1.6 km
Milk Beach
A crescent of sand below Strickland House with the Harbour Bridge and city skyline directly across the water.
-33.8629, 151.2689Sydney, Australia
Hermitage Foreshore
One of Sydney's hidden gems
Rose Bay to Watsons Bay along the harbour's eastern edge — the Hermitage Foreshore track, Milk Beach and Strickland House, Shark Beach at Nielsen Park, then Parsley Bay and the run out to Camp Cove. City skyline views almost the whole way.
- Distance
- 9.48 km
- Elevation
- 93 m
- Time
- 55–70 min
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Type
- Point to point
HarbourCoastalSunsetModerate
Route map
Every stop, mapped
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StartFinishWaterToiletsTransportCafeBeachLookoutLandmark Photo stop
Route timeline
Kilometre by kilometre
0 km
Rose Bay
Start on the foreshore and follow the harbour east.
1.6 km
Milk Beach
Sand and sandstone steps below Strickland House.
3.2 km
Nielsen Park
Shark Beach, kiosk, taps and toilets — the natural halfway.
5 km
Parsley Bay
Across the suspension bridge and up through Vaucluse.
7 km
Watsons Bay
Around Robertson Park to Camp Cove.
7.5 km
South Head
Out to Hornby Lighthouse and the harbour mouth.
9.5 km
Camp Cove
Finish on the sand — ferry home from Watsons Bay.
Route highlights
The parts you'll remember
3.2 km
Shark Beach, Nielsen Park
Netted harbour swimming under huge fig trees, with a kiosk right on the sand.
-33.8558, 151.26927.5 km
South Head & Hornby Lighthouse
The turn out to the harbour mouth — red-and-white lighthouse, sandstone cliffs and North Head straight across.
-33.8335, 151.2799Photo stops
Where to stop and shoot
Milk Beach
The classic Sydney frame: sand in the foreground, Harbour Bridge and skyline across the water.
- Best time
- Sunset, or blue hour
- Photography tip
- Shoot from the eastern rocks at low tide so the wet sand mirrors the skyline.
- GPS
- -33.8629, 151.2689
Hornby Lighthouse
Striped lighthouse on the sandstone tip of South Head, with the open Pacific behind it.
- Best time
- Early morning
- Photography tip
- Drop below the path to the west so the stripes stand against the water, not the sky.
- GPS
- -33.8335, 151.2799
Local knowledge
Before you go
- Best time to run
- Late afternoon, then stay for sunset over the city from Milk Beach.
- Sunrise
- 6:00am summer / 6:50am winter — the sun rises behind you over the heads.
- Sunset
- Straight across the harbour behind the bridge.
- Parking
- Street parking around Rose Bay; paid parking at Nielsen Park and Watsons Bay.
- Public transport
- Ferry to Rose Bay to start, ferry home from Watsons Bay. The 325 bus links the whole route.
- Water
- Nielsen Park, Parsley Bay and Watsons Bay.
- Toilets
- Nielsen Park, Parsley Bay and Robertson Park.
Safety
Steps, sand and a few short road crossings. Slippery after rain, not stroller-friendly.
Getting there
- • Rose Bay ferry wharf
- • Watsons Bay ferry wharf
2 water points · 2 toilet stops on route
Local tip
Finish with a swim inside the net at Camp Cove, then take the ferry back to the city.
- Nielsen Park Kiosk — Sits on the sand at the halfway mark.
- Watsons Bay Hotel — Beer garden 200 m from the finish.
- Watsons Bay ferry — The best way home — the whole route in reverse from the water.
Route pack
Download the Hermitage Foreshore pack
The GPX file plus everything on this page, ready for your watch and your pocket.
- GPX file
- Route map
- Route summary
- Elevation profile
- Route highlights
- Photo-stop guide
- Public transport info
- Local recommendations