Sydney’s Most Popular National Park
Whether you live in Sydney and are looking for some exciting places to go spend your weekends or you’re a traveller who would like to get outside the city, I have summarised my top 10 favourite places in Royal National Park. This park is probably Sydney’s most popular destination for both locals and tourists because it is very close to the city center (1 - 1.5 hours). It is full of beautiful and secluded beaches, waterfalls, hiking trails & it is not rare to encounter some wildlife during your visit. Note that there is a $12/day fee per vehicle that is valid throughout the park. You might have to pay at one of the entrance booths, or directly from a parking lot ticket machine. Another alternative would be to purchase an annual regional pass at the cost of $190 which will give you unlimited access to all parks in the state of New South Wales. The park is open daily from 7am to 8:30pm, but its access depends on the weather conditions. Royal National Park is located along the East coast between Sydney all the way down to Wollongong.
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This little town is located 29km south of Sydney’s CBD and is where you can start the famous Wedding Cake Rock trail. To access this popular hike, you could either drive directly to Bundeena, or take the ferry from Cronulla and walk to the starting point of the hike. Also, if you’re hungry and didn’t pack a picnic for your adventures, I’d suggest a pit stop at Driftwood Café or Passionfruit Café. Bundeena is a great spot to watch sunset. I’d suggest going anywhere near Jibbon Head to do so.
Due to its popularity, you should expect this hike to be packed with visitors. Nonetheless, I didn’t bother me too much; there was enough space for everyone. The hike to Marley Beach is 8km return, and should take anytime between 1.5 to 3 hours. The Wedding Cake Rock is located approximately 15 minutes before you reach Marley Beach, and note that you can continue the hike all the way down to Little Marley Beach which is located a bit further. I have found that the best view on this hiking trail is the one at Marley Head; that’s where you get a stunning panorama on both beaches. Be careful when walking along the coast, some edges are unstable. Also note that it is no longer possible to walk / sit on the Wedding Cake Rock due to erosion (it’s about to fall off). I’d suggest visiting before it’s gone!
Third on the list is Wattamolla Beach & Falls. Now, I should specify that I was slightly disappointed with this place mainly due to the fact that I visited on Australia Day and that it was absolutely packed with people. The beach isn’t that big, and it’s a popular attraction in the area. You can access it directly from the parking lot, no need to hike. I must admit that its unique shape is really beautiful. There is a waterfall that flows into some sort of creek, which ends up in the ocean. That’s where you’ll get the best view on Wattamolla. I need to visit again on a less crowded day!
This waterfall is easily accessible from the side of the road next to a town called… Waterfall! The parking lot is quite small and easy to miss so make sure you’re driving slow. There is no hike to get to the fall, only a short 5-min walk down the staircase. Make sure you visit National Falls after there has been some important rainfall otherwise there might not be a lot of water flowing.
This beautiful and easily accessible beach is a popular surfing spot. It faces the Pacific Ocean directly and currents are usually very strong. Be careful when swimming there! There is no hike required to access this beach, the parking lot is located right behind it. Note that you can go a for a little hike along the beach, or all the way down to Little Garie Beach. It is my favourite beach in Royal National Park.
This spot got a lot of attention on social media during the recent years. However, keep in mind that the access to the Figure 8 pools is dangerous, and that they should be visited during low tide only. You can check the tides schedule by doing a quick Google Search prior to your visit. The official NSW Parks website also has an integrated functionality telling you which time slots are the safest. The return trip should take you about 4 hours, and it is not the smoothest hike I’ve done. The first part is very steep before you get down to Burning Palms Beach, which is really beautiful by the way! Then the rest of the trail consists in walking along the cliffs on some very uneven rock formations. I would personally not rate it as a hard hike, but it is definitely a challenging one which requires your full attention and good equipment. Even though the pools are beautiful, I’d recommend keeping your expectations pretty low. Let me explain: there is only one main pool which has a perfect 8 shape, and chances are that there will be a line-up to take a photo. To improve your experience, I’d suggest visiting early morning (at low tide) on a sunny weekday.
*Bonus: we got lucky and spotted a cute wallaby on our way back. Keep your eyes open :)
This place is a mandatory stop on your way down to Wollongong (or up to Sydney - depending on where you’re coming from). It’s a short detour from the highway but it is 100% worth it! The views from Stanwell Tops Lookout are simply breathtaking. From there you can see the beautiful Stanwell Park Beach, Coalcliff and the Sea Cliff Bridge in the background. This place is also a popular spot for hang gliding and paragliding, I can totally see why!
For those of you who would like to see some koalas and kangaroos, Symbio is the place to go! It is located next to the highway near Stanwell Park and is open 7 days a week from 9:30am to 5pm. There is an entrance fee of $36 per adult. They have some daily animations where they present and / or feed certain species. For instance, when they feed the koalas, there is a guide that gives you information about their lifestyle, food, etc. You can purchase a ticket for a Happy Snap ($20) and get your photo taken with a koala. They are absolutely adorable, I wouldn’t miss this if I were you!
Kellys Falls is yet another popular but controversial hiking spot. The official Princess Marina walking track takes you to some beautiful viewpoints at the top of the falls, but what people have been interested in doing is accessing the bottom of the falls where you have a gorgeous swimming hole. The Princess Marina trail takes about 1.5 hours to visit, while the unofficial trail down to the fall takes about 15-30 minutes. I say ‘unofficial’ because there are no indications of the path anywhere; it isn’t obvious to find at all. In fact, I got completely lost and ended up somewhere at the bottom of the falls deep in the jungle. Nonetheless, it was a special experience. The area is extremely slippery and the place is full of leeches, so you should definitely wear appropriate clothing. My advice would be to visit this place with people who are familiar with the falls.
Last but not least is the incredible Sea Cliff Bridge, which is located between Coalcliff and Clifton, about 30-min North of Wollongong. If you can’t find a parking spot near the bridge, I would suggest leaving your car near Hargrave Park. The bridge itself looks amazing, but the best views are from the cliff that’s located just after the end of the bridge (Wollongong side). This popular walking trail is very short (15-20 minutes one way), but pretty steep and some parts include a bit of rock climbing using hoses and ropes. The starting point of the hike is located 20 meters from the ‘Sea Cliff Bridge’ sign, and consists in a hole in the middle of a bush.
Disclaimer: despite being very beautiful, some of these locations have shown to be very dangerous; some fatal accidents have happened during the past years. It’s super important to follow safety indications in each location, bring food & water, wear appropriate clothing, respect the environment and pay attention to your own physical condition. If you don’t feel comfortable exploring an area, please don’t do it! It’s not worth risking your life.