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Great Southern Walk

Come on an amazing journey along the south coast from Sydney to Wollongong.

 

The Great Southern Walk.

This 67–kilometre walk, from Kamay Botany Bay National Park through Royal National Park and into the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area, will take visitors through stunning coastal landscapes and places of national heritage significance.

Featuring dramatic coastal views, a range of stunning natural environments and opportunities to stay overnight, this new walk has an abundance of experiences for individuals, couples, groups and families.

What is the Great Southern Walk?

In June 2021, the NSW Government announced the Great Southern Walk, a 67-kilometre track that stretches from Sydney's south to the Illawarra. This will use existing walking tracks through the Kurnell Peninsula, the iconic Royal Coast Track and the Illawarra Escarpment. It will also include new connecting tracks in Royal National Park and the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area, along with upgraded tracks in Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

The Sydney section of the walk starts at Kamay Botany Bay National Park in Kurnell. It crosses the peninsula to Cronulla, goes through Royal National Park from Bundeena to Bald Hill and continues through the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. Camping is already available at Bonnie Vale campground, and new small sustainable camping locations will be provided at Wattamolla, Garie and Garawarra Farm. These campgrounds will offer a mix of camping platforms, basic hiker huts, amenities and catering to range of visitors from independent walkers to school groups and Aboriginal cultural camps.

The Illawarra Section of the Great Southern Walk links Bald Hill and Stanwell Park, near the southern entrance to Royal National Park, and goes through the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area to the Southern Gateway Centre at Bulli Tops. A new campground with camping platforms and basic amenities is planned for Maddens Plains.

New South Wales's coastal national parks between Sydney and Wollongong are some of the most popular in the state, with high visitation and diverse environmental and cultural values. We aim to provide sustainable access to these parks for a range of visitors. This investment will enable visitors from independent walkers to small, guided groups to experience Sydney's southern coastline and the Illawarra Escarpment.

What can visitors expect?

Visitors can enjoy a multi-day walk along the Sydney and northern Illawarra coastline.

Accommodation will be available at both new and existing campgrounds. Bonnie Vale campground, which has welcomed campers for decades, offers powered and unpowered sites and upgraded amenities.

Three new campgrounds are proposed for Royal National Park at Wattamolla, Garie and Garawarra Farm. These sites will offer camping platforms, basic hiker huts, amenities and shelters for eating. These areas are suitable for small campgrounds as they are located on previously disturbed land.

A walk-in campground is planned for the Maddens Plains area of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. The infrastructure design will undergo environmental and cultural heritage assessments.

What's special about this walk?

Visitors can enjoy with an iconic experience on the NSW south coast, including camping in coastal national parks. The Great Southern Walk is located on Dharawal Country. It is important to the Gweagal people of the Dharawal language group and other Aboriginal family groups with an association of Kamay (Botany Bay), such as the Bidiegal (Bidjigal) and Gadigal peoples.

  • Kamay Botany Bay National Park is Dharawal Country. The land is important to the Gweagal people of the Dharawal language group and other Aboriginal family groups with an association of Kamay (Botany Bay), such as the Bidiegal (Bidjigal) and Gadigal peoples. The Kurnell side of Kamay Botany Bay National Park is significant for its association with HMB Endeavour and Lieutenant James Cook, who arrived on these shores in 1770. This park is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register, and the Kurnell Peninsula is registered on the National Heritage List for its natural and cultural values.
  • Royal National Park is located on the southern fringe of Sydney. It is Australia's oldest national park and one of the busiest in New South Wales. Royal National Park has recently seen a significant and sustained increase in visitors coming to enjoy the beaches, sandstone cliffs, wetlands meet grassy woodland, rainforests, coastal heathland and eucalypt forests, lagoons and waterfalls, especially on sunny weekends and holidays.
  • The Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area contains the most extensive area of rainforest in the Sydney basin. It forms a crucial natural corridor between Royal National Park and the South Coast. The area is an important refuge for species affected by environmental disturbances such as development and bushfires. The Wodi Wodi Aboriginal people occupied these lands for 20,000 years. More recent colonial heritage can also be found, including buildings, rail tracks, and other features from former farming and coalmining.

This walking track will complement the important work we have been doing to upgrade infrastructure within these parks, including the Royal Coast Track, reopening of the Bonnie Vale campgrounds, improved facilities at Wattamolla, the new Cape Solander whale watching platform and the upcoming upgrades at the Kurnell area of Kamay Botany Bay, including a new visitors centre.

A detailed map of the Great Southern Walk, featuring a network of walking trails that weave through diverse landscapes, including coastal areas, forests, and scenic lookouts. The map highlights various points of interest, campgrounds, and facilities along the route. Key landmarks and distances between them are clearly marked, providing a comprehensive guide for hikers and adventurers exploring this scenic trail.

Great Southern Walk map

Updates

Find out the latest news about the Great Southern Walk project....
Stone steps lead down a hillside dotted with trees to a sandy beach beneath a headland
Find out the latest news about the Great Southern Walk project....
Gray ascending steps with yellow strips surrounded by green bushland.
We have been constructing new sections of walking tracks at several locations, which make up the Great Southern Walk from Kurnell to the Illawarra....
"Walkers enjoying the new safe pathway between Bald Hill and Stanwell Park. The image shows the pathway winding along the coastal landscape, with scenic views of the ocean, cliffs, and lush greenery. Walkers are seen taking in the breathtaking scenery while safely traversing the route.
Read about the upgrade of the Cape Baily walking track and other developments....
Ocean glimpsed through trees, from high up on the steps of the Bald Hill Track.
Find out about works on the new Bald Hill to Stanwell Park walking track and other project news....
metal walkway curving through a coastal landscape with rocky cliffs and vegetation. A signboard titled "Cape Baily Track" displays a map of the area.
Read the latest news about the project, including completed works on the southern entrance to the Royal Coast Track between Otford to Werrong Lookout....
Dirt track with thick green forest on either side.

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Contact us

Royal National Park

Phone: 1300 072 757

Email: npws.royal@environment.nsw.gov.au