Coastal Walks To Tantalize The SensesBest Panoramic Scenery Available Sydney has some of the best coastal walks in the country. with tall vertical sandstone cliffs to enhance the scenery along with many picturesque bays and beaches captured between headlands. Bundeena, is situated on the southern shores of The Port Hacking River opposite Cronulla. The track takes you south along the clifftops through the Royal National Park (the oldest national park in Australia)and then over some barren beaches to Wattamolla, which is an ever popular weekend destination for family fun days out and bar-b-queing in summer.  Bundeena-Wattamolla are both within easy reach of Sydney yet miles away from everywhere. This is a top spot for weekend drives, bar-b-ques and general relaxing in the parks by the river or beach while escaping the city. The beach here and neighboring Bonnyvale are both very safe for swimming as well. This relatively easy coastal walk from Bundeena to Wattamolla will take from 4-7 hrs depending on how much stopping and looking you do and how fast or slow you walk. This walk starts when you get off the Ferry,(click this link to view ferry timetables) or if you are driving when you reach the end of Beachcomber Avenue.  Getting there is easy. If you’re driving turn right into Brighton St when you hit the “T” intersection at town or head south from the wharf or shops, Take a left into Scarborough St and follow it until you can turn right into Beachcomber Ave and just drive to the end of the road, about 1km. You will see the park entrance.
 The two beaches you will cross are called Marley and Little Marley. And you’ll probably wonder with amazement where on the planet you could be as the views of the city and Bundeena disappear occasionally leaving you in what seems to be unexplored territory. Stick with it because this is one walk you’ll remember a lifetime. Once, when I was doing this coastal walk we crossed the beaches and it was a beautiful and perfect day but the seas were extremely huge and tumultuous. Needless to say we stayed well clear of the water. No swimming that day! Along the way you’ll want to stop and take heaps of photos of the panoramic scenery from atop the sandstone cliffs. Toward the Wattamolla end of the Bundeena-Wattamolla track are some sections of that turn to into heathland scrub and there’s some occasional eucalyptus trees to dodge but for most part it’s pretty easy. I walked this track a few times many years ago but in more recent years the National Parks have added some elevated walkways, designed and constructed to minimised deterioration and erosion.
At the end of your walk you might just find this little keyhole in the coastline known as Wattamolla looking just like the photo above. Why not take a fishing rod and try a spot of fishing. You might be surprised at what you catch? For those who are enthusiastic about their walking did you know this coastal walk conitues on south through the National Park to Otford and then onto Wollongong. You can also walk the Bundeena-Wattamolla track in from Otford on the south side but most people stop at Garie beach. Bundeena-Wattamolla are both fantastic places to visit especially in the summer months. Wattamolla espeacially is suitable for families and children with some streams for young ones to explore, a nice cliff face for those who dare to jump (into the lagoon)or dive from heights, a beach to relax on, a canteen or kiosk, a pretty good size beach with its own lagoon and island and plenty of bar-b-ques. There is a park entrance fee to visit on a daily basis but the best way to cover that is buy an annual pass for $65. This covers all parks in NSW except Kosciuszko National Park and for $190 you can visit that too. (good value if you snow ski or board) Remember by purchasing a pass you can visit national parks as often as you like and you'll being doing your bit to contribute to the preservation of such beautiful places for all to enjoy for years to come. If by chance you have time on your side and you happen to travel to the southern end of the Royal National Park do stop at the Otford Pantry above the ocean on the corner of Domville Rd and try some of their famous apple pie. It's easy to recognize, it'll be the first shop you see just a few hundred meters up the road when you exit the park and see the coast again. return from coastal walks to ideal sydney getaways homepage |
The track starts out sandy and runs towards the coast, where it crosses virgin beaches and follows the sandstone cliffs south towards Wattamolla. The coastal track is mostly easy to follow but it sometimes gets a little difficult to read on the cliff tops. This is not a huge problem as you only need to stick to the coastline and it should re-appear. Really, you can’t miss ending up at the destination. 
NSW Senior Card holders are entitled to a discount of approximately 20% on the full price of an annual pass for a vehicle registered in their name. To find out more about our National Parks and annual passes 
