Rose Bay to Watsons Bay
Clocking in at around 8 kilometres and boasting drop dead gorgeous views, this walk will give a sizeable boost to your weekly step count and a deep drain on your camera’s battery. Starting at one wharf and finishing at another, you can begin at either end and it is for the most part a pretty level walk
I set out on this walk on what I thought was a fairly mild summer’s morning, but the days can heat up quickly in Sydney in February and I was soon working up a sweat. Word of advice: pack the sunscreen, and your swimmers. As you wander the paths over beaches and bush the UV rays will get you no matter what time of the year. And there are so many beautiful beaches along the way you’ll regret it (as did I), if you’re not prepared for a swim.
To start
The walk begins with a ferry ride from Circular Quay. I love taking trips via ferry; they’re like mini harbour cruises on boats that are rarely overcrowded and crewed by happy, friendly people.
Rose Bay
The ride out from Circular Quay to Rose Bay takes about twenty minutes. As you leave the ferry wharf head right on the Lyne Park pathway past upmarket Catalina Restaurant and the offices of Sydney Seaplanes. This area is the unlikely sight of Sydney’s first airport. Built in 1938, the airport operated as the Rose Bay Boat Base. Aircraft, initially carrying mail and later, well-heeled passengers flew all the way to London on what was known as the ‘Kangaroo Route’ taking ten days and requiring thirty refuelling stops along the way!
Continuing on along the path you’ll pass a large playground and a small sailing club before hitting Rose Bay Beach. This feels very much like a locals beach. Maybe it was because I visited on a Monday, but the beach was pretty deserted apart form a few dog walkers. With its white sand and super clear water, weekends are surely a different story. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards on the beach from Rose Bay Aquatic Hire.
As you head down along the beach a quick glance to your left at the upside down smile of the Harbour Bridge will tell you why the real estate around here is some of the most expensive in Sydney. And the view only gets better as you continue the walk.
Leave the beach via the public steps at Dumaresque Reserve. If the tide is high you may need to turn off earlier on to Caledonian Road. Turn left on to New South Head Road and continue up to Tivoli Avenue where you’ll take another left turn and left again into Bayview Hill Road, admiring the grandeur of Kincoppal and Kambala schools on your way.
Hermitage Walk
At the end of Bayview Hill Road is the entrance to The Hermitage Foreshore Walk. This scenic track, 1.8km in length, will take you along the harbour foreshore, past pretty beaches, and the historic Strickland House and down into Nielsen Park. There are plenty of places to stop and take in the view, as well as grassed areas and tables perfect for a picnic. The path is shady for the most part, and the boardwalk makes for easy passage. Lined with fragrant native foliage, huge figs and pretty paperbarks, the area attracts birds, bees and butterflies along with the occasional sketchbook wielding artist eager to capture all this the beauty.
Among the many picturesque places to stop along this part of the walk, my pick would have to be Milk Beach. Just down from Strickland House it is the perfect place for a swim or a soak in the sun before continuing on to the much busier Shark Beach at Nielsen Park.
Nielsen Park
When the sound of birdsong gives way to squealing children , you’ll know that you have reached the end of the Hermitage walk and are entering Nielsen Park. Break out the picnic basket here, if you havent already or pop into the take away place for fish and chips, coffee and sandwiches. Be sure to watch out for birds though. On my last trip there a crafty kookaburra swooped down and snatched a large piece of fish from a lady at a neighbouring table.
Neilson Park is a popular spot for weddings, parties and photography shoots and it can get very crowded in the summer time. The beach is called Shark Beach although I can’s see any sharks getting through that net which keeps swimmers safe from the much feared predators in the summer months.
The park is managed by National Parks and is on the traditional land of the Eora people. The Gadigal and Birrabirragal clans lived here, and paintings, carvings and middens found in the area, testify to their occupation until as late as the early 1900s.
Note: The beach at Nielsen Park will be closed to the public in 2022 to allow for the replacement of the 100 year-old sea wall. The cafe and restaurant are also closed. Bottle and Glass Point, Shakespeare's Point, and most of Nielsen Park south of the promenade will remain open.
As you leave Neilsen Park it’s worth taking a little side path up the track to look out over Vaucluse Bay at Bottle and Glass Point look out over Vaucluse Bay. According to National Parks, the point was so named in 1799 because the sandstone columns resembled glassware. Once much taller than they are today, the columns were supposedly shattered when used for target practice by passing ships!
Leaving Neilsen Park, via Greycliffe Ave, head up Coolong Road. As you turn left on to Wentworth Rd you’ll see Beach Paddock on your left and opposite, signs directing you to Vaucluse House. Vaucluse House is a heritage listed home. Originally built as a farm house, it is surrounded by extensive gardens and has stood as a museum for the last 100 years. It is open to the public Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am - 4pm and is popular for its tea rooms as well as its history. Not being dressed for tea on the day of my walk, I didn’t pop in for a visit but I hope to some day soon.
Parsley Bay Reserve
Continue along Wentworth Rd which loops around into Fitzwilliam and then down to Parsley Rd where you’ll see the laneway entrance to Parsley Bay Reserve. (To enter the reserve via the suspension bridge, follow Wentworth Rd to its end where it turns right into Fitzwilliam. On Fitwilliam Rd near number 43, look out for a small path which will lead you to Parsley Bay Bridge. Cross over this suspension bridge and take the steps down to the reserve.)
Parsley Bay Reserve is a very special spot and perhaps my favourite on this walk. While it is popular with families, it’s not nearly as crowded as nearby Neilson Park. There are toilets, a playground, and a little cafe which is open 7 days a week from 9:30 until 2 or 3, depending on the weather. The sheltered beach is pristine and is surrounded by beautiful bushland. Up on the headland there is also a short bushland circuit that takes you to a waterfall at the head of the gully.
After wondering around the reserve take the stairs back up as though returning to the bridge then turn inland to the path leading up to The Crescent. Not far now.
Follow the Crescent, stopping to sticky beak into some very nice houses, especially those fronting the bay. At its end The Crescent meets Hopetoun Avenue - turn right here. When you see Palmerston Avenue on your right you ant to turn left, taking the path down Marine Parade to Gibson’s Beach and the Watsons Bay foreshore. Follow Marine Parade up to Robertson Park (named for a former Premier), and and the pretty little beach opposite .
Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay is popular with day trippers and it’s not hard to see why. Easily accessible from the city by ferry or bus, there is so much to see and do. There are pretty beaches, a large park and playground, great walking trails and plenty of spots for a picnic. Among the many places to eat and drink are the Watsons Bay Hotel, the upmarket Dunbar House, or the ever popular Doyles: eat in at the restaurant on the beach or get fish and chips on the wharf.
While you’re in Watsons Bay, head up the hill beyond Roberston Park to see the infamous Gap. The sheer cliffs at this spot are striking geologically and the views are breathtaking, but sadly The Gap is more famous for the many lives that have been lost here to suicide. In an effort to prevent people jumping from the cliffs, authorities have installed security cameras and emergency phones in the surrounding area.
From the Gap or from the beach, you can take a trail to Camp Cove and on to South Head and Hornby Lighthouse. Exhausted and footsore, I chose to save this for another day and headed back to the wharf and the ferry back to town.