4 km
Wedding Cake Rock
A brilliant white sandstone block on the cliff edge — view it from behind the fence, it's unstable.
-34.0955, 151.1445Sydney, Australia
Royal National Park Coast Track
Feels far from the city despite being close
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.
- Distance
- 26.04 km
- Elevation
- 720 m
- Time
- 3–5 hrs
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Type
- Point to point
TrailCoastalSunriseHard
Route map
Every stop, mapped
Loading map…
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.
-34.1502, 151.0885Photo 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
- -34.1502, 151.0885
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
Local tip
The Bundeena ferry runs hourly — check the timetable before you commit to a start time.
- Wattamolla kiosk — Open weekends and holidays — the only food on the track.
- Bundeena bakery — Fuel up right off the ferry.
- Otford Pantry — A 300 m walk from the finish, and worth every step.
Route pack
Download the Royal National Park Coast Track 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