4 km
Wedding Cake Rock
A brilliant white sandstone block on the cliff edge — view it from behind the fence, it's unstable.
-34.1095, 151.1520Sydney, Australia
Royal National Park Coast Track
Feels far from the city despite being close
- Distance
- 26.04 km
- Elevation
- 720 m
- Difficulty
- Hard
3–5 hrs Point to point
Clifftops, empty beaches and wild coastline on the Bundeena section of the Coast Track — Australia's great coastal trail run. Options from 10 km out-and-back to the full 26 km to Otford, with a ferry ride to the start.
SunriseCoastalTrail RunningWeekend AdventureHard
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- GPX + Garmin download
- Elevation profile
- Printable terrain map
- Public transport info
- Photo-stop guide
- Coffee + brunch suggestions
The experience
Why you'll love this run
- Wild clifftops, beaches and coastal heath
- A true point-to-point trail adventure
- Feels remote despite being close to Sydney
- Train and ferry connections make a car optional
At a glance
- crowds
- scenery
- adventure
- technicality
- accessibility
Route map
Every stop, mapped
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Printable illustrated route card
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StartFinishWaterToiletsTransportCafeBeachLookoutLandmark Photo stop
Route timeline
Kilometre by kilometre
0 km
Bundeena
Ferry from Cronulla, then 1 km to the trailhead.
4 km
Wedding Cake Rock
Open clifftop, no shade.
8 km
Marley Beach
Soft sand crossing — slow going.
12 km
Wattamolla
Water, toilets, kiosk. The only refill point.
15 km
Eagle Rock
Waterfall into the ocean.
20 km
Garie Beach
Toilets and the last easy bail-out.
26 km
Otford
A brutal final climb to the station.
Route highlights
The parts you'll remember
12 km
Wattamolla
A lagoon, a waterfall and a sheltered beach — the only place on the track with a kiosk.
-34.1370, 151.115015 km
Eagle Rock
A weathered sandstone headland shaped like a bird of prey, with Curracurrong Falls dropping straight into the ocean beside it.
-34.1553, 151.0958Photo stops
Where to stop and shoot
Figure Eight Pools
Circular rock pools carved into the wave-cut platform below Burning Palms.
- Best time
- Low tide only — check the tide chart and swell before descending.
- Photography tip
- Shoot from directly above on the rock shelf so the pools read as perfect circles.
- GPS
- -34.1795, 151.0525
Curracurrong Falls
One of very few waterfalls on earth that falls directly into the sea.
- Best time
- Morning, after rain
- Photography tip
- Frame the falls against Eagle Rock from the northern side of the creek.
- GPS
- -34.1553, 151.0958
Local knowledge
Before you go
- Best time to run
- Start at first light — most of the track is fully exposed and there is no shade.
- Sunrise
- 6:00am summer / 6:50am winter, straight out of the ocean.
- Sunset
- Do not still be out there. Finish with hours to spare.
- Parking
- Park at Otford and take the train + ferry to Bundeena, so your car waits at the finish.
- Public transport
- Train to Cronulla, ferry to Bundeena; train home from Otford.
- Water
- Wattamolla at 12 km is the only reliable water. Carry at least 2 litres.
- Toilets
- Bundeena, Wattamolla and Garie Beach.
Safety
Remote, exposed and hot. Tell someone your plan, carry a phone, check the fire danger rating and the tide before attempting Figure Eight Pools.
Getting there
- • Cronulla–Bundeena ferry
- • Otford train station
1 water point · 2 toilet stops on route
Make a morning of it
The Bundeena ferry runs hourly — check the timetable before you commit to a start time.
- foodWattamolla kiosk — Open weekends and holidays — the only food on the track.
- foodBundeena bakery — Fuel up right off the ferry.
- foodOtford Pantry — A 300 m walk from the finish, and worth every step.
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