Since arriving in the much smaller city of Cairns last week I have been reflecting on my time in Sydney – particularly the beautiful nature, and how it was all just a bus/train/ferry ride away. Alas I’ve created one last post on Sydney detailing my five favorite outdoorsy experiences around the city.
5.) Bondi to Coogee Walk
Looking for a quintessential Sydney experience beyond that of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge? This scenic walk can begin either at the iconic Bondi Beach or Coogee Beach and features impressive views of Sydney’s dramatic coastline. The trail passes numerous other beaches and takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete. At one point you will walk alongside the massive Waverley Cemetery perched along the hill. I wasn’t expecting to see a cemetery in such a rugged location, it was very cool with the sunset!
4. Kamay Botany Bay National Park
Being from America, I find it interesting how national parks in Australia are so frequent and quite small. The greater Sydney area is full of such parks, and they showcase marvelous views all around the harbour. If you want to impress the locals with your adventurousness then a visit to Kamay Botany Bay national park will do the trick.
The unusual thing about this park is that it is divided into two sections, split by the entrance to Botany Bay. Because of this I recommend visiting on separate days. To reach the southern area of the park you can take the train from the CBD over an hour south to the town of Cronulla. From there you have a long stroll up Cronulla Beach until you reach the park. (Note: this beach is a worthwhile trip in and of itself, being one of the longest in the Sydney area). The southern portion of the park is definitely the more striking of the two, as it features a unique lunar-like landscape.
The northern section is more easily accessible by bus from the CBD – and takes around 45 minutes. It features a popular attraction called the Bare Island Fort. Preferring to escape the crowds, I was pulled towards the quieter hiking trails east towards Cape Banks Edge. There I saw locals fishing, and groups with picnics while basking in sunset views across the bay and towards the airport.
3.) Double Bay To Watsons Bay Walk
For the first six weeks in Sydney I worked at a restaurant called Little Jean in the notoriously posh neighborhood of Double Bay. One morning I came in for an 8:00 shift only to find out I was not scheduled to work. So, I sat down and had a coffee/pastry before deciding to devote the entire day to an epic walk along the harbour to the Hornby Lighthouse at the tip of Watsons Bay.
Though not a standard “walk” such as the Bondi to Coogee, the distance between Double Bay and Watsons bay is lined with national parks, nature reserves, and over a dozen beaches with gorgeous views of the Sydney CBD and Harbour Bridge. I had to utilize Google Maps to create my own path where the marked trails ended – this added an element of spontaneity and adventure.
Following the coastline east I strolled through Rose Bay, where I found a small Thai restaurant offering a lunch special. From there I came to a lovely hiking stretch through Nielsen Park, which alone contained at least five secluded beaches. Between this park and Watsons Bay I passed through the picturesque Parsley Bay Beach. Tucked deep in a residential area this narrow beach also has a neat suspension bridge.
The only downside to doing this walk in one day is that I didn’t have time to sit and chill on any of the beaches. Rather I saw it as a tour – showcasing one unique spot after another. The view from the Roberson Park bus stop at the top of Watsons Bay that evening was my favorite photo spot of the walk – with the hazy CBD glowing in the distance at golden hour. Taking the 125 bus back towards the city at sunset was also a stunning experience.
2. North Palm Beach
What can I say? Palm Beach was easily my favorite leisure day spent in the Sydney area. And if wasn’t for all the guys on Tinder with variations of the picture below on their profiles I wouldn’t have known it existed. (Naturally it was my goal to take a better photo then all of them for my own profile!) With a lovely stretch of golden beach, a couple nearby cafes, the Instagramably-narrow peninsula, and 360° views from the Barrenjoey Lighthouse – this day trip packs the most bang for your buck. The only drawback? – It was also the most complicated place to get to of anywhere I went during my stay. It took a train and two buses over the course of almost two hours to get here. Coming home took even longer with the evening rush-hour, and the the buses were infrequent this far north.
1. The Blue Mountains
At nearly two hours to the west of Sydney it is mind-boggling that a magical place such as the Blue Mountains is accessible via an hourly train ride from Sydney’s Central Station (with round trip fares for less than $20 AUS). Again, being from America this city to mountain train thing seems like a profound concept. I got me thinking – if only there were an hourly train from Flagstaff, Arizona straight into the Grand Canyon – but NO – that’ll never happen… because ‘Merica.
Alighting in the mountain town of Katoomba one can take an Uber/Bus or enjoy a 30 minute walk down to the main tourist area of the Blue Mountains – the Three Sisters rock pillar lookout. In the weeks before my visit there had been a ton of rain and a portion of the hiking trails had collapsed, resulting in all of the best trails being closed. I wound up doing one of these hikes anyway, because like – I didn’t come all the way here to stand alongside a few hundred tourists and take the same damn picture! I proceeded to enjoy the Furber Steps scenic walking track, which takes you deep down into the valley. Here the thick forest blocks much of the sunlight above. This hike was almost eerily quiet – the least sound I had experienced in some time – and it gave me some perspective on the noisiness of city life! Sadly I only had one day in the Blue Mountains, but I am hoping to return sometime before I leave Australia and stay awhile.
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