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| Wattamolla Beach, Royal
National Park |
Royal National Park
Australia's oldest and the second oldest national park in
the world
The Royal National Park lies 36 km to the south of Sydney
and spreads from the sun-kissed beaches of Wattamolla and
Garie, through the coastal wilderness to the quiet waters of
the Hacking River and on to the windswept low open woodlands
on the western edges of the park.
That14 969 hectares of glorious and diverse National Park
can be found less than 40 kilometres from the centre of
Australiašs largest city is a monument to the foresight of
the New South Wales Government and specifically Sir John
Robertson who first suggested the idea of a National Park.
In 1879 the first 'National Park' (it was only the second
national park in the world - Yellowstone in the USA was the
first) was established on a modest 7200 hectares south of
Port Hacking. It was dedicated by the Government as an area
specifically for rest and recreation. A purpose that has not
changed for over 100 years.
It is probable that the original idea was to create a
large, open space for the future residents of Sydney.
Certainly, when it was dedicated in 1879, someone observed
that it should be 'a sanctuary for the pale-faced Sydneyites
fleeing the pollution - physical, mental and social - of
that closely-packed city.' You can only imagine what that
person would make of Sydney today if they could see it
sprawling across the Sydney basin in every direction.
In 1880 the area was doubled to 14 500 hectares and in
1934 the great New South Wales conservationist, Myles
Dunphy, persuaded the government to add a further 520
hectares of land around Garawarra. The result is a park of
spectacular beauty which allows Sydneysiders a unique
opportunity to experience what the coastline and hinterland
must have been like before 1788.
The park was converted from a National Park to a 'Royal'
National Park (a change which seemed very important at the
time) after Queen Elizabeth II travelled through the park on
her way to Wollongong in 1954.
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| The ferry at Bundeena
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While most visitors drive down the Princes Highway - the
turnoff to the park is 2.5 kilometres south of Sutherland
and 27 kilometres south from the city centre - it is
possible to enter the park by ferry from Cronulla. The ferry
from Cronulla to Bundeena operates between 5.00 a.m. and
7.00 p.m. daily and leaves every half hour. Visitors travel
across Port Hacking and arrive in the small township of
Bundeena (it has a population of around 2 500) which is
located on the northern shoreline of the park.
Things to see:
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Activities in the Park
The Royal National Park is an example of a day out from
Sydney which offers a rich diversity of activities. Most
people who travel to the park have a specific leisure
activity in mind. They want to go surfing, or lagoon
swimming, at Wattamolla or Garie Beach. They have a 'special
spot' along the coast and go to the park to do some quiet
ocean fishing. They simply want to have a picnic and know
that the flat, grassy parklands around the Audley Weir are
ideal and safe. They want to spend a day rowing or paddling
on the small lake above Audley Weir. Or, being keen
bushwalkers, they know that the National Parks and Wildlife
Service have maintained the hundreds of bush trails which
were developed in the park in the 1920s.
Bushwalking in the Park
It does not matter what your favourite leisure activity is,
the Royal National Park caters for just about every taste.
The bush walker can catch the Bundeena ferry and walk to
Jibbon Point which is at the end of a one kilometre beach
track from Bundeena. The appeal of this walk is that it
passes some fascinating Aboriginal rock platform carvings of
sea creatures. Given that most of the Aborigines had left
the area nearly a century ago, and that just across the
water the suburbs of modern Sydney can be seen, this is a
powerful reminder that long before Europeans arrived the
Aborigines lived an idyllic life in this area. Pause for a
moment and reflect on a life which was ruled by fishing and
catching crustaceans in the shallow rock pools. Imagine a
life where the local Aborigines slept under the gum trees or
in the caves, woke with the sunrise and, having caught their
meals from seas rich with fish, spent most of the day
sitting and talking and enjoying themselves. It must have
been as close to paradise as anyone could reasonably
imagine.
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| Wattamolla Beach
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The Coast Track
For people wanting to explore the coastline there is the
'Coast Track', a marvellous 30 kilometre walk from Bundeena
to Otford. This track runs the length of the parkšs
coastline passing through Little Marley and Marley Beach,
Wattamolla, Burning Palms and Garie. Unless you are fit,
fast and foolish it is too long to attempt in one day. The
real bushwalking enthusiasts tend to complete the walk in
two days while daytrippers, happy to do the first section,
walk for two hours, reach Little Marley and Marley Beach,
and then return to Bundeena.
Of all the trails in the park the Coast Track is the most
spectacular. The walk follows the sandstone cliff line which
affords beautiful, panoramic views over the Pacific Ocean.
In winter and spring the low scrubland and heath is alive
with magnificent displays of wildflowers.
The smell of the wildflowers, the tang of the winds
blowing up from the ocean, the sculptured sandstone of the
headlands and caves, the sandy beaches, and the sounds of
the birds, all contribute to make the Coast Walk an
unforgettable experience.
Day walkers should recognise that Marley Beach is
dangerous for swimming (an unfortunate characteristic of
many of the beaches south of Sydney - be warned!) but Little
Marley Beach, which is further south, is a popular swimming
and fishing spot. Little Marley also offers a camping area
and a freshwater stream. The walker can then take the track
up onto the plateau and head back to Bundeena.
All walkers in the National Park should pay particular
attention to the park's rich diversity of fauna and flora.
The park has six major vegetation regions. Spread throughout
the park are substantial pockets of rainforest. Rainforest
most commonly occurs in the valleys of the Hacking River and
along the coast south of Garie and can be easily identified
by the stands of cabbage tree palms, coachwood and sassafras
as well as wonga-wonga vines, wombat berry, settleršs flax
and shiny fan ferns.
