5 little-known Royal treasures

5 little-known Royal treasures

Royal National Park, on the southern outskirts of Sydney, is one of the oldest national parks in the world, and despite some 2 million visitors a year, has some little-known sights and sites. 

Flowers and beaches, two of the Royal National Park's well-known wonders.

Royal National Park is a 160sq.km area of bushland, with heathland, swamps, cliffs, beaches, woodland, rainforest and some beautiful old-fashioned parkland. It has rivers and waterfalls, native flowers galore, and a rich and varied bird and reptile life. There are more tracks than you can poke a walking stick at, including one of the country's best overnight walks (or a long day walk), the 27km Coast Track. There are well-known fishing spots, diving, snorkelling, camping and mountain biking and cycling opportunities, all within an hour of the centre of Sydney.
But there are a few lesser-known treasures, particular favourites of mine, and I'm certainly hoping to discover a few more in 2014.

1. Figure 8 Pools

Figure 8 pools, Royal National Park

This sublime ocean-side rock shelf, only accessible two hours either side of low tide, has a gorgeous handful of opal- and jade-coloured rock pools that are deep enough and big enough to bathe in. They are all stunning, but the most unusual is the perfect Figure 8 Pool, big enough to hold a small party of people. Some people even bring masks to have a look around the pools, which are encrusted with anemones, weeds and occasionally have fish and even seadragons inside.
Where: Two headlands south of Burning Palms Beach, minimum of an hour's walk from a car.
Perfect for: A hot, sunny day

2. Uloola Falls

Uloola Falls

There is a walk-in campsite near these pretty little falls, but I think the best way to see them is on the 15km loop walk from Heathcote Station. In it you travel through a huge range of terrain, wade across rivers, and have what feels like an incredible adventure, plus have the option of a real coffee and a sit-down meal at Audley half way through. For full walking notes, see my book (available as an E-book) Top Walks in NSW.
Where: Near the centre of the park
Perfect for: A rainy winter's day

3. Aboriginal engravings, Marley Head

Completely unmarked and, like so many Aboriginal sites, expunged from modern maps, the engravings at Marley Head make a delightful excursion for those with sharp eyes. Heading south on the Coast Track, you begin to head downhill towards Marley Beach. There are some glorious sea cliffs here, great for whale-watching, and around the sandstone platform are a surprising number of Aboriginal engravings. Like most engravings, they are easier to view when the sun is not directly overhead, and the lower angle of the winter sun is often best.
Where: 3km due south of Bundeena, in the north-east of the park
Perfect for: A winter walk

4. Lady Carrington Drive

Okay, this historic 10km track is pretty well-known, as it leaves from the heart of the picnic area at Audley. It follows the Hacking River's upper reaches, and is relatively shady, flat and leafy, with some lovely forest. It's lesser-known feature, however, is that it remains one of the best mid-distance, easy mountain-bike tracks in the country, with the 20km return trip perfect for people starting to venture into the sport.
Where: Audley to McKell Ave
Perfect for: Any time of year

5. Cliffs north of Wattamolla

Thin shelfs of sandstone, like diving boards

Perhaps the most popular of all the spots in the park, Wattamolla buzzes on weekends and public holidays, with picnickers, swimmers, anglers and rabble-rousers. Very few seem to head out on the walking tracks though, and those who head north on the Coast Track often turn around before it reaches the coast again. Pity. It's only a few kilometres walk north of Wattamolla to some of the most breathtaking sea cliffs near Sydney. You stand on the edge and look across to see how undercut and thin the rock layer is, then realise that you are standing on the same completely undercut cliff, with very little holding you above the ocean crashing below. It is one of my favourite spots around Sydney, particularly on a wild and windy day.
Where: Approx 3km walk north of Wattamolla
Perfect for: A windy but clear day

Note: Full walk notes for the Coast Track are also available in Top Walks in NSW

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au     

The greenest holiday possible?

The greenest holiday possible?

Forget ecotours, camping and voluntouring: perhaps the most environmentally friendly holiday you could have this year is staring you in the face.

You don't have to go to the back of Bourke for a relaxing, green holiday break.

I've just come back from a fabulous weekend away with my wife. We hired bikes, we swam in waves and lay on beaches, we ate out, we walked, we talked, we laughed. And we didn't even leave Sydney.
In the past few years, one of the buzz words to emerge in tourism has been the "staycation".  In its purest form, it means being a tourist in your home town, while staying in your own home. You turn off the phone, and tell your friends you are away. You not only save on accommodation and transport costs, but you finally get to do all the things you've never done. For example, in Sydney you might finally do the Bridge Climb, or eat out somewhere special, or catch a ferry to Manly, or go to Penrith Whitewater Stadium.
A worthy variation on the pure "staycation" though, particularly in a large city, is to go and stay somewhere else for a couple of days, still in your home town. In our case, we went to Manly, and had a brilliant couple of days on the beach.

Why is this such a "green" holiday?

