It was early in the morning, my backpack was filled, I had my favourite hikers on and I was ready to get out of the city for a while. Sydney can be absolutely suffocating sometimes, especially for an outdoor enthusiast like myself.
Luckily it doesn’t take long for you to get out of the noisy city and get some fresh air. One of my favourite things to do is hike, and I opted for a hike along the cliffs to a couple great spots!
Most of the Royal National Park Coastal Track is sheer cliffs like this! It is amazing to stand on the edge, just not too close!
Where can you do all of this?
If you want to take in the whole track it is 26km each way and will take 1-2 days to do (depending on fitness levels). It runs from Bundeena to Otford. The best place to stop is North Era Campground if you’re taking an overnight stop, you can reserve a pass to camp there at $12 per 3 people.
Depending on the weather you can have a lot of puddles on the track! So wear the right shoes!
Getting There:
Royal National Park is short hop, skip and a jump from Sydney, if you’re driving. From Town Hall in Sydney it is an hour and ten-minute drive to Bundeena, which is a great place to start the Coastal Track.
By public transport, it’s a little more difficult. I didn’t have a car and thus opted for the train and ferry option. Which left me with great views but almost 2 hours of transport each way. First you need to take the train to Crunulla from Central Station in Sydney then a 5-minute walk away there is a ferry to Bundeena.
The Coastal Track runs through some amazing landscape. Just beware of your footing!
Best Things to See:
Sheer Cliffs!
As you walk from Bundeena you will be absolutely blown away by the sheer cliffs on your right. It is mesmerizing to watch the waves crash against them.
Wedding Cake Rock!
An hour down the track, through some bumpy terrain you will encounter Wedding Cake Rock. A massive white rock formation that gets its colour from iron leeching. This basically means that the metallic components of the rock have left over time, leaving just a very soft and fragile sandstone.
Part of wedding cake rock has fallen into the ocean and the rest of it could go at any minute. So I’m obliged to tell you not to take photos on it ;).
DON’T LOOK DOWN! IT’S A STEEP DROP OFF WEDDING CAKE ROCK!
Marley Beach
Oooh lala. This is one of my favourite beaches in Australia. It is rugged, beautiful and just picture perfect. Swimming is DEFINITELY NOT recommended. But take your shoes off and walk in the cool water along the sand!
The AMAZING view as you approach Marley Beach!
Extra: Figure 8-Pools
Further towards Otford you can see the figure-8 pools, where you can swim at low tide!
Keep in Mind:
- Wear Appropriate Footwear
- Bring the right gear- weather that is a jacket, tent, matches, compass… (I ALWAYS carry a first aid kit, swiss army knife, compass, and rain jacket. Even for day hikes. You never know what could happen!)
- Take Water! It was 30 degrees the day we did this hike!
- Don’t stand too close to the edge. Never sacrifice safety for a photo!
Look at that view though!
Definitely a hike I recommend!!
Just a walk along Marley Beach!