Along the beaches, in the sand dunes and on the rocky
cliff faces walkers will find hairy spinifex (a typical dune
grass designed to withstand the severe southerlies which
blow on this coastline) guinea flower, coast rosemary, and,
on the back dunes, the ubiquitous coastal tea-tree.
Beyond the rainforest and coastal areas are stands of
blackbutt and Sydney blue gum surrounded by hopbush, blady
grass and a twining creeper with dark red flowers called
dusky coral-pea. Further from the coast is an area of grassy
eucalypt woodland which characterises the slopes of the
National Park. This area is notable for its red bloodwood (a
gum with a very distinctive urn-shaped gumnut), gnarled and
twisted scribbly gums, and the distinctive grass trees with
their spear-like flower spikes and their leaves that splay
out at the base of the plant like a grass dress.
Other unusual plants in the grassy eucalypt areas include
false sarsaparilla (its deep purple flowers add to the
colour of the park between August and December), hairy
spider flowers and the eggs and bacon shrubs (characterised
by yellow flowers with red centres).
At the edges of the plateau there is a feast of
wildflowers. The black ash is the dominant tree in this area
but bushwalkers marvel at the range of banksias (both the
'Old Man Banksia' and the glorious red 'Heath Banksia') and
the paperbark, dwarf apple, shrub oak and Port Jackson
mallee.
On the plateau, an area which at first sight seems grim
and inhospitable, walkers brush past the mountain devil
shrub with its red tubular flowers, cone sticks, drumsticks,
the finger hakea with its dense clusters of white flowers
and its egg-shaped fruit that splits to release winged
seeds, and stands of black she oak.
Walkers who pass the freshwater swamps in the park will
see Christmas Bells with their red and yellow flowers (they
appear between December-February), needle bush, bottlebrush,
pink swamp-heath, coral-heath and paperbark shrub.
Just as the park offers walkers a rich diversity of
flora, so it also offers birdwatchers and animal lovers an
unusual combination of native and introduced species of
fauna. On the coast the ubiquitous silver gull (an
aggressive scavenger who will always hang around when you
are having a picnic) is everywhere. More rare, but much more
interesting, are the white-breasted sea-eagle, the crested
tern, the black cormorant and the white-faced heron.
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| Burning Palms from
Governor Game Lookout |
In the forests and woodlands the alert birdwatcher can
see wedge-tailed eagles, black-shouldered kites, white-naped
honeyeaters, crimson rosellas, pee-wees, red wattle-birds,
sulphur-crested cockatoos, and bronzewings. People who are
very lucky, or very patient, can see satin bower-birds and
lyrebirds in the rainforests. Around the swamps and lagoons
the azure kingfisher, welcome swallow, New Holland
honeyeater and black duck can be observed.
Native mammals in the park include black rats, bush-rats,
New Holland mice, a range of gliders, bandicoots, ringtail
possums, dunnarts, lizards and goannas. There are also a
number of snakes who live in the park. Summer walkers should
be sensibly careful as many of them are poisonous. It is
unlikely that day visitors will make contact with any of
these animals which are either very shy, nocturnal or both.
Introduced species in the park include the red fox and
feral cat.
While any national park offers bushwalkers and people who
want to explore the natural beauties the greatest rewards,
it is true that the Royal National Park offers much more
than flora, fauna and landscape. The beaches at Garie,
Burning Palms and Wottamolla are, for example, places of
exceptional beauty. Burning Palms, a hideout for fishermen
since the turn of the century, has a number of small
cottages which have been tolerated by the park authorities.
The difficulty of building and maintaining the cottages is
obvious. Every piece of timber, and all food supplies, had
to be carried by hand down the steep slopes to the cottages.
The entire 19 kilometres of coastline which forms the
eastern boundary of the park is noted for its excellent
fishing. Apart from the hardy fishermen who are lucky enough
to have shacks at Burning Palms there are regular day
fishermen who find spots at the base of the cliffs where
they catch a variety of fish from the rock ledges and
beaches.
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| Audley Weir in the Royal
National Park |
Audley Weir
One of the most popular picnic spots in the park is the
grassy area to the south of the Audley weir. Here, beside
the dammed Hacking River, is a pleasant area of parkland
where boats can be hired and where picnics can be held under
the willow trees and beside the cool waters of the river.
Such relaxation is a far removed from the bustle of the city
which lies to the north.
Picnickers and sightseers tend to stop at Audley and
spend the day playing games and relaxing. The more
adventurous cross the weir and continue on to the beaches.
Perhaps the greatest reward of all awaits those who travel
right through the Royal National Park and, passing through
Otford, arrive at Stanwell Tops. The view from Stanwell Tops
is worth travelling all day for. On a clear day you can see
down the coast to Wollongong. The jutting headlands of
Coalcliff, Scarborough and Clifton make this ruggedly
beautiful stretch of coastline one of the scenic jewels of
the entire Australian east coast.
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| Boats outside the
boatshed at Audley Weir in the Royal National Park
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Accommodation and Eating
The Royal National Park has a series of camping areas but
people intending to stay overnight MUST enquire at the Royal
National Park Visitor's Centre, Farnell Ave, Audley (it is
near the gates at the northern road entrance to the Park) -
tel: (02) 9542 0648. It is open from 8.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
every day of the year except Christmas Day.
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Royal National
Park
