There's one thing every visitor to Australia want to do: see a wild kangaroo. There's nothing like spotting your first kangaroo bounding across the road or sparring on the golf course. The first time we saw wild kangaroos was the moment we looked at each other and laughed, acknowledging that we really had made it to the land down under.
Most people think they're everywhere, hopping down the streets of city centres but they're actually harder to find than you think.
Since most people will visit Sydney at some point on their Aussie trip we have chosen places that are within a few hours of the city. It's a bonus that these areas are gorgeous too and well worth a few days of your trip.
Wallabies live much closer to the city, so if you don’t mind whether it’s a roo or a wallaby you see, we’ve added where to see wallabies at the end of this post.
The places we have listed here offer pretty much guaranteed for sightings. Enjoy!
Where can I see wild kangaroos near Sydney?
These are the best places to see wild kangaroos near Sydney:
You can find all of these locations on Google Maps via a customised map we’ve created. Simply click this link to see it.
1 - Australian Botanic Gardens - Camden
The best place to see wild kangaroos nearest the city is the Australian Botanic Gardens in Camden, a suburb that is an hour west of the city centre.
The gardens are a nice place to meander around but it’s the large grassy entrance way where you are most likely to find some Eastern Grey Kangaroos.
Early morning or late afternoon are your best bet, and we’ve never had trouble seeing them here.
Essential info
Location: Australian Botanic Gardens, 362 Narellan Rd, Mount Annan NSW 2567
Getting to the Australian Botanic Gardens: The Australian Botanic Gardens are in Camden in the South-west of Sydney. It’s a 45 minute drive from the centre of Sydney, and there’s plenty of free parking
2 - Jenolan Caves Cottages, Blue Mountains
The best place to see kangaroos in the mountains is definitely by the Jenolan Caves Cottages, near Jenolan caves.
There is a large mob that always hangs around this area and are quite undisturbed by your presence.
It makes for a great spot to sit and relax and you can get close enough to take some great photos.
You can also enjoy one of the many walking trails or lookouts on your trip to the Blue Mountains.
Essential info
Address: Jenolan Caves Cottages, Jenolan Caves Road, Jenolan, 2790
Getting to Jenolan Caves Cottages: The cottages are just over a 3 hour drive from the centre of Sydney and near Jenolan Caves.
3 - Euroka Campground, Blue Mountains
If you aren't going as far as Jenolan on your visit the next best option would be Euroka campground. This is just outside the town of Glenbrook at the foot of the mountains and only a very short detour from the main road running between Sydney and Katoomba.
Whilst the roos are spotted here regularly, for the best chance of seeing them go early in the morning or late afternoon. We've seen them very close to the campground itself, and also all along the final section of the drive into camp.
We absolutely love the Blue Mountains, it's one of our favourite places in all of Australia, if you're looking for ideas for your mountains itinerary, check out our guide to the best walks in the Blue Mountains.
Essential Info
Address: Fern Glen Walking Track, Blue Mountains National Park NSW 2787
Getting to Euroka Campground: The Euroka Campground is a 1 hour drive from the centre of Sydney.
Don't have a car? Then check out this tour by Get Your Guide for a chance to walk with wild kangaroos and wombats near Sydney!
The tour will take you to the Budderoo and Morton National Park near Kangaroo Valley to see these incredible animals in the wild.
4 - Bawley Point
This is my favourite place in the whole list to see wild kangaroos near Sydney.
There are so many of them you won't have to search long to find them.
You can see them in many different places around this area but for a magical experience head to Pebbly beach in the late afternoon. It is one of our favourite beaches in NSW.
The roos love a good trip to the beach, as much as any Aussie and will happily pose for photos. Don't feed them though as it is really bad for their health, but you can get close enough for lovely photo opportunities while observing their natural behaviour.
It's a really special wildlife experience and one not to be missed.
Essential info
Address: Pebbly Beach Access Rd, Pebbly Beach NSW 2536
Getting to Pebbly Beach: Pebbly Beach is a 3.5 hour drive from the centre of Sydney on the South Coast of NSW.
Read next: The best places to see a wild kangaroo in Melbourne
5 - The Hunter Valley
It's very common to see kangaroos in the Hunter Valley, and they can be found in many different areas. You’ll probably spot one without even trying, particularly if you are driving back to your accommodation around sunset.
Most visitors tend to stay in the Pokolbin area, close to the main wineries, the places we always spot them around here are in Lovedale where they used to hang around the golf course, but lately seem to be in the fields opposite. We also always see them in the fields along McDonalds Road, which is also Pokolbin.
Our favourite spot though is at the Whispering Brook winery in Broke, where they were hanging out amongst the vines and the olive grove. It’s also one of the best cellar door experiences in the Hunter, so book in for their last slot and then go looking for the roos after. We’ve got the details on other roo spots and all the best things to do in the Hunter Valley in this post.
