Coastal Track – Bundeena to Wattamolla
Walk Highlights
- Distance: 12 km one way
- Time: 4-8 hours
- Location: Royal National Park, Sydney, New South Wales
- Facilities: Historical and interpretive signs, fresh water, toilets, barbecues (all at Wattamolla)
- Getting There: Catch a train from Central Station to Cronulla Station, then walk a few hundred metres to Cronulla Ferries and catch the Bundeena ferry (http://www.cronullaferries.com.au)
- Highlights: Dizzying clifftop views of the Pacific Ocean and sandstone coastline, whale watching (seasonal), eucalyptus forests, wild beaches
Walking Track Description
The second-oldest national park in the world, the Royal National Park is the oldest national park in Australia. Just 32km from Sydney, the park is a great spot for weekend barbecues, picnics and a day spent swimming at the river or beach.
The Coastal Track is another well-loved walk within reach of Sydney’s metro area, and at 26km long, is just the right length for a two-day trip. It can be commenced from either Otford or Bundeena, and most walkers choose to camp overnight at the (limited) camp spaces at Wattamolla.
To walk to Wattamolla from Bundeena, start at the Bundeena Ferry Wharf, head along Brighton St until Scarborough St, turn left, and follow it a few blocks until turning right into Beachcomber Ave Follow Beachcomber Ave for almost 1km, until the park entrance.
Follow the sandy track downhill, as you make your way towards the coastline, where the trail turns south towards Wattamolla. From this point on the track is easily visible in all but a few places – on the rocky clifftops, and on the two beaches you will cross, Marley and Little Marley Beach. However, as long as you keep heading south and stay reasonably close to the shoreline (within roughly 50m) the track is easy to find.
Aside from the panoramic clifftop sections and the beaches, the remaining sections of the track vary between heathland scrub and occasional eucalyptus forrests. The track is a sandy and rocky, and some elevated walkways have been constructed to minimised deterioration. A basic level of fitness is required to walk this section of the track, particularly if carrying camping gear or a backpack.
Camping at Wattamolla
Unfortunately camping at Wattamolla is no longer (legally) possible, since the closure of the campsite at Providential South Head. Walkers completing the overnight coastal track from Bundeena to Otford are now required to camp overnight at North Era Beach, roughly 9km south of Wattamolla. The beachside campsite is very basic, offering toilets and water that should be boiled before drinking.
Further reading: Part two of the coastal track from Wattamolla to Otford
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Love the sunset photo, it’s a cracker!
Can anyone please tell me how you get out of Wattamolla without a car? You don’t say in your walk description (given that you use train & ferry to get to Bundeena). Is there any bus service along Bundeena Dr West of Wattamolla?
Thanks
JA
Actually I don’t know that you can – that’s why the walk is typically done as a two day trip from Bundeena to Watamolla then on the Otford train station.