Weekend getaway – Visiting Fitzroy Fall and Camping at Pretty Beach (Part 1)

We have planned for this trip since last year but didn’t make it due to the pandamic hit to Sydney at that time. My husband booked a camping spot for December 2020 but then had to delay it for a year. After a few months hiding at home during lock down in NSW Australia and a busy month working on our home project, we felt extremely in need of fresh air, so we decided to spend last weekend away from the city, relaxing and connecting with nature. In my previous post, I had described how we camped next to the lake. This time, we wanted a completely different experience so we chose a place next to the beach. This fabulous campground with a lovely view out over Pretty Beach within Murramarang National Park, 3.5 hours south of Sydney is an ideal area for our weekend get away.
Before leaving, we did some research about a few places to stop. Even though the distance of about 200kms is not very long, since my husband is the only one driving, he would definitely get tired. So we decided to stop every hour for a break to let him rest and reenergize, as well as to visit other beautiful places along the way.
Our first stop is Fitzroy Falls. There are several ways to get to this village. We had nothing but time so we chose to drive through Kangaroo Valley to see the best scenery as someone recommended on the reviews. Fitzroy Falls is a small village located in New South Wales' Southern Highlands region with a population of just over 200, having the same name as the waterfall that descends more than 80 metres into Yarrunga Valley. We departed at 8am and got there around 9.50am, at that time, the parking area is quite empty. As we had the Annual National Park Pass, we didn't need to pay for the parking and no entrance fee applied.

Fitzroy Falls lookout is only 150 metres from the entrance. It took us a few minutes to get to see the waterfall from the nearest distance. If you enjoy walking, there are 2 routes: the West Rim Walk, 3.6km return, is most recommended for its most stunning views, and the East Rim Track, 6.7km return. Not so easy, both are moderated, grade 3. At the intersection, we decide to follow the West Rim Walk. The first part is an easy boardwalk. It follows the path of the creek and leads to an awesome lookout point where we can admire the beauty of this waterfall.

Following the West Rim Track for a short distance, we reached another fantastic lookout, Jersey Lookout. There are a few steep sections along the West Rim track.
The full West Rim Track terminates at the Renown Lookout from where you have the opportunity to take in some amazing views before heading back. In my opinion, it is worth visiting even though it can't be described as spectacular.

Following our visit to Kangaroo Valley, we stopped by Berry town centre for having lunch and taking a short tour around the town. I will write another post about these beautiful towns in my next post. As for this post, I just want to be respectful of nature and savor the fresh air.

Around 5pm, we finally got to Pretty Beach Campground. If you haven't known, in Australia, the sun stays up until 8pm during the summer. At that time, the campsite was packed and we were supposed to take the last spot. It took us a while to set up our tent and stuff. The campground is well-equipped and super clean which is above my expectations. We paid 34$ per night for the powered site but ended up not using any power. The unpowered site nightly rate is cheaper at 24$ which is a pretty good deal. I would be happy to rate this campground 9/10 due to its clean and well-equipped facilities with hot shower, laundry room, dish washing area, sheltered gas BBQ...

For the first time, I got the chance to approach quite close to the kangaroos. They also came to our tent at midnight to steal my rubbish bag ;). It was so cool to get to see them hanging around. On the 1st night, we were a bit scared when some of the kangaroos walked around our tent. We could even hear clearly the sound of them eating the grass.
The beach is a short walk away. It's so scenic and the water was very warm. They even set up some tables on the grass field where you can enjoy your breakfast and have the best view of the Pretty Beach. Totally worth any penny we paid for it and I don't mind to come back again in the future.

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