Packing our cars crammed full of camping gear or towing a trailer, and driving several hours away, is one of the most destructive micro-things we continue to do to our planet. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge supporter of holidays, and believe that tourism needs to be supported (read the introduction to my book, Australia's Best Eco-Friendly Holidays, for more clarification on this point). But burning increasingly precious fossil fuel in order to move large boxes of metal around isn't ideal. Neither is regularly hopping on a plane to go "somewhere else".
By choosing to holiday in your home town, especially if you choose to travel by public transport (in our case, a glorious ferry ride to Manly after a night out in the city), you cut that environmental travel footprint down to almost nothing. You also get the chance to slow down a bit and enjoy what is directly in front of you, while supporting local businesses and people.
If you're still deciding where to take a holiday this Christmas, consider the merits of a "staycation". Go to that national park that's nearby that you've never explored. Have a picnic. Rent kayaks. Go to a show. Remind yourself what's great about the area in which you live.
For more green tourism options, see Australia's Best Eco-Friendly Holidays.

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

  

 

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

One of the easiest and most popular Blue Mountains canyons is now even easier to access.

Steam rises from canyoners in Rocky Creek Canyon

There are plenty of absolutely stunning canyons in the Blue Mountains of NSW – places where millions of years have carved deep, polished slots in the sandstone, where ferns dapple the available light, and water is so untarnished you can drink it from the pools beneath your feet. Often using ropes, canyoners descend into these gorgeous spaces, squeezing, swimming and squelching through the terrain, following creeks wherever they lead – through underground caves, chambers and steep-sided valleys.
A few canyons are relatively easy, such as the classic one down the Wollangambe River via Mt Wilson, which is really just a fun day out on a lilo. Others require a lot of experience and rope skills to even attempt.
Rocky Creek Canyon fits into the first category. There are no abseils, navigation is pretty easy, and the canyon is one of the few that you can do in reverse (if water levels are not too high), making navigation even easier.

Like all canyoning, it is worth remembering the risks. If in any doubt about incoming rain or storms, do not enter the canyon. Be prepared to be very cold, even if you have wetsuits, and always carry warm and dry clothing and emergency gear (preferably in a dry bag).

Getting to Rocky Creek

The Zig Zag Railway carpark is near the western end of Bells Line of Road, about 10km from Lithgow. It's a good enough place to meet, with the last toilet available.
Follow the dirt road out to the Newnes Plateau, turning right at the first intersection onto Galah Mountain Road. You will basically follow that road all the way out to the end. It veers right a couple of times, and wanders through pine forest, native forest and over a couple of graded ditches and humps.
However, perhaps because of road grading during the recent fires, the road is in really, really good condition at the moment, and you should have no problem getting any sedan in there (my low-slung Camry made it with just one clunk on the undercarriage).

Walk in

Towering coachwood

The last section of road goes steeply downhill to a small carpark. On weekends it may be crowded in the carpark. There is an information sign, and an obvious track heads downhill. Follow this almost to the bottom, and then take a major fork that goes off to the right. This track will wind sharply down to a gorgeous patch of rainforest at the base of the cliff, with towering coachwood trees and tree ferns. The little footpad then continues on the other side of the creek, winding up slightly and along the creek. Keep following it, until you reach a rock platform with a 3m waterfall off to the left, and another creek coming in from the right. This is the start of the canyon proper and the best place to don wetsuits.

Walk in through rainforest

Canyon

The start of the canyon, with climb-down through a hole on the left of frame

The brave or foolhardy can jump the waterfall, but there are hidden rock ledges, so it is NOT advised. Instead, there is a fun clamber down a hole to the right, and a rope is currently in place to help. From there the canyon involves some short swims, walks and wades, with a gorgeous narrow ampitheatre of rock above. There are yabbies and ferns, and moments when single shafts of light shine on individual rocks way below. There are also a couple of longer swims, particularly towards the end, and a lovely little jump in of a couple of metres. Unlike many canyons, the walking is relatively easy, with a minimum of really slippery odd-shaped rocks.

Finish

Be prepared, if anyone is really cold, or if rain is looking likely, to take the exit about a kilometre downstream from the canyon, when the creek does a hairpin bend to the right. It involves a mildly scary rock scramble up a 30m cliff, then a wander up the ridge and along back to the car park. You should have the topo map, compass and the ability to find this route. However, most people warm up for a little while in any sunny spot they can find outside the canyon (good place for lunch) then return back through the canyon, and it's even more fun going against the current.

Extras
Some people do a higher canyon called Sheep dip, and then go into Rocky Creek from there.

Note

I shot all my images on this trip on iPhone for the first time, discovering that they are pretty useless in low light - all the exposures were too long to handhold clearly. Apologies for the photos on this blog. However, Ian Brown was with us shooting for our feature on Wollemi National Park to appear in Australian Geographic, and his photos are stunning. Keep an eye out for the feature.

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au