What’s more romantic on valentines day than a coast walk? For Sydney-siders looking for an easily accessible coastal stroll, this walk is sure to deliver. Have some lazy indoors-y friends? This is the one to drag them out for.
Given the walk being basically located in a metropolitan centre, don’t expect to have the place to yourself, but rather, be ready to share the path with other hikers who will likely a share a smile and a g’day in return.
Getting There:
Kamay Botany Bay National Park is split into two distinct sides encompassing the eastern extremity of Botany Bay. The northern side encompasses La Perouse and surrounds (which is another day trip in itself), and the southern side of Kurnell, which is accessible a short drive through The Shire.
Traditionally, The Shire and its locals were known to keep to themselves, but this area has not been immune to the booming real-estate development in Sydney, and zoning laws favouring medium and higher density living have expedited the ever-changing urban fabric of these areas.
All in all, The Shire feels less exclusive and more accessible to outsiders in recent years. This may be entirely in my head, but it’s an area which I had previously never ventured into, but as of late, I’ve found myself exploring more and more.
It might be useful to note that whilst you can drive into the National Park and pay the daily vehicle entrance fee, for those who don’t mind an extra 15 minute walk, you can easily find street parking at the eastern end of Polo Street, Kurnell.
The Hike
Assuming you saved yourself $8.00 and parked at the end of Polo Street as per our suggestion, the first section of the hike starts in the vicinity of Sydney’s controversial desalination plant. This questionable and poorly-researched investment costs tax-payers over half a million dollars to run at a reduced capacity per day. Not to mention it draws in water quite close to sewerage ocean outfalls, but moving on…
The trail heads south-east passing a number of treatment tanks and reservoirs. The bush generally does well to hide these eyesores as you bypass them, where the trail opens up to the Cape Solander lookout.
This is a breathtaking view, looking south along the coastline to sheer Hawkesbury Sandstone cliffs. The views here are quite similar to those of the Bouddi Coast Walk (another much more involved hike). Given this spot is also accessible by car, it will also be the busiest point of the entire walk, with plenty of civilian activity.
Here you will head south along the triassic sedimentary rock plateaus as well as the formed path on the Cape Bailey Track. The day we did the walk, a gusty and refreshing south-easterly was blowing 30 knots. The wind certainly reminds you that you’re on a coastal walk.
The trail itself is incredibly easy, with formed paths along most of its sections, particularly through the native vegetation. It passes a number of sea inlets, the most notable of which is Tabbigai Gap. In the early 20th century, during the depression years, a small group of fisherman had carved houses into the shoreline of this gap and lived here, however the Department of Lands eventually evicted them from the Crown Lands and their homes in the cliffs.
The Cape Bailey Lighthouse itself is quite an underwhelming structure, and is still in function today. The small nine-metre concrete tower (atypical construction for a lighthouse) serves to guide north-bound shipping within 17 nautical miles of the coast such so they hug the coast and avoid stronger currents further out at sea.
The highlight of this walk for me is the sandstone plateaus of the trail nearing Doughboy Head. Here the shelf is up to 200 metres in width, making for a very visually interesting and almost alien landscape.
The bedding planes in the rock are nothing short of art.
On the return leg of the trail, which we ended at Doughboy Head (but can continue to Cronulla should you wish it to), we opted to venture slightly inland. Here we were treated to prime examples of hanging swamps, which are basically areas in which rain accumulates in silty or sandy soils overlying impermeable bedrock. Here, at least seasonally (mostly in spring), you’ll see a myriad of insects and swamp fauna. The contract of the swamp landscape right next to sandstone plateaus is pretty surreal.
The total return trail is approximately 10 kilometres, and is very easy in terms of terrain or fitness level required. During the humpback migration, starting late May, you can readily spot whales and their acrobatics for this walk too.
It’s definitely a walk I’ll be revisiting time and time again.