Blogger: Lauren Lucy Crowley
Having spent a couple of days in Sydney, we decided in typical #OntheQT fashion it was time for a road trip! We examined the bucket list we’ve made since arriving to Australia, and decided it was a perfect day for a fresh coastal walk at the Royal National Park!
This stunning heritage-listed Royal National Park is affectionately known to locals as the ‘Nasho’ or ‘the Royal’. Established in 1879, it’s the world’s second-oldest national park, which is pretty amazing! Bursting to the brim with fascinating plants, birds and animals it is the perfect location a morning run, a hike, a picnic, even bird/ whale watching! With a landscape that stretches from rainforest to beaches there really is something for everyone!
The park is located near Cronulla, which is within an hour’s drive from the Sydney CBD making the 16,000ha Royal a big beautiful backyard! With an abundance of different car parks, routes and hiking trails to choose from, you’ll discover something new each time you visit the park!
We chose to do the Coastal track, which simply must be walked at least once in a lifetime, its that beautiful! You’ll walk along cliffs, beaches and escarpments, taking in magnificent ocean views and the rugged beauty of Royal National Park’s coastline as you go!
The 26km track runs from Bundeena to Otford, which you can complete in sections or, if you’re super-fit, in a single day! Although we only took a day trip to the park, a great way to complete The Coast track walk would be to make it an overnight stop and sleep under the stars North Era campground!
Useful things to know:
- Park entry is $12 per vehicle per day,
- The Park is open from 7am to 8.30pm daily (but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire dangers).
As always if you have any questions be sure to e-mail OntheQT.ie@gmail.com or Lauren@OntheQT.ie! Be sure to follow the #OntheQTontour live on snapchat (username: ontheqtie), and watch out for our daily updates on Facebook and Instagram!
Happy Hiking! 🙂
