge before the day visitors arrive.
- Lookouts in Morton National Park near Bundanoon (including Echo Point and Tooths Lookout): views into the sandstone gorge of Bundanoon Creek as far as the flat-topped mountains around the Shoalhaven.
- Glow Worm Glen: a short evening walk from the edge of Bundanoon (end of William Street) to a sandstone overhang where glow-worm larvae light up after dark – best after rain, only with red light and no flash.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Gambells Rest Campground in Morton National Park, a few minutes from Bundanoon’s town centre: only 10 marked unpowered sites in the forest, suitable for tents, camper trailers, caravans and camping beside your vehicle; kangaroos and wombats graze there in the evening. Toilets, hot showers, drinking water and barbecues. Book online with NSW National Parks or by phone via the National Parks Contact Centre, check-in from 2 pm; with long vehicles, ask about site size in advance. If you need power, switch to parks in Moss Vale or Mittagong.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the national park, only at booked campgrounds. Overnight stays are not permitted in lookout car parks or in town; the car parks at the lookouts are closed or patrolled in the evening.
- Insider tip for campers
- NSW National Parks charges a daily vehicle entry fee for the Bundanoon area (Park’nPay app or machine); according to NPWS it is payable in addition to the camping fee. For Glow Worm Glen, dress warmly – on the plateau the temperature drops quickly at night – and bring a head torch with a red-light function.
4Stage 4: Bundanoon to Kangaroo Valley (Bendeela) (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- Via Exeter and Sutton Forest to Moss Vale, then east on Nowra Road (Moss Vale Road) to Fitzroy Falls. Beyond the waterfall, the road drops as Barrengarry Mountain in tight hairpins and on a steep gradient around 500 vertical metres into Kangaroo Valley – choose a low gear, go easy on the brakes, and in the hairpins watch for oncoming traffic in the middle of the road. In fog, visibility at the top is often only a few metres. Through the village of Kangaroo Valley and over Hampden Bridge to Bendeela Recreation Area on Lake Yarrunga. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Fitzroy Falls: boardwalk from the Visitor Centre to the lookouts above the falls, which drop around 80 m; the walks along the gorge edges (East and West Rim) reveal the Yarrunga valley.
- Barrengarry Mountain: pull-outs on the descent with views of the fields and mountain forest of Kangaroo Valley – only use them if there is enough room.
- Hampden Bridge: a suspension bridge from 1898 with sandstone towers over the Kangaroo River, the valley’s landmark.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bendeela Recreation Area (WaterNSW) on the Kangaroo River and Lake Yarrunga, around 7 km west of Kangaroo Valley: free, large grassy areas, toilets, treated drinking water, dump point for cassette toilets only (not for caravan grey or black water tanks). A free booking is required (carry your booking number, take a screenshot); sites themselves are not allocated but taken in order of arrival; maximum 7 consecutive days, no dogs, no fires. The front area is accessible around the clock, the back area only at certain times. If you need power: private tourist parks in the valley.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Wild camping in river and riverside car parks, at Hampden Bridge or at picnic areas is not permitted in Kangaroo Valley; Shoalhaven City and Wingecarribee carry out patrols. Bendeela is the legal, free alternative.
- Insider tip for campers
- Many wombats live at Bendeela and wander across the sites at dusk: keep at least 5 m away, do not feed them, drive slowly and keep food locked in the vehicle at night. Generators and music off from 9 pm to 8 am. Kangaroo Valley has a petrol station and a small shop; the nearest supermarket is in Moss Vale or Nowra.
5Stage 5: Bendeela to Bendeela (Kangaroo River) (approx. 15 km)
- The drive
- A day without moving camp: a short drive to the village of Kangaroo Valley and Hampden Bridge, otherwise canoe and hiking boots. Hampden Bridge is narrow (carriageway around 5.6 m) and currently limited to 23 t, so no problem for motorhomes and rigs; during the restoration works there is traffic control during the day and occasional full closures at night – follow the signage and Live Traffic NSW.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Canoe or kayak trip on the Kangaroo River: calm water between riverside forest and rocks; several launch points at Bendeela, and boats can be hired in the valley. Wear a life jacket; motorboats are prohibited.
- Multi-day trip on Lake Yarrunga: basic paddle-in campsites on the shore, only with a booking through NSW National Parks and for a maximum of two nights.
- Pioneer Village Museum next to Hampden Bridge with buildings from the settler era; in the village of Kangaroo Valley, cafés and galleries along Moss Vale Road.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Second night at Bendeela. The site is very busy at weekends and in the school holidays; during the week you will find the quieter corners by the river.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Outside the designated paddle-in campsites, overnight stays on Lake Yarrunga are not permitted, not even on sandbanks.
