Want to get away from the city without really going anywhere? Then maybe it’s time you paid a visit to the Royal National Park.
Just south of the Shire is seventeen thousand hectares of unspoiled national park, offering an incredibly diverse landscape – from dry eucalypt forest, rainforest, saltmarsh and of course the spectacular coastal cliffline.
A bushwalk here doesn’t have to be strenuous. You can take the Bungoona Lookout walk, which takes you through open sandstone forest, past gorgeous plants and birds, to the lookout itself. Here you get a view of the Hacking River below and the valley that goes all the way to Helensburgh.
If you like to get out on the water, head to the Audley Boatshed. First built in 1937, the boatshed has been in the same family for the last 34 years. Take out a rowboat, a canoe, a kayak, even a waterbike and explore the Hastings and the quiet stretches of Kangaroo Creek.
When you’re hungry, cross the river to the Audley Dance Hall. Here they make everything in house, including their fantastic pastries. It’s just the place to relax between adventures.
And if you want to do it all again tomorrow, you can stay in one of the National Park’s premises on site, like Reid’s Flat Cottage. It’s only three kilometres from the nearest suburb, but it feels like a haven in the middle of the bush.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Royal National Park, Sydney
@nswnationalparks
(02) 9542 0632
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/royal-national-park
Audley Boatshed, Royal National Park
@audleyboatshed
(02) 9545 4967
www.audleyboatshed.com
Audley Dance Hall, Royal National Park
@audleydancehallandcafe
(02) 9452 6222
www.audleydancehall.com.au
Reids Flat Cottage, Royal National Park
@nswnationalparks
1300 072 757
www.nswparks.info/reidsflat
