From Bundeena, this walk heads south to the coast and then loops around Marley Head. The environment changes from heath to open, rocky platforms along the cliffs. There are great views from Marley Head, and the section between Marley and Bundeena Lookout is just astounding. Look out for lizards in the heath sections, as it abounds with wildlife.
(open in app)
There are closures in Royal National Park Today's Fire rating LOW MODERATE (No fire ban)
Cross sectional view of the Bundeena to Marley Head bushwalking track
Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Bundeena to Marley Head bushwalking track
Overview of this walks Grading - Based on the AS 2156.1 - 2001
These details are new. This new feature still requires more testing and refining. Please use the 'Walker Feedback' for report specific issues. Please e-mail Matt if you have any general comments. Hope you find it helpful.
Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.
Length
11km
Time
3 hrs 20 mins
.
Grade 3/6
Track: Moderate
AS 2156.1
Gradient
Short steep hills (3/6)
Quality of track
Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Signs
Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Experience Required
Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
Weather
Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
Infrastructure
Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
*This summary of grading information is new and still in testing
Some more detail of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining the grading looking at sections of the walk. Gradient
7km of this walk has gentle hills with occasional steps and another 3km has short steep hills. The remaining (410m) is flat with no steps.
Quality of track
6km of this walk follows a clear and well formed track or trail and another 3.5km follows a smooth and hardened path. The remaining (1.1km) follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles.
Signs
Around 7km of this walk is clearly signposted, whilst the remaining 4.1km has directional signs at most intersection.
Experience Required
Around 8km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 3km requires some bushwalking experience.
Weather
This whole walk, 11km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).
Infrastructure
Around 6km of this walk is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats), whilst the remaining 4.7km has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced).
Online bushwalking Magazine. Download the full magazine for free Bushwalk Australia eMag The Online Magazine is produces by the community at bushwalk.com and the Wildwalks team Bushwalk.com Australia's most active bushwalking forum - Check it out. Happy Reading. Matt :)
Catch the ferry to Bundeena
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for upto date running time info Use these links to plan your Ferry (and train) trip to the end of this walk.
Bundeena is a small township at the northern end of Royal National Park and the southern side of the entrance to Port Hacking. The town can be accessed by car or ferry. There are a few B&B's and other accommodation options and a number of cafes to choose from. Bundeena has a mixed atmosphere, partly a beach holiday community but also home to some permanent residents. There are two main beaches - Hordens Beach to the west and Jibbon Beach to the east. Both are nice beaches inside Port Hacking. More info
(0 km)
Bundeena Ferry Wharf
to
End of Beachcomber Av Walk: Easy - road
Length = 1.55 km
Time = 30 mins
Climb = 61 m
Descent = -21 m
From Bundeena Ferry, on Brighton St, this walk turns left into Loftus St, goes past Mary St and turns right into Bournemouth St. The walk turns left into Scarbourough St and takes the first right into Beachcomber Av. Beachcomber Av is followed south and gradually to the east until reaching the entry into the Royal National Park. This is marked by several large information signs.
(1.55 km)
End of Beachcomber Av
to
Int of Beachcomber Rd Service Trail and Coast Walk Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 206 m
Time = 4 mins
Climb = 10 m
Descent = -2 m
Continue straight: From the end of Beachcomber Av, this walk heads around the locked gate, following the 'Coast Walk'[1] sign along the wide management trail. After about 50m, the trail passes a track (on the left) and continues until coming to an intersection with a wider sandy trail (on the left, which leads to Jibbon Head). Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the asphalt management trail heading towards the green signposts nearby, where it comes to the signposted intersection of the 'Coast Track'[2].
(1.76 km)
Int of Beachcomber Rd Servicetrail and Coast Walk
to
Campsite at end of Beachcomber Rd Servicetrail Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 264 m
Time = 5 mins
Climb = 9 m
Descent = -3 m
Continue straight: From the intersection with 'The Coast Track', this walk heads south before turning to the west along the gravel road. The walk soon comes to a small clearing with an old campfire site, at the end of the road.
(2.02 km)
Campsite at end of Beachcomber Rd Servicetrail
to
Int of Beachcomber Bushtrack and Marley Head Trail Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 1.1 km
Time = 19 mins
Climb = 20 m
Descent = -5 m
Continue straight: From the campsite, this walk heads west along the wide track and, after a very short period, turns to the south. The track continues through the scrub, with some very pretty examples of the heath flowers common to the area. It is largely sheltered by high growing heath and vegetation however there are some occasions where the track breaks out and it is possible to see quite far around. The track continues in this manner until reaching the large Marley Beach management trail (not signposted).
(3.12 km)
Int of Marley Head Servicetrail and Beachcomber Rd Bushtrack
to
Int of Coast Track and Marley Head Servicetrail Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 2.23 km
Time = 38 mins
Climb = 8 m
Descent = -41 m
Turn left : From the intersection, this walk follows the rocky management trail heading east, meandering through the thick scrub with few views over the surrounding bushland as the track is largely shrouded by the high scrub on either side. The track continues in this manner for quite some time until passing a "no bicycles" sign at the end of the management trail, where it follows the short track to the intersection with the coastal walk track.
