ITINERARY Sydney’s Great Coastal Walks New South Wales – Sydney Barrenjoey – Royal National Park Traverse Sydney’s entire, spectacular coastline the many walks looping off the main trail. by Sydney’s beachside suburbs. It’s also a – from Barrenjoey in the north to Cronulla Break up the walking with public transport trail through Sydney’s history, dotted with in the south – on this unique week-long or hike the entire journey end-to-end. The monuments to our Aboriginal and colonial adventure. You can walk in either direction walk features dramatic headlands, sandstone past. There are ferry links to Bouddi and and hop on and off the trail as you wish. Do cliffs, golden beaches, secluded coves, lush Brisbane Water National Parks in the north day walks, short scenic sections or any of lagoons and dense native bushland, fringed and Royal National Park in the south. AT A GLANCE DAY ONE > Barrenjoey – Avalon 13km (8 miles) BARRENJOEY TO AVALON retreat for Sydneysiders. Drop in at the > Avalon – Narrabeen Lakes 13km ‘Summer Bay Surf Club’ made famous (8 mile) Starting from Barrenjoey Beach, this by the hit TV series ‘Home and Away’, > Narrabeen Lakes – Manly 12km 13km (8 miles) walk winds past craggy where the bronzed young things aren’t (7.5 mile) headlands and sweeping, sheltered actors but lifesavers for North Palm > Manly and North Head 11km beaches. Climb the Barrenjoey Headland Beach. Take a dip in the rock pool, then (6.8 mile) to the 1881 lighthouse, stopping to take walk over the headland, through the in breathtaking views over Pittwater > Circular Quay – South Head 17km bushland of McKay Reserve, to Whale (10.6 mile) and the Pacific Ocean. Behind you lies Beach. Continue past Bangalley Head, the > South Head – Clovelly 8km (5 mile) Broken Bay and the dense green forest highest point on Sydney’s northern coast, of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, to Avalon Beach. Spend the night here in > Clovelly – La Perouse 17km while Sydney’s northern beaches sparkle a B&B, luxury apartment or beach cabin (10.6 mile) ahead. Head to Palm Beach, favoured or jump on an express bus to the city. > Kurnell – Cronulla 13km (8 mile) ITINERARY DAYS TWO TO FOUR AVALON TO NARRABEEN LAKES NARRABEEN LAKES TO MANLY MANLY AND NORTH HEAD This 13km (8 mile) section features This 12km (7.5 mile) hike trails over This spectacular 11km (6.8 mile) walk near-secret, secluded beaches and headlands, past seemingly endless travels past Manly’s beaches to North dramatic ocean panoramas. Start beaches and four lagoons. Wind north Head at the dramatic sandstone entrance from Avalon Beach Surf Lifesaving Club past Narrabeen and Collaroy beaches, to Sydney Harbour. Stroll down the Corso and walk over Bilgola Head to small which together form the longest stretch to Manly beach, Fairy Bower and Shelley Bilgola Beach, where you may be the of sand on this side of the harbour. Beach then head upwards through Sydney only person! The breaks are great for From Long Reef headland, take the Harbour National Park. Pass North Head swimming and body surfing and you coastal route alongside Long Reef and Sanctuary, which once housed the School can surf at the beach’s northern end. Dee Why beaches or travel through of Artillery, and the heritage-listed former Walk around the southern headland the dunes near Dee Why Lagoon. Quarantine Station. Further along is to Newport Beach, where the medieval- On uncrowded Dee Why Beach, you the North Fort Artillery Museum, which style Bungan Castle towers over the can linger with local surfers or swim displays two centuries of firepower and ocean. It’s only really locals who know in the Olympic-sized saltwater pool. offers tours of the underground tunnels. about Bungan Beach, which is sheltered Follow the spectacular cliff-top walk The track leads on to North Head, the by a steep hillside and only accessible along Dee Why Head, before dropping pristine peninsula once occupied by the by walking track. Wander over Mona down to Curl Curl and Freshwater Gayamaygal Aboriginal people. Search Vale Headland, another breathtaking Beaches. The walk leads over the for their middens and engravings and vantage spot, and past Bongin Bongin, headland to North Steyne and Manly. take in stunning views over the harbour Mona Vale and Warriewood beaches. From here you can hop on a ferry to and northern beaches. Drop down to From Turimetta Head you can see all Circular Quay or stay and enjoy the Manly Cove and walk past Collins Beach the way to the Central Coast. The track beach holiday atmosphere. Additional