Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 156

as you look at the water) then up the flight of steps into Short Street, then left
along Cliff Street to the end of Camp Cove Beach. Continue along the coast past
the nudist Lady Bay Beach to the lighthouse at South Head, where there are some
great views (of the coastline, not the nudists). Across the road in front of the Wat-
sons Bay Hotel is another section of the national park, known for its cliff-top
views. Here you'll find The Gap, a sheer cliff popular for suicides, sadly. Watsons
Bay is reached by ferries from Circular Quay, and via the Bondi & Bay Explorer.
MORE NATIONAL PARKS Forming a semicircle around the city are Syd-
ney's biggest parks of all. To the west is the Blue Mountains National Park (see
chapter 4); to the northeast is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; and to the
south is the magnificent Royal National Park. All three parks are home to mar-
supials such as echidnas and wallabies, numerous bird and reptile species, and a
broad range of native plant life. Walking tracks, whether they stretch for half an
hour or a few days, make each park accessible to the visitor.
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park ( & 02/9457 9322 or 02/9457 9310) is a
great place to take a bushwalk through gum trees and rainforest on the lookout
for wildflowers, sandstone rock formations, and Aboriginal art. There are plenty
of tracks through the park, but one of my favorites is a relatively easy 2.5km (1.5-
mile) tramp to The Basin (Track 12). The well-graded dirt path takes you down
to a popular estuary with a beach and passes some significant Aboriginal engrav-
ings. There are also some wonderful water views over Pittwater from the picnic
areas at West Head. Pick up a free walking guide at the park entrance, or gather
maps and information in Sydney at the National Parks & Wildlife Service's cen-
ter at Cadmans Cottage, 110 George St., The Rocks ( & 02/9247 8861 ). The
park is open from sunrise to sunset, and admission is A$10 (US$6.50) per car.
You can either drive to the park or catch a ferry from Palm Beach to The Basin
(from where you can walk up Track 12 and back). Ferries run on the hour (except
at 1pm) from 9am to 5pm daily and cost A$4 (US$2.60) one-way; call & 02/
9918 2747 for details. Shorelink bus no. 577 runs from the Turramurra CityRail
station to the nearby park entrance every hour on weekdays and every 2 hours on
weekends; call & 02/9457 8888 for details. There is no train service to the park.
Camping is allowed only at The Basin ( &

02/9457 9853 ) and costs A$12

(US$7.80) for two people booked in advance.
If you have a car you could visit the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, 420
Mona Vale Rd., St Ives ( & 02/9440 8609 ), which is essentially a huge area of
natural bushland and a center for urban bushland education. There are plenty
of bushwalking tracks, self-guided walks, and a number of nature-based activi-
ties. It's open daily from 8am to 4pm. Admission is A$2.50 (US$1.60) for
adults, A$1 (US65¢) for children, and A$6 (US$3.90) for families.
To the south of Sydney is the remarkable Royal National Park, Farrell
Avenue, Sutherland ( & 02/9542 0648 ). It's the world's oldest national park,
having been gazetted as such in 1879. (The main competitor to the title is Yel-
lowstone in the United States, which was set aside for conservation in 1872 but
not designated as a national park until 1883.) Severe bushfires almost destroyed
the whole lot in early 1994, but the trees and bush plants have recovered remark-
ably. There's no visitor center, but you can get park information at park
entrances, where you'll have to pay a A$10 (US$6.50) per car entry fee.
There are several ways to access the park, but my favorites are the little-known
access points from Bundeena and Otford. To get to Bundeena, take a CityRail
train from Central Station to Cronulla. Just below the train station you'll find
Cronulla Wharf. From there, hop on the delightful ferry run by National Park