(5.35 km)
Int of Coast Track and Marley Head Servicetrail
to
East Marely Beach Optional sidetrip: Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 447 m
Time = 8 mins
Climb = 1 m
Descent = -32 m
Continue straight: From the signposted intersection, the walk follows the coast, keeping the ocean to the left. The track winds down the long hill to the end of Marley Beach, and comes to a large green information sign. (Retrace your steps back to the main track, then veer right to continue along this walk.)
(5.35 km)
Int of Coast Track and Marley Head Servicetrail
to
Bundeena Lookout Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 3.03 km
Time = 1 hr 4 mins
Climb = 116 m
Descent = -126 m
Turn left : From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading north-east along the coast, winding through the high heath for about 1.5km until the track descends into a large gully along hardened path. At the bottom, it crosses a small bridged stream. From here, the track continues up the other side of the gully, using the rock steps to the top. From here, the track follows the post markers along the track to the clifftop coastline, however on a few occasions the track will split into two and meet up again a short while later - just stick to the track closest to the coast. After several hundred metres, the track comes to an unsignposted vantage point at the end of the rock platform, where the bush track turns inland.
Bundeena Lookout
Alt = 28 m
This unfenced, informal lookout is perched high on the cliffs, looking east over the South Pacific Ocean. The lookout is not signposted nor officially named, but provides great view south along the escarpment. Cliff edge may be unstable and fragile - keep a safe distance.
(8.38 km)
Bundeena Lookout
to
Int of Beachcomber Rd Servicetrail and Coast Walk Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 689 m
Time = 12 mins
Climb = 27 m
Descent = -4 m
Turn left: From the edge of the cliffs, the walk heads north-west up and away from the ocean, following the main bush track for a while before coming to an intersection with an asphalt management trail at the 'Coast Track' signpost.
(9.07 km)
Int of Beachcomber Rd Service Trail and Coast Walk
to
Bundeena Ferry Wharf Track: Moderate - servicetrail,road
Length = 1.76 km
Time = 34 mins
Climb = 23 m
Descent = -71 m
Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the asphalt management trail north past the 'no bicycles' sign[3] to the nearby intersection with the sandy management trail. Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk heads north around a sweeping left-hand bend along the sealed management trail. Soon, the trail leads past a track (on the right) then passes around a locked gate at the end of of Beachcomber Ave and a 'Coast Walk' information sign[4]. Continue straight: From the end of Beachcomber Ave, this walk heads along Beachcomber Ave north-west and gradually around to the north, until turning left into Scarbourough St. The first right is taken into Bournemouth St, then left into Loftus St. The walk continues along this road until turning right into Brighton Rd. Bundeena Ferry is located at the end of Brighton St.
Catch the ferry to Bundeena
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for upto date running time info Use these links to plan your Ferry (and train) trip to the end of this walk.
Fire Danger This walk passes Greater Sydney Region fire area which currently has a LOW MODERATE rating and No fire ban in place. (Tomorrow the Fire Danger Rating is LOW MODERATE, No fire ban.) (Downloaded 7 years ago) Please Note: Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.
Region: Sydney & Surrounds Park feesCampingFacilities Current Park Closure information for Royal National Park Closure information last downloaded Sunday 27th of September 2015 07:00 AM Closed areas: The Coast track upgrade The Coast track will be undergoing construction works between Beachcomber Ave and Marley Beach over a 9 month period. Works include resurfacing, installation of raised board walk and stairs and will be undertaken between October 2015 and May 2016. During the works it will be necessary, at times, to close the Coast Track for visitor safety. Please be aware that during closures the full coast track walk will not be possible and you may need to plan your route to start and finish at a different location. The Royal National Park alerts page will be updated regularly so please check it before you leave home. Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, please contact Royal National Park area office on (02) 9542 0632 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.
Closed areas: Wedding Cake Rock Access to Wedding Cake Rock is prohibited. National Parks and Wildlife Service has undertaken a geotechnical assessment of the rock, which found that there is high chance that it could collapse at any time. Safety fencing has been erected to protect the public while a more permanent solution is developed. This is a really beautiful location and a spectacular rock formation to look at, but the key is doing it at a safe distance from the edge.
Safety alerts: Audley precinct in wet weather Access across the Audley Weir may be closed due to river flooding during times of wet weather. During wet weather, NPWS advise park visitors to visit Live Traffic NSW to ascertain the status of the Weir crossing before commencing their travel to the park. During times of closure, access to Bundeena, Maianbar residential areas, Royal National Park Visitor Centre, including the Audley Dance hall and cafe, is via McKell Ave Waterfall.
We just walked the Bundeena-Marley route yesterday and loved it! Thanks to wildwalks for providing info and details, this is a great and useful website!