to Manly Wharf, where ferries leave winds over Narrabeen Head and alongside walks wind around the foreshore of for Circular Quay. If you’re still feeling the Narrabeen lagoon to Narrabeen’s Narrabeen Lakes, Curl Curl and Manly energetic, the bush-fringed track winds centre, where you’ll find restaurants, Lagoons and through the scenic bushland another 10km past Clontarf beach transport and accommodation. of Manly Dam Reserve. and Fisher Bay to the Spit Bridge. ITINERARY DAYS FIVE TO EIGHT CIRCULAR QUAY TO SOUTH HEAD CLOVELLY TO LA PEROUSE See some of Sydney’s most iconic You can do this 17km (10.6 mile) attractions on this magnificent 17km hike in six or seven hours but for (10.6 mile) loop around the harbour’s more time to savour the sights, link south-east shoreline. Walk from Circular shorter sections with public transport. Quay, site of the first colony in 1788, to From Clovelly head into calm Coogee, the famous Sydney Opera House. Loop a seaside haven for both families and around the water’s edge, through the backpackers. Saunter past the secluded lush Botanic Gardens to Mrs Macquarie seafront pocket of Lurline Bay to Point and Woolloomooloo. Or detour Mistral Point, a good spot for winter via Macquarie Street’s historic sites whale-watching or just enjoying the and the Domain. Pass Garden Island brilliant blue ocean vistas. Wind past naval base and walk upwards into Potts Maroubra Beach, where the surf is Point, the post-war hub for Sydney always up, and stop for a picnic lunch bohemia. Visit Elizabeth Bay house, spot in Cromwell Park, overlooking Malabar mega-yachts in Rushcutters Bay and Beach. Check out the wreck of the wander past Darling Point’s harbourside SS Malabar, before walking through mansions. Travel through Double Bay Little Bay and Fort Banks, a World War and Rose Bay and up into Vaucluse with II defence base. Head past Henry Head its stunning harbour views. Picnic and to La Perouse, which is layered with swim in Nielsen Park or Parsley Bay, the stories of Aboriginal inhabitants grab fish and chips in Watsons Bay and as well as French and English settlers. wander along Camp Cove, renowned as Learn more in the local museum or the landing point for the First Fleet, to explore the historic fort of Bare Island. South Head. You can shorten this walk You’ll need to take a taxi from here to by detouring to Dover Heights or Bondi. Kurnell to begin the walk’s next section. From Rushcutters Bay, a route also cuts through Centennial Park to Clovelly. KURNELL TO CRONULLA Walk back through Sydney’s history – SOUTH HEAD TO CLOVELLY from Captain Cook’s arrival to Aboriginal Navigate towering, sea-lashed sandstone occupation – on this stunning 13km cliffs, historic naval buildings and (8 mile) walk. Start at Cook’s Landing Sydney’s popular eastern bays and Place, the birthplace of colonial beaches on this 8km (5 mile) section. Australia, and travel through Botany Start at South Head and wind south Bay National Park, which is dotted past the HMAS Watson military reserve with more than 30 Aboriginal sites. and the notoriously rocky Gap Bluff. See the rock engravings, burial sites The views stretch all the way down and axe grinding grooves left by the Sydney’s jagged southern cliff-line. Gweagal and Goorawal people alone Spot ships coasting out of the harbour or on a specific Aboriginal tour. The and migrating whales between May parks’ Discovery Centre re-creates the and October. Pass weatherboard first contact between Aboriginal tribes fisherman’s cottages, peer through and Captain Cook’s crew. Follow some the obsolete canons dotted along of the different walking loops around the headland and take the timber Inscription Point or continue around walkway through dramatic Diamond the majestic Kurnell Peninsula to Cape Bay. The path leaves the coast at Dover Bailey Lighthouse, a scenic lunch stop. Heights and reconnects in North Bondi. Walk over wild sand dunes, perched Stroll along the promenade of iconic lagoons and regenerated bushland to Bondi Beach, then take the popular cliff the golden sweep of Cronulla Beach. track to Tamarama and family-friendly From here the track winds on to Bronte. Weave alongside the ocean next Gunnamatta Bay Wharf, where you to Waverley Cemetery, where poets can connect with the coastal track Henry Lawson and Dorothea Mackellar through the Royal National Park and and aviator Lawrence Hargrave are the Federation Track to Melbourne. buried. The path ends in the tranquil inlet of Clovelly. Snorkel or dive here or next door in relaxed, rocky Gordons Bay..