How to Make the Most of One Day in Royal National Park

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Introduction to Royal National Park

Royal National Park makes a perfect day trip from Sydney. It’s located only about 40 km south from CBD, and it’s easily accessible by car or public transport. In less than an hour you can find yourself in lush green bushes overlooking the mesmerizing blue ocean. Royal NP lines the coast so there are many beaches, coastal walks, hikes and whale-watching spots to discover. The two most famous and favorite ones are probably Figure 8 Pools and The Wedding Cake Rock. I visited both more than once and I can say they are worth a visit. Here’s a little overview how to get there and what to expect. One day in Royal National Park royal national park nsw

Figure 8 Pools

Figure 8 Pools are little pools in the rocks along the coastline. They are 100% made by nature, which can be hard to believe because some of them are perfectly shaped as number 8. When we came to Australia 4 years ago and visited this place for the first time, it wasn’t as popular and crowded yet, but today you will most likely find there many people even during work days, thanks to video by Unilad Adventure that went viral on Facebook.

Getting There

By Car

Figure 8 Pools are not easy to access. If you travel by car, you have to leave it at the Garrawarra Farm car park and then hike about 3 km down the hill. It’s not a great distance but it is quite difficult and the hardest part is to climb it up on the way back. First, there’s a steep walk down through rain forest. I would recommend wearing proper shoes here, even though we saw some individuals in flip flops.

When you think you must be all the way down already, the forest ends and you find yourself yet on another hill. The forest is replaced by tall grass and the views from here are absolutely stunning so it makes it easier and more exciting to go down. This track will lead you to the beautiful and wild Burning Palms Beach. You have to go through the beach to the point where big rocks start and where you’ll think “this can’t be the way”. Well, it is! And you have to climb through them for about 1 km to get to the pools.

By Train

If you want to go by public transport, you can take a train from Central to Otford station and from there it is approximately 6 km hike one way to get to Figure 8 Pools.

This hike, although twice as long, is not as steep and I reckon it was easier than the one from Garrawarra. The trail will lead you through the jungle and along the coast. I wouldn’t even call it a hike, but rather a walk. If you choose this option, you will come to the Figure 8 Pools from the other side, so you don’t have to go through the beach and climb as many rocks as from Garrawarra. And getting back is also easier.

Extra Piece of Advice

Be Mindful about the Tides

The important thing to bear in mind is tide. Figure 8 Pools are accessible only at low tide, otherwise it can get very dangerous and many people got injured because they underestimated the power of the waves. You can check the tide times here.

Don't Forget Snacks and Lots of Water

Even though you’ll probably meet many people along the way and this place is getting more and more popular, Royal NP is still very wild and there’s no place to buy food and drinks so you have to bring them yourself. Don’t forget your sunscreen too because Australian sun is very strong and once you’ll leave the jungle, there’s barely any shade.

I have been to Figure 8 Pools twice, once by car, the other by train and both can be challenging, but doable. It is truly unique place to visit!

Wedding Cake Rock

Wedding Cake Rock is another natural formation that is hard to believe it’s not man-made. The white sandstone rock truly reminds a piece of a wedding cake just hanging of a cliff along the coast. More than 4 years ago when we first came to Australia, you could get on the rock and take cool photos, however, today you’ll find a fence surrounding it because it started to slump and it became dangerous to people. Even though you are not allowed to go on the rock anymore, it’s still amazing to see and the hike is very easy with many picturesque views.