Kangaroo Valley Twilight Run 2026

04 January 2026 / Story by Bryan Shedden, Photos by Andrew Edgar

The Kangaroo Valley Twilight Run remains a firm favourite on the Illawarra Chapter calendar, reliably kick-starting the new year with a great drive and a solid pub meal. 2026 marked the eighth running of the event, and after past encounters with fog, thunderstorms, bushfires, extreme heat and plague, it was refreshing to enjoy a third consecutive year of near-perfect conditions. One couple withdrew due to dire storm and hail forecasts—neither of which eventuated—proving once again that weather apps are not to be trusted.

We met at Hungry Jack’s Haywards Bay on a cloudy but warm mid-20s afternoon, with storm clouds brooding over the Southern Highlands and the usual MX-5 debate underway: roof up or roof down? A quick radar check settled the matter, and it turned out to be a perfect summer evening for a country drive and beer-garden dinner.

Attendance was excellent: 60 registrations, only four cancellations, and 56 people on the day. The carpark buzzed with excited conversation as 30 MX-5s and one lone Mustang assembled, while four members made their own way directly to Kangaroo Valley.

Managing a convoy of this size is never easy, particularly across mountain roads. CB radios were employed, with the convoy stretching close to 3km, and a big thank you goes to Lena, Pam, Julie and Paul for relaying messages along the line. Apart from one “runner” requiring an urgent stop at Robertson, the convoy arrived intact—no small achievement.

The drive itself was superb, following Jamberoo Mountain Road, Tourist Road, Kangaloon, Robertson, Myra Vale, Fitzroy Falls and Barrengarry Pass. Traffic was absent except for a ridiculously slow Porsche Cayenne doing 40 in the 60 zone over to Jamberoo. The roads delivered plenty of twists, most of the potholes had been repaired, and the late-afternoon light showed off an ever-changing landscape of dairy country, rainforest, towering eucalypts, reservoirs, potato fields and finally the sweeping view into Kangaroo Valley.

Dinner at The Friendly Inn began with a lengthy queue, but the kitchen was impressively efficient, with meals arriving within 15 minutes. Our reserved marquee seating proved well-timed when a brief shower passed through, and it was great to see members from Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the South Coast mixing easily with Illawarra regulars.

The return drive was the icing on the cake. Much of the route was retraced, and for some of us it delivered uninterrupted, roof-down motoring. A light shower left the road steaming in the cooling evening air—an atmospheric and fitting end to another memorable Twilight Run.

Click here to see Andrew's complete photo album