Great Southern Walk

In 2025, we will complete assessments, deliver the remaining sections of the new track, and continue planning and designing the proposed campsites. The design and environmental assessment of the proposed campsites are underway. Work to construct new sections of track or upgrade existing sections in each national park and state conservation area is also underway.

For the latest information and track closures for individual areas, please check the current alerts.

We are committed to conserving the ecological integrity and biodiversity of our national parks and reserves and providing sustainable visitor use compatible with the conservation of natural and cultural values.

The Great Southern Walk will allow visitors to explore and experience one of the most stunning coastlines in the country in a sustainable manner. Right on the doorstep of Sydney, this walk will make it easier for a range of visitors, from inexperienced walkers and guided groups to experienced independent walkers, to experience the thrill of achieving an overnight trek in the bush. Limits on numbers, and modest facilities, will ensure that environmental sustainability is maintained.

This walk complements the important work we have been doing to make national park experiences more accessible to everyone, including the upgrade of the Royal Coast Track, restoration of the Bonnie Vale campgrounds, improved facilities at Wattamolla, whale watching facilities at Cape Solander and, coming soon, a new visitor and education centre at Kurnell in Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

The community supports improved camping in Royal National, as shown by the popularity of the Bonnie Vale campground and in feedback from the public exhibition of the draft plan of management for Royal National Park. The plan is now approved and in place.

A new campground providing camping platforms and amenities at Maddens Plains in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area will offer new recreational. The amendment to the plan of management was on public exhibition in late 2022 and finalised in February 2023. Detailed assessments and stakeholder consultation will ensure any new facilities are low-impact and sustainable.

The proposed walking tracks in the Illawarra will benefit local communities by creating new linkages and recreation opportunities. The project will deliver new missing linkages to join Royal National Park to the Illawarra walking tracks networks. Improving camping in Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area is also needed to support the overnight multi-day walk. The Illawarra section is consistent with the Illawarra Escarpment Walking Tracks master plan.

We manage our national parks and reserves to protect their unique values and provide for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment. This includes providing visitor experiences and, where appropriate, new visitor facilities, including tracks and trails.

We are undertaking the appropriate planning and environmental assessment to ensure that the new facilities, either during construction or during operation, will have minimal environmental impacts – whether to biodiversity, Aboriginal sites, heritage sites or recreational values.

This walk will use existing tracks with a few new linkages (around 3 to 4 kilometres) in the southern section of the walk, both on and off park. Care has been taken to avoid unnecessary impacts. For example, new facilities proposed for Wattamolla, Garie, and Garawarra Farm in the Royal National Park are in historically disturbed areas with most infrastructure, including public amenities, already in place.

The Maddens Plains area of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area is planned as the new walk-in campground site for the Great Southern Walk. It offers a suitable location to support overnight options for walkers on the track. Environmental and cultural heritage assessments will be conducted before any construction takes place.

Access to the national parks that are part of the Great Southern Walk will remain unchanged. Existing walking tracks will stay open, although there may be temporary closures for improvements and maintenance. Once the new walking track links in Royal National Park and Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area have been completed, they will open for use.

Access to the Bonnie Vale campground will be unaffected by this project – you can continue to book sites online. Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area tracks will be subject to progressive closures to enable upgrades to sections of the track. These will be locally notified and updated on the National Parks and Wildlife website.

During the past decade, we have consulted with the community on the management of our national parks and on planning documents that inform this project:

• Royal National Park plan of management (2022)
• Wattamolla master plan (2017)
• Kamay Botany Bay National Park master plan (2019)
• Kamay Botany Bay National Park plan of management (2020)
• The Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area plan of management (2018) was amended in February 2023 to enable the establishment of accommodation (campground) as part of the Great Southern Walk. This amendment was on public exhibition in 2022.

We routinely engage with Registered Aboriginal Parties on works that may affect Aboriginal cultural heritage, such as upgrading the Royal Coast Track and the remediation of Bonnie Vale campground.

This webpage will be the main source of information and will be regularly updated as the project progresses. Questions and feedback are welcomed at any time by completing the online form below.

We will circulate project newsletters to our stakeholders. If you're interested in receiving this newsletter, please complete the online form below.

We will manage the planning, construction and establishment of these new campsites, ensuring all environmental and related considerations are carefully handled.

From November 2022 to January 2023, the NSW Government eTender website hosted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to find a suitable delivery partner for guided walks and camping experiences using the new facilities. Royal National Park has a long history of using delivery partners to provide recreational experiences, such as the Audley Boatshed, the Audley Dancehall Café, the Royal holiday cottages and the Bonnie Vale kayak operation.

This approach allows us to use industry experts to deliver activities that best suit the visitors' needs and helps us manage visitors while conserving the park's natural and cultural values. This EOI will not affect visitor access to the Royal Coast Track, which will remain open for walkers.

National Parks and Wildlife Service will continue to own the new facilities.