Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey continues from Cronulla catching a ferry across Port Hacking to Bundeena, from where I follow the Royal Coast Track around Jibbon Head and down the coast to Wattamolla.
Distance hiked today: 19.3km
Total distance hiked: 201.9km
Today's Journey
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I start where I left off in Cronulla, heading to the nearby Gunnamatta Bay boat harbour, where I catch this boat across Port Hacking to Bundeena. |
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Reaching the pristine Bundeena Beach, I set off following the coastal suburbia towards Jibbon Beach. |
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Once past Jibbon Beach, I enter the northernmost part of Royal National Park and explore the Aboriginal historic artefacts in the area before continuing along the coast to round Jibbon Point. Cronulla Beach stretches out on the other side of the harbour. |
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Rounding Jibbon Point, I descend to Shelley Beach where I am once more exposed to the open ocean. From here I follow the Jibbon Track over the scrubby sand dunes to reach the main coast track. |
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The coast track heading southward through the Royal National Park is in very good condition and much of it is plastic boardwalk protecting the ground below it from trampling. It winds its way through dense heathland scrub along the low hills above the rugged cliffs. |
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The trail crosses one of several streams flowing across the rocks about to leap off the edge of the cliff. Stone blocks make the crossing very easy. |
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I reach Wedding Cake Rock, now fenced off from the track as a large crack is forming behind the rock and it is likely to fall off the top of the cliff into the sea below over the next few years. |
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Once past Wedding Cake Rock, the track is less busy as I continue following the elevated board walk through the heathland scrub until eventually descending to the remote Marley Beach. |
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Once across Marley Beach and Little Marley Beach, the track continues above the rugged cliffs through increasingly remote terrain. |
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Finally I descend into Wattamolla Beach, accessible by road and surprisingly crowded. A stream leaps off a waterfall into the lagoon near where I am standing. From here I catch a shuttle back to civilisation for the night. |
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