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The 15,080-ha Royal National Park was the first national park in Australia gazetted in 1879. Before the Europeans arrived the park looked very different to the scene that confronts you today. Back then, before European farming practices and the loss of native wildlife caused drastic changes to the vegetation, the park looked something akin to English parkland with short grasslands interspersed with huge eucalyptuses. Today the vegetation has altered with smaller gums competing with much more ground cover. This ironically has created what today is the park's greatest threat – fire. More than once in the last decade the Royal has been almost completely (but temporarily) destroyed by bush fires that feed on the copious fuel that once never existed. So today, as well as providing over 100-km of walking tracks and hosting some beautiful beaches and other activities ranging from swimming to scuba diving, the park is also a monument to humans' destruction of the fragile Australian environment.
Sights
NPWS Royal National Park Visitors Centre
Farnell Ave, T 9542 0648. Daily 0830-1630.
The main hub of human activity centres around historic Audley at the park’s northern entrance, where you will find the NPWS Royal National Park Visitors Centre. They can provide park maps as well as detailed information on walks and all other activities. Ranger-guided walks are often available.
Beaches
Wattamolla, Garie and Burning Palms are said to be three of the state's most beautiful beaches. The choice of walks range from the 500-m (wheelchair accessible) Bungoona Track to the 26-km Coast Track (Bundeena to Otford) that is a regional favourite. It guarantees some glorious coastal views and on occasion (from June to September) the odd whale sighting. You can hire rowboats and canoes at the Audley Boatshed, near the visitors centre, for a leisurely paddle up Kangaroo Creek. Mountain bikes are also available for hire but trail routes are limited and there is good surfing at the patrolled Garie Beach. Several freshwater pools also provide sheltered swimming with the Deer Pool (near Marley Beach) being the most popular.
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