We did however find inconsistency in information, as the visitors centre at Audley and at Bundeena, and the maps provided all told us that there is no circuit route connecting the inland marley trail back to Bundeena unless we walked all the way back to the road. For this reason we chose not to attempt it and just returned along the coastal track (which was still spectacular), but if you are sure there is a track there, please let us know as others in our same position might encounter the same problem.
thanks, and keep up the good work!
rosie
admin - re: No linking track...?
Super Administrator | 2010-06-15 00:12:35
Rosie wrote:
the maps provided all told us that there is no circuit route connecting the inland marley trail back to Bundeena unless we walked all the way back to the road.
Hi Rosie
Thanks for your feedback and kind words about wildwalks. All the tracknotes on wildwalks we have walked and mapped, so they certainly existed two years ago. Can you be a bit more specific about which track you are questioning. There is a biger loop than this that goes via Marley and Deer Pool and it returns along the road, perhaps that is the one you where looking at??
Rosie
IP:115.128.40.xxx | 2010-06-15 00:48:34
ok I will try to be more specific:
your online map shows that from Marley Head you can head NW along a walking trail (Big Marley Trail) and then cut NE back to Bundeena along a separate track. Neither of the maps collected at Audley visitors centre of the bundeena info centre shows any connecting trail from the big marley trail back to bundeena (although they do show a little track branching SW from the bottom SE corner of the town, but it disappears). Because of this we asked and were told if we wanted to get back to Bundeena from the 'Big Marley Trail' we would need to continue walking NW all the way back to Bundeena Dr and then walk back along the road. that extended the walk quite a bit and walking along the rd didn't sound appealing so we decided not to try it.
i'm sure we're looking at the same section of map cos yours shows you can cut back to bundeena before reaching bundeena gully, while our map doesn't show a trail there.
admin - re:
Super Administrator | 2010-06-15 01:08:12
Rosie wrote:
Marley Head you can head NW along a walking trail (Big Marley Trail) and then cut NE back to Bundeena along a separate track.
Hi Rosie, I think I understand. On this map you are wondering if the track from 5.41 to 8.42, then NW to Bundeena exists? Yes it does, near 5.41 there are a lot of informal tracks going in all kinds of directions, this forms part of the coast walk. Hope that helps
Rosie
IP:115.128.40.xxx | 2010-06-15 06:01:49
Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a big discussion, I just wanted to bring it to your attention.
No, the sectin i'm talkin about is 3.14 to 2.02 - that small section apparently no longer exists, although we never confirmed it ourselves.
admin - re:
Super Administrator | 2010-06-15 06:18:43
Rosie wrote:
the sectin i'm talkin about is 3.14 to 2.02
Gotcha, well it is was clear about 2 years ago. I have not heard of it been closed. At the time we walked it, it was a clear sandy track. Sorry I can be more specific than that. Matt :)
Pamela - SecSatWalkers
IP:122.107.36.xxx | 2011-08-14 05:15:03
We did the walk on Saturday, 13th August, 2011 and had no trouble finding the track from the end of the campsite. The track was single file and quite "slushy", but that is to be expected with all the rain we have had. The track from 3.41 to the coast was wide and excellent for walking. We had morning tea at the Marley Head with beautiful views and then followed the track back up the coast. Once again this track was "slushy" in parts but very well defined. We had beautiful weather on the day and thank you for the lovely walk.
Eric - Great Walk!
IP:110.142.18.xxx | 2014-02-14 00:45:28
To add to the discussion as of 14/02/2014.
2.02 to 3.14
Track is not as clear anymore.
Bushes have grown onto some parts of the single file pathway. I would advise long sleeve/long pants as the leaves will come into contact with your body.
Can see bike tire marks along the way.
3.14 to 5.41
Easy walk on a very wide track. I am assuming this track was once accessible with cars. May still be in use for emergency vehicles?
5.41 to 8.42
The coastal track is marked with metal poles with a symbol of a hiker.
In the bush some shrubs have grown onto the pathway but the pathway is clearer than 2.02 to 3.14.
There are many points to stop if you want to relax/take a break on the sandstone. If you decide to go off the track it is important to remember how you get back. You may think there's another way back but often they lead to dead ends.
Happy hiking everybody! There's a wealth of information on wildwalks. The iPhone app is useful too!
alanm - Nice Coastal walk
IP:125.254.76.xxx | 2014-06-02 03:56:59
I guess we are spoiled with great coastal views in Sydney. Nice straight forward afternoon walk.
Unable to find the track from 2.02km. Followed the track on the right where there are lots of ribbons on trees (? markers), initially, didn't go very far, no more ribbons and no visible sign of any track at all. Back tracked, tried the track at the far end which was a wide track, walked for awhile, not sure if it's the right one, went back to the campsite, tried the one on the left which was grassy and slightly uphill (the same one shown in your photo) but it's a dead end. So, went back and did the Coastal Walk and the trek down to Jibbon Head and returned via Jibbon Beach instead.
Hiking near Sydney 
Track: Moderate
1 km
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for upto date running time info
There is free parking available.
not too much longer now :)