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13 Best Kangaroo Valley Waterfalls & Swimming Holes

There are so many amazing Kangaroo Valley waterfalls and swimming spots to discover, let us introduce some of the best hidden gems in Sydney! Although many people refer to Kangaroo Valley as a country getaway for food lovers and wineries, there’s plenty of adventure waiting to be explored.

Whilst many of these Kangaroo Valley waterfalls mentioned in this article aren’t safe or legal to swim in at the bottom of them, there are a couple of proper hidden gems you can swim in! We’re sharing all of the waterfalls in Southern Highlands with you, which range from Bundanoon down to West Nowra.

So, let’s crack on and share some of the best Kangaroo Valley waterfalls and swimming holes with you!

Kangaroo Valley Waterfalls Map

 

We thought it would be easier to show you where the waterfalls are located on a Kangaroo Valley waterfalls map, so you can work out which one’s you want to see within your time frame.

If we had to choose just a couple to see, we would personally go to Carrington Falls, Belmore Falls, Flat Rock Waterhole and Jump Rock at Macquarie Pass.


Kangaroo Valley Waterfalls

Kangaroo Valley is home to some of the best waterfalls near Sydney! Whilst there are some incredible Blue Mountains waterfalls to visit, we think Kangaroo Valley easily rivals as being home to some fantastic walks and hidden gems to discover.

1. Fitzroy Falls

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Fitzroy Falls might be the most well known of the Kangaroo Valley waterfalls, but it’s a gorgeous one too! There are loads of walks to explore different vantage points of the 81m drop waterfall, such as The East Rim Walking Track, Wildflower Walking Track and The West Rim Walking Track. You can discover more about the walking paths on the National Parks site.

Warning! Please do not attempt to walk to the bottom of Fitzroy Falls. It’s an incredibly dangerous hike, where rock climbing using ropes is involved on an unmarked and disused path.


2. Flack Rock Waterhole

Flack Rock Waterhole in Kangaroo Valley has to be one of our best finds in the area. I found it hidden in the internet and just had a feeling it was going to be a special place. The drive to this swimming hole in the Upper Kangaroo Valley is worth it just to enjoy the gorgeous views itself. You’ll need a high clearance car (doesn’t need to be 4wd) to get to this swimming spot, as the road gets quite bumpy the closer you get towards the swimming hole.

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Stop off at nearby swimming holes and bridges a long the way and feel like you’re truly off the beaten track. We took the above photo opposite the Upper Kangaroo Valley hall.


3. Gerringong Falls

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Gerringong Falls in Budderoo National Park is one of the most remarkable Kangaroo Valley waterfalls to visit. Although it’s become really popular on social media, we recommend only visiting the top of the waterfall. The bottom of the falls is impossible to find – trust me, we tried! We actually wrote about why you shouldn’t try to get to the bottom of Gerringong Falls because it’s so dangerous.

To get to the top of Gerringong Falls, it’s a long 8.4km walk, but we recommend taking your bike and cycling it because it’s not the most exciting walk along a fire trail. At the end of the fire trail you’ll come to the top of Gerringong Falls, which is a spectacular sight. It takes about 1hr on your bike to get to the top. Just be careful at the top of the falls and don’t get too close. There are no fences in place.

Read Our Gerringong Falls Guides


Bundanoon Waterfalls

Whilst there’s only one waterfall that we know of in Bundanoon, check out this easy walk and get right into nature with the whole family.

4. Fairy Bower Falls

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Image via flicker

Fair Bower Falls in Bundanoon is located in Moreton National Park. To access this park, you need to pay $7 for a day pass. It takes about an hour return to do this hike which leads you down steep stairs to viewing platforms and to the base of the Fairy Bower Falls. Wear hiking boots and take water for this hike.


5. Robertson Waterfalls

There are so many waterfalls in Robertson, which are some of the best waterfalls in Sydney. Here are the waterfalls you need to discover in the area, which totally blew us away!

