We have been camping on a private property at Nowra in New South Wales and our hosts suggested we would enjoy a trip to Kangaroo Valley and Cambewarra Lookout. What a great idea that turned out to be!

The climb up the mountain and then on to Kangaroo Valley was steep and winding and I was grateful to be in a modern vehicle rather than my old campervan. As a matter of fact I would have never have even considered this drive in dear old Brutus the Beast. He would have struggled up some of these slopes in 1st gear and truly hated the hairpin bends! The Butterfly 🦋 flew up without a problem, although the driver, me, really had to concentrate. It was all worth it though for views like this!

The little village of Kangaroo Valley was charming, with quaint old buildings and an unusual historic bridge.

Hampden Bridge is a fully restored timber suspension bridge originally opened in 1898. All timbers were replaced in 2010 when it underwent a major restoration.

You don’t want to be in a hurry because it’s only a single lane bridge and cars line up waiting their turn to cross. Fortunately there is also a walkway along both sides of the bridge and they give a fantastic view of the steep cliffs, sandy beach and river below.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Deli and took away these yummy vanilla slices to enjoy for dessert tonight.

I couldn’t believe we’d done all this and we were nearly back at camp only 3 hours later. I’m sure it must have been those winding roads that made it feel like a full day out!

PS. I can report that the vanilla slice tasted as good as it looked!