- Insider tip for campers
- According to WaterNSW, Tallowa Dam at the end of the lake is closed to vehicles until further notice due to construction work – you can neither launch nor pick up boats there. The weather changes quickly in the valley, and the river rises after heavy rain; don’t forget your hat in the midday heat.
6Stage 6: Bendeela to Bendeela (via Cambewarra Lookout and Berry) (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- From the village of Kangaroo Valley, head east on Moss Vale Road over Cambewarra Mountain: another steep stretch of hairpins through mountain forest, at whose crest the side road to the lookout branches off. Then down to Cambewarra and via Bomaderry on the Princes Highway briefly north to Berry. Return the same way. The direct Kangaroo Valley Road from Berry over Berry Mountain is narrow, steep and winding – avoid it with large motorhomes and rigs. About 2 hours’ driving in total.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cambewarra Lookout: views over the Shoalhaven estuary to the coast and back into Kangaroo Valley; kiosk and picnic areas; the access road is short but narrow.
- Berry: a small town with 19th-century verandas, bakeries and antique shops – a short stroll is enough.
- Coolangatta Estate near Shoalhaven Heads is a short detour from Berry to a vineyard and historic buildings of the first European settlement in the region.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Third night at Bendeela (maximum 7 consecutive days). Alternatively, the showground in Berry offers sites for campers for a fee, including power and a dump point, provided no event is taking place; book via the Shoalhaven Visitor Centre, no generators, no fires – enquire beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Shoalhaven City designates no areas for free camping here; camping in your vehicle on streets, in car parks and in foreshore reserves is not provided for, and the coast is patrolled.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Berry, parking in the centre is difficult for long vehicles; the side streets north of the main street are more relaxed. For a supermarket and petrol at better prices, the short detour to Bomaderry/Nowra is worthwhile.
7Stage 7: Bendeela to Sydney (via Robertson, Macquarie Pass and Illawarra) (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- Through the valley and up Barrengarry Mountain to Fitzroy Falls, then on Myra Vale Road and Belmore Falls Road to the lookouts and on to Robertson. From Robertson, the Illawarra Highway descends over Macquarie Pass around 600 vertical metres in tight hairpin bends and with long downhill stretches through rainforest to Albion Park – use engine braking or a low gear; frequent motorcyclists and trucks. Then north on the Princes Motorway (M1) past Wollongong; if you want to include Bulli Lookout, drive up via Bulli and Bulli Pass (Princes Highway) and rejoin the M1 towards Sydney at the top. According to Kiama Council, trucks, buses and caravans are not permitted on Jamberoo Mountain Road as an alternative. About 3.5 hours’ driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Belmore Falls: Hindmarsh Lookout and the lookouts on Belmore Falls Road show the two-tiered falls above Barrengarry Creek; according to NSW National Parks, the track to the base and to the top of the falls is closed.
- Robertson Nature Reserve: a small remnant of the former Yarrawa rainforest with a short loop walk beneath sassafras and mosses, often in fog; in town, the big potato sculpture and a well-known pie bakery on the highway.
- Illawarra Escarpment: at the foot of Macquarie Pass, the picnic area for the Cascades in Macquarie Pass National Park; at the top of Bulli Pass, Bulli Lookout with views over the coastal plain and the sea.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: No overnight stay is planned on this final stage. If you extend your trip, you will find several holiday parks with power and dump facilities in the Wollongong area.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays are not permitted in the lookout car parks at Belmore Falls, Bulli and Macquarie Pass; Wollongong City also patrols the coastal car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive Macquarie Pass in the dark in fog or heavy rain; after storms there can be rockfalls and closures – check Live Traffic NSW. In Robertson, take another break before the pass and let the brakes cool down. The return trip via the M1 is toll-free; only within Sydney’s urban area do toll roads come into play, depending on your destination.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- New South Wales does not regulate free camping statewide: councils (here Wingecarribee, Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan, Shoalhaven, Wollongong) decide over their land, NSW National Parks over national parks and reserves, and WaterNSW over the foreshore areas at the reservoirs. Overnight stays in lookout, town, riverside and picnic car parks are not permitted on this route; rangers issue fines.
- NSW National Parks (Morton, Wombeyan, Lake Yarrunga paddle-in campsites): only at campgrounds with online booking. In several parks, including Fitzroy Falls and Bundanoon, a daily vehicle entry fee applies on top, payable via the Park’nPay app or machine; check amounts on the NPWS website beforehand. Dogs and drones without a permit are prohibited.
