Suspended in a bubble of stillness between the Southern Highlands and the Shoalhaven coastline, Kangaroo Valley is as charming as its name suggests. The town itself is a small cluster of heritage-listed buildings on the banks of the Kangaroo River, and the best way to see it is from the water.
Operating out of a charming old building just off the town’s main road, Kangaroo Valley Adventure Company (KVAC) is the area’s leading adventure company – offering everything from kayaking tours to guided mountain biking expeditions, self-guided, multi-day canoeing missions and magical hikes through hidden caves.
We booked an early morning kayak, and I can’t imagine a more inspiring way to start your day in the area. Under the guidance of the super-friendly, super-knowledgable Billy Hayes (the main player in the family-run business), we paddled under the Hampden Bridge (the oldest suspension bridge in Australia) and down river for two hours, soundtracked by lyre birds and kookaburras, with king fishers dancing on the banks and lizards sunbathing on the rocks beside the rapids.
After a hearty pub lunch at The Friendly Inn, Billy led us on an incredible cave walk – through a spectacular sandstone cave system hidden deep within the bush. “Me and dad discovered this one day about 15 years ago,” he told us as we lowered ourselves down into the surreal subterranean chamber.
Billy’s dad (Mike Hayes) founded KVAC way back in 1998, and adventure seekers from around the world have trusted the Hayes family with their Kangaroo Valley adventures. Among KVAC alumni is no other than *the* Sir David Attenbourough, who spent three months with Mike and Billy while filming his Life of Mammals series.
With a shared passion for wildlife, Billy and Mike have designed their tours to connect humans with the beauty of the natural world – treading (and paddling) lightly on the earth. Half way through our kayak, Billy invited us to stop on a shaded riverbank and spend a few minutes meditating on the sounds of the valley. These are the kinds of experiences that help you reconnect with what it means to be human, and remind you of how important it is to protect the world around us.
You can learn more and book over here.
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