Stage 1 - Bundeena to Garie Beach

Under a cool overcast sky, we took our first steps from the pier at Bundeena. Our hearts were light, but our packs were heavy. We soon settled down to a regular walking rhythm as we climbed steadily through the streets of the village, and it was not until we reached the entry of Royal National Park and started to follow the sandy track across the low heathlands that the trip seemed really underway. Whenever we passed through heathlands we were accompanied by the twittering of a miscellany of small heathland birds. Soon this gave way to views of the ocean and a soaring sea-eagle greeted us as we reached the cliffs and turned south, directly into the face of a southerly buster – welcome to the South Coast of New South Wales! A test of optimism – to complain “bloody wind” or appreciate experiencing the full wildness of the coast as we followed the path along the cliff edges. We chose the latter and, fuelled by the abundance of negative ions, continued on in fine spirits past the Water-Run, where a stream brings fresh water down a gully eroded into cliffs with splendidly ragged profiles carved by wind and sea.

Multicoloured sandstone cliffs stretch to the south ....

..... the highlight being this block of dazzling white

From the Water-Run, the path continued through a section of exposed sandstone, ranging from pure white to all the colours of the ochre rainbow. I am an unashamed sandstonophile and love its texture colour and eroded forms. The cliffs in this section were superb against a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, whipped into a sea of whitecaps by the Southerly Buster. Eventually we dropped down to Big and Little Marley Beaches, where the wild seas drove foaming breakers onto the shore – not a place for swimming today!!

Wattamolla Inlet

From Curracurrong and the enigmatic profile of Eagle Rock, we steadily climbed up through taller heath, where several species of banksia were just coming in to flower and gymea lilies were sending up their tall flower spikes, to reach the highest point of the walk at North Garie Head (114m). From here, we took in the magnificent view of Garie Beach below and the long stretch of coastal headlands fading southwards into the sea mist. A steep descent down to the beach, short stroll across the sand, and small climb into the forest saw us at our stop for the night; the secluded YHA hut at Garie Beach, in a clearing surrounded by eucalypts, cycads and cabbage palms.

Looking south from North Garie Head

Our sense of achievement was high when we realised that we had probably completed the hardest stage of our entire trip on our first day; 18.6 km with a pack load of 34 kg between us (some lessons in packing efficiency were hard learnt). Here we passed a convivial first night in the pleasant company of fellow walkers, the young doctors and Thomas the lost German, aided by the bottle of red and good food that we had stashed at the hut two days earlier.

We spent our second day reading and relaxing in the peaceful setting of the hut, as our feet and backs recuperated under the calming influence of the white noise of the bush; the wind rustling in the trees above, the distant sound of the surf and the rise and fall of the song of cicadas. In the evening we strolled back down the track to Garie Beach for a natural spa bath in a rock pool with the surf breaking over us. The trip had started well.

YHA Hut at Garie Beach