- Bendeela (WaterNSW) is free but requires a booking; maximum 7 consecutive days, no fires, no pets, do not leave tents and caravans unattended for more than 24 hours.
- Fire and bushfire: the statutory Bush Fire Danger Period in NSW usually begins on 1 October and lasts until the end of March, longer in some areas. On Rural Fire Service Total Fire Ban days, open fires are prohibited, and at Bendeela the gas barbecues too. The Hazards Near Me app shows fires, warning levels and fire bans; at the “Emergency Warning” level, follow instructions immediately and avoid gorge rims and forest roads.
- Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate show sites, dump points and user reviews; Live Traffic NSW shows closures, fog and accident reports on the Hume, Barrengarry Mountain and Macquarie Pass.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump points: Bendeela has emptying points for cassette toilets only, not for waste water tanks. Chemical toilets are not permitted at Wombeyan. For full fresh and waste water services, use the caravan park in Mittagong, Berry Showground or holiday parks on the coast; WikiCamps shows further public dump points.
- Water: tap water in the towns is drinkable; Bendeela and Wombeyan have drinking water. On the gorge walks in Morton and at the lookouts there is usually none – fill your bottles.
- Gas: Australian cylinders mostly have an LCC27 valve, older ones still POL. Swaps at petrol stations and hardware stores in Mittagong, Moss Vale, Goulburn and Nowra, refills at gas refill stations if the test date is valid; European cylinders are not refilled. On the plateau you heat at night even in spring – keep an eye on the level.
- Fuel: fill up in Goulburn before Wombeyan, as there is no petrol station there. Kangaroo Valley has only a small petrol station with higher prices; cheaper in Moss Vale, Bowral and Nowra. The FuelCheck app compares prices in NSW.
- Shopping: large supermarkets in Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Goulburn and Nowra; Taralga, Bundanoon, Kangaroo Valley and Robertson have only small shops.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Driving on the left: overtake on the right, roundabouts clockwise. In the hairpins of Barrengarry Mountain, Cambewarra Mountain and Macquarie Pass, keep well to the left and expect trucks and buses to come towards you in the middle of the bend.
- Speed: 50 km/h in towns, generally 100 km/h outside towns, 110 km/h on the Hume Motorway and the M1 where signposted; school zones 40 km/h on school days at the times shown. Lower limits and advisory curve speeds apply in places on the pass roads. NSW enforces with speed, average-speed and mobile phone cameras.
- Tolls: the Hume Motorway and the M1 south of Sydney are toll-free. Only Sydney’s urban motorways (e.g. M5, M7, M8) are tolled, cashless via e-tag or pass; without a tag, pay within 72 hours. In NSW you cannot nominate another driver, and with rental vehicles an admin fee is added.
- Animals and fog: wombats, kangaroos and wallabies cross mainly at dusk and at night; wombats are low, heavy and barely visible in fog. Drive slowly outside towns at night and do not swerve suddenly. The plateau is often in fog; in winter there is a risk of frost and ice on bridges and shaded hairpins – headlights on low beam, increase your following distance.
- Passes and vehicles: the old Wombeyan access from Mittagong is closed, trucks, buses and caravans are not permitted on Jamberoo Mountain Road, Hampden Bridge is limited to 23 t, and Kangaroo Valley Road over Berry Mountain is unpleasant for large vehicles. Barrengarry, Cambewarra and Macquarie Pass are permitted but steep – go easy on the brakes, choose a low gear.
- Unsealed roads and insurance: rental conditions often exclude gravel roads or only allow access roads to campgrounds; clarify in writing before booking whether the gravel section to Wombeyan is covered. Driving licence: if your foreign licence is not in English, you also need an International Driving Permit or a recognised translation. Blood alcohol limit 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Head torch with red light – for Glow Worm Glen and for paths at Bendeela, without dazzling wombats and glow-worms.
- Warm layers, a beanie and a rain jacket: on the plateau it is often foggy, wet and considerably cooler than in Sydney, and frosty in winter.
- Leech protection (gaiters or salt) for the damp rainforest tracks in Robertson, at the Cascades and at the foot of the Bundanoon gorges.
- Dry bag and your own life jacket if you bring your canoe to the Kangaroo River or paddle on Lake Yarrunga for several days.
- Gas stove with windshield – campfires are always prohibited at Bendeela, and on Total Fire Ban days the gas barbecues too.
- Offline maps and the Emergency Plus app: there is hardly any reception at Wombeyan, at Bendeela and in the gorges.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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