Mummy, my legs hurt

Near Kangaroo Valley Distance: 1km return Duration: 20 minutes Tucked away  near Kangaroo Valley is the Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve, accessible via an unassuming dirt track that leads off a hairpin turn on Moss Vale Road at the top of Cambewarra Mountain. Leebold Hill Rd traverses the ridgeline for a few kilometres and gets progressively rougher; a bit of clearance on your car will come in handy here. Red Rocks trig point is at the end of a very short peaceful track, covered in orange butterflies when we were there in the spring time. The worn sandstone plateau brings you to a magnificent (but unfenced - be careful!) lookout with 180 degree views across the valley and Morton and Budderoo National Parks. This would be a great walk to spot cool gum nuts and cool rocks, but remember to leave everything just as you found it. This walk is within a National Parks managed reserve. It was cool and windy and we heard many tiny wrens tittering in the bushes.

Near Tallong, Southern Highlands NSW Distance: NPWS list it as 3.5km return, we got 5.3km return Duration: Listed as 3.5 - 4.5 hours and Grade 5, we took a bit under 3 (and we took our time mucking about in the creek) For our 10th wedding anniversary, Richard and I had a short getaway at Kangaroo Valley and decided to tackle a walk that we wouldn't be able to do if we had the kids in tow. Badgerys Spur walking track is just south of Tallong in the Ettrema wilderness area, and is a steep, chossy, loose track that drops 500 metres in just 2.5km. The bushland is open and scrubby making it one to avoid on very hot days and the track, although not really marked, is relatively easy to find. Climbing on all fours down this big sharp conglomerate bluff at the start you think, 'ah righto, this will be slow going!',  however the track soon evens out (but remains steep all the way down). Halfway down the hill we came to a stand of the biggest xanthorreas I'...