6. Carrington Falls

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Carrington Falls is literally one of the best Kangaroo Valley waterfalls! I saw it for the first time recently because it was closed for quite a long time last time I came here a few years back. The granite walls encompass this Kangaroo Valley waterfall, it’s a spectacular sight (the photo above doesn’t do it any justice!). There’s loads of viewing platforms, but just make sure you don’t jump over any of the fences – they are there for a reason.

It’s not advised to attempt to reach the bottom of Carrington Falls as it’s not maintained by National Parks and the track is dangerous and overgrown. Good news is, there are a couple of lovely swimming spots down the road from Carrington Falls you should check out below instead!


7. Nellies Glen

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Nellies Glen is a lovely little pool for families, hikers and campers to cool off in when visiting in the summer. It’s located just a couple of minutes drive from Carrington Falls and is popular amongst families and day trippers from Sydney.


8. Blue Pool

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Access to Blue Pool is literally 50m from the car park and next to the Carrington Falls Campground. Have fun in the middle of nature and enjoy a swim with friends and family. It’s a lovely spot and one we would happily go back to for a swim.


9. Belmore Falls

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Belmore Falls in Budderoo National Park is one of the most popular Kangaroo Valley waterfalls to visit. We’ve been here loads of times because it’s so beautiful. Although you’ll probably see a lot of people swimming at the bottom of the Belmore Falls, please don’t go down there because it’s actually illegal. As tempting as it is, if you’re caught, you’ll be fined at least $450.

If you do attempt it, please be aware that there are a couple of routes to get down to the bottom, and go from the far left hand side of the car park away from the falls (which is the safer route). I’m only saying this because we spoke to a couple during our recent visit who went the wrong way and had to rock climb down there, telling us how unsafe it was.

If you do go down to the bottom, you’ll see a sign saying it’s illegal which is the safer path to take as there’s no rock climbing involved. We know this because we hiked down to the bottom years ago, before it became illegal. Like we said though, please do not attempt this hike as you could be fined.


Macquarie Pass Waterfalls

10. Jump Rock

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I love Jump Rock at Macquarie Pass because this photo always makes me think it’s a fairytale. The route takes about 30 minutes to get to from the car park. You’ll probably see a lot of people along the way who will reassure you about whether you’re going the correct way. Bring a packed lunch and spend the whole day at this incredible place.


Jamberoo Waterfalls

You might think Jamberoo is all about the Jamberro Action Park, but there’s a beautiful waterfall to visit there too!

11. Minnamurra Falls

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Minnamurra Waterfall is located in the Minnamurra Rainforest. It’s mad to believe there is a rainforest near to Sydney! Known at The Falls Walk, it will take you between 1-2 hours to hike the 4.2km rainforest loop. During this Kangaroo Valley walk, you’ll have access to viewing platforms at the bottom and top of the falls. No swimming is allowed at this waterfall near Sydney, but it’s definitely worth visiting.


Waterfalls Near Jervis Bay

Did you know there are a couple of Jervis Bay waterfalls to visit. Although they are under an hour’s drive from Kangaroo Valley, we wanted to include them into this post if you’re heading down to Jervis Bay and in the area.

12. Tianjara Falls (near Jervis Bay)

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Image via Shoalhavencom

You’ll find Tianjara Falls in West Nowra. Luckily, there’s hardly any walking to be done to gain access to this amazing waterfall. You’ll find the lookout located just a few hundred metres from the carpark.


13. Granite Falls

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Image via Shoalhavencom

Granite Falls in Moreton National Park is is another waterfall to consider near Jervis Bay. The 63 metre waterfalls is just 1km walk from the car park. During the walk, you’ll enter into a eucalyptus forest which has loads of signs to learn more about it. There is a lookout when you reach the falls, but we recommend visiting after its rained as this waterfall doesn’t see a lot of water generally.


We hope you enjoyed this waterfalls in Kangaroo Valley article! Check out our popular 16 Best Waterfalls In Sydney post for more wild swimming inspiration.

13 Best Kangaroo Valley Waterfalls

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