North Head Scenic Area upgrade

North Head, in Sydney Harbour National Park, is a diverse site with significant cultural and environmental values, receiving over 500,000 local, domestic and international visitors each year.

This project was delivered as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history and aligns with the outcomes for North Head outlined in the Sydney Harbour National Park Plan of Management 2012.

New lookouts for North Head

NPWS is pleased to open the new lookouts at North Head. Named Burragula (southern lookout) and Yiningma (northern lookout), these lookouts are safe and accessible and provide stunning views along Sydney’s coastline and city skyline for our visitors to enjoy.

Designing with Country

The 2 new lookouts were designed to reflect Aboriginal connection to Country and include spaces to share stories and learn about Country.

Burragula, meaning 'sunset', provides views southwards across to South Head and into Sydney Harbour and is associated with burraga, the long-nosed bandicoot, which is most active at this time.

Yiningma, meaning 'cliff edge', provides views along the coastline and far out to sea and the beautiful sandstone seating is in the shape of a bara or fishhook.

Cliff instability and rockfalls have shaped Sydney's coastline over thousands of years. It was this geotechnical risk, as evidenced by the nearby 2016 rockfall, that led to the closure of the original lookouts – which were all constructed in the early 1980s. In their place, we have constructed 2 new lookouts set back from the unstable cliff edge but raised and cantilevered so you can still get the same, if not better, iconic views of Sydney.

Yiningma Lookout provides a perfect vantage point to look along the cliff face to the north, with breathtaking views out to the horizon that are perfect for whale watching. The Burragula Lookout to the south allows for panoramic views of Sydney Harbour at any time of the day and creates the ideal spot to view events like the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

We have revegetated disturbed areas with a variety of local native species, including heath-leaved banksia, heath myrtle, small-leaf parrot-pea, knotted club-rush, red spider flower and coastal rosemary. These species were carefully selected based on the surrounding heath vegetation. Plant guards, bamboo stakes and crushed sandstone have been installed throughout all planting areas to protect plants from wind, rabbits and erosion. NPWS kindly asks visitors to stay on footpaths and to not enter planted areas while plants are establishing.

Accessibility

The Fairfax Walk and the lookouts are fully accessible and provide excellent viewing opportunities for less mobile members of the community. Wheelchair accessible parking is available near the start of the walk, with continuous and wide paths of travel throughout.

New stainless-steel fencing has been installed along the length of Fairfax Walk for visitor safety, replacing the previous timber fencing destroyed by the fire of October 2020.

Please refer to the following map for closures and check current alerts when planning your visit.

Official opening of Stage 1 of new visitor infrastructure

The first stage of improvements at North Head was opened on 18 February 2023. These works included 1,200 square metres of new turfed recreation space and seating for visitors to sit and enjoy views across North Head and Sydney Harbour, new pedestrian footpaths and crossings, a new bus stop and picnic shelter, accessible parking and ramps and the planting of over 10,000 native plants. 

Project stages and timeframes

Community engagement

For information about North Head, please visit the NPWS North Head webpage.

Protecting park values

We carefully managed the project to ensure no impacts on threatened vegetation or fauna species. This includes the eastern suburbs banksia scrub threatened ecological community, bandicoots and other small mammals. Rigorous environmental assessment of the proposed works with input from relevant specialists, in accordance with NSW planning legislation, was carried out to inform this project.

Fire recovery

On 17 October 2020, a planned hazard reduction burn at North Head spotted over containment lines. This was driven by strong winds that arrived earlier than previously predicted. We are working with partners and experts, including the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Taronga Zoo, University of Sydney, Australian Registry for Wildlife Health and Northern Beaches Council, to implement the fire recovery program.

The fire recovery is being managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service Sydney North team and is separate to the upgrade works.