Like all kangaroos, are most active early morning and late afternoon.
They tend to sleep in the middle of the day, though you can get lucky sometimes.
The Hunter Valley is also a great spot for indulgence, the wine here is of course excellent, but it's also a real foodie destination. It's one of our favourite weekend getaways from Sydney, and a great place to kick back and relax.
Essential info
Address: McDonalds Road, Pokolbin or Whispering Brook Winery in Broke
Getting there: Both spots are just over a 2 hour drive from Sydney.
6 - Caves Beach Campground
Roos are commonly spotted all over Jervis Bay, including the driveway of our Airbnb in Hyams. Our favourite spot though is the campground beside caves beach in Booderee National Park.
This location has the added bonus of also having one of the best beaches in NSW too.
Head to the campground in the late afternoon (you do have to pay the $11 park entrance fee, but it's worth it!) and you will find a large mob of kangaroos.
We saw some excellent sparring practice happening here and also a particularly playful joey trying to get in its mother's pouch which she was having none of!
Essential info
Address: Caves Beach Rd, Jervis Bay NSW 2540
Getting there: Caves Beach is a 2.5 hour drive from the centre of Sydney and is in the heart of Jervis Bay.
7 - Horizons Golf Course, Port Stephens
As you can tell, roos love a good golf course. The constant watering keeps the grass perfect for grazing and they don't seem to be put off by the chance of a stray ball coming their way.
We stayed at an airbnb on Horizons golf course, Salamander Bay, and the roos were there all the time.
They were very relaxed around people and happy to let you come fairly close for photographs. Keep an eye out as you drive around the whole area though, we saw lots of roos in people's backyards too!
Port Stephens is also an opportunity to see wild koalas, whilst not a guarantee like the roos, it is definitely worth having a look. We have more details on our post on best places to see koalas in the wild.
Essential info
Address: Horizons Dr, Salamander Bay NSW 2317
Getting there: Horizons Golf Club is a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney and is in Port Stephens.
8 - Mount Ainslie
This is a little further than some of the other places in this list but it would be remiss not to mention Canberra.
It isn't just Australia's capital city, it's the place with the highest concentration of kangaroos in the country!
When we visited, we were within a hair's breadth of running one over that leapt in front of our car, it's a place you'll want to drive fairly slowly in!
You won't find it hard to have a chance encounter with a roo or even a whole mob here and you'll see them in most fields right by the city centre as well as around Mount Ainslie.
Essential info
Address: Mount Ainslie, Australian Capital Territory 2609
Getting there: Mount Ainslie is a 3 hour drive south of Sydney and is in the heart of Canberra.
Canberra Animal Watching Tour
If you want to see wild kangaroos in Canberra, but want someone to take you round, then check out the tour round Tidbinbilla by Get Your Guide.
In an afternoon you can see koalas, wallabies and kangaroos in the wild in this beautiful part of Canberra.
9 - Namadji
Our favourite spot in the ACT was nearby Namadji National Park, on the drive to the wonderful Yankee Hat Walk where we saw hundreds chilling in the shade of the gumtrees. It was so easy to see them and we could simply drive up and spot them from the car! It didn’t take much effort and they didn’t seem to mind.
You can also combine this with an interesting hike.
Essential info
Address: Old Boboyan Rd, Rendezvous Creek ACT 2620
Getting there: Namadji is the furthest away of all the spots to see wild kangaroos near Sydney and is a 4 hour drive away.
Bonus
Best place to spot wallabies: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
This is the closet of all the options to the city centre and a good spot to see swamp wallabies.
We've seen wallabies on many of the tracks, including the Sphinx and Warimoo track, the Gibberagong Track and the Towlers Bay Circuit but by far the best spot is the Basin Campground. You don’t have to stay at the campground to visit, you can walk the 2.8km (each way) trail from West Head Road or use the Mackerel Track to make a really fun circuit walk.
You’ll see lots of wallabies grazing on the lawn, or sometimes poking around near the tents. They’re wonderful to watch, and not too shy, just make sure you don’t feed them!
Kangaroo Safety
Female kangaroos are safe to get close to, but if there is a male around be wary and don't get too close. Make sure you never come between a male and the females and joeys as they can get aggressive.
Males should only be observed from a distance as they can be unpredictable and highly dangerous.
Places to stay in Sydney
If you need some advice on which neighbourhood will best suit you as well as which accommodation, check out our guide on the best places to stay in Sydney and our favourite neighbourhoods.
If you're planning on visiting Sydney then check out our following blogs:
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Have you seen kangaroos in the wild? Where's your favourite spot? Let us know in the comments below.
