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Bushwalking track notes, photographs, maps and more for Marley Track are found in each of the tabs below
Marley Track
Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Walking time
Please allow extra time to rest and to explore
3.8 km SW of Bundeena
Length: 11 km Walk Length
As this is a Circuit style walk, the 11 km includes the walking distance from the start around the loop and back to the start again
Royal National Park
Climb: 353 m Total Climbing
This walk has a total cumulative climb of 353 m, this is the total of the elevation gains made in each of the walks uphill sections
There is car access and parking near the start and end of this walk
Style: Circuit
Track: Hard

This walk takes you down from the ridge to the quiet Deer Pool on Marley Creek. You pass the Big and Little Marley beaches, with an optional side trip to Wattamola Dam. This side trip is well worth it on a hot day to take a dip. The walk then leads away from the coast to loop back to the starting point on Bundeena Drive. (open in app)


There are closures in Royal National Park
Today's Fire rating
LOW MODERATE (No fire ban)
  Bushwalking track notes photographs, maps and camping spots for Marley Track

Map of Walk

Location

                Sponsor of Marley Track bushwalking tracknotes
Map of Marley Track
Problem loading PDF Try here
Map Controls - Show Contours | Hide Path | Hide Distances | Hide Names
Map Scale 1 km
Int. Marley Trk and Bundeena Drive
Deer Pools Clearing
Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk
North end of Chimney Trk
Int. Coastal Trk and Chimney Trk
Int. Coastal Trk and Chimney Trk
Little Marley Beach
Int. Coastal Trk NE of Wattamolla Ck
Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Coastal Trk South
Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk
Deer Pools Clearing
Starting point for this hiking track: Deer Pools Clearing

Base maps are used under licence and is © Department of lands   Panorama Avenue Bathurst 2795   www.lands.nsw.gov.au

Maps that cover the walk area (please always carry maps of the area)

Print a map and track notes here
 Otford 1:25 000 Map Series NSW-91294S 
 Port Hacking 1:25 000 Map Series NSW-91294N 
 Port Hacking 1:100 000 Map Series 9129 

Photo Gallery

 
Marley Track sign post
 
Marley Track sign post +
 
White arrows marking track
 
White arrows marking track +
 
Bush roach
 
Bush roach +

 
Sandy track down to Deer Pool
 
Sandy track down to Deer Pool +
 
Epacris Longiflora (Australian Fuschia Heath)
 
Epacris Longiflora (Australian Fuschia Heath) +
 
Southern Marley Headland ruins
 
Southern Marley Headland ruins +

 
Rocky headland
 
Rocky headland +
 
Sandy service trail, Mowlee Ridge
 
Sandy service trail, Mowlee Ridge +
 
Rock feature next to track
 
Rock feature next to track +

Terrain

Cross sectional view of the Marley Track bushwalking track

Cross Section of the Marley Track bushwalking track



Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Marley Track bushwalking track

Summary of the gradients over the the lenght of the Marley Track 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 4 hrs 30 mins
.


Grade 4/6

Track: Hard
AS 2156.1 Gradient Short steep hills (3/6)
Quality of track Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Signs Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Experience Required Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
Weather Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)
Infrastructure Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
*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 short steep hills and another 3.5km has gentle hills with occasional steps. The remaining (440m) is flat with no steps.

Quality of track
Around 7km of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles, whilst the remaining 3.9km follows a clear and well formed track or trail.

Signs
4.9km of this walk has minimal directional signs and another 4km has directional signs at most intersection. The remaining (2.1km) is clearly signposted.

Experience Required
Around 9km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 1.6km requires some bushwalking experience.

Weather
Around 7km of this walk is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation), whilst the remaining 3.8km is affected by storms that may impact your navigation and safety.

Infrastructure
Around 6km of this walk has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced), whilst the remaining 4.9km has limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged).

Track Notes


Drive to Int. Marley Trk and Bundeena Drive
You can drive or ride to this start of this Bushwalk There is free parking available.
You can drive or ride to the start of this walk
Use these links to plan your trip to the start of this walk.
Plan your trip from --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|

(0 km) Int. Marley Trk and Bundeena Drive to Deer Pools Clearing
Track: Hard - bushtrack
Length = 1.88 km Time = 38 mins
Climb = 13 m Descent = -96 m
From the car park on the northern side of Bundeena Drive (1.7km east of Mainbar Rd), this walk crosses the road and heads into the bush between the two posts, following the arrow. Soon the track pass the 'Marley Track' sign and starts to head downhill. The track continues past the old concrete pipe (with white spray-painted arrows). The track passes a couple of rock platforms, but generally the track is narrow as it winds down the hill. Near Deer Pools, there is a clearing on the left as the track tends right, towards the waterfall. The track passes over the top of the waterfall to head up to a clearing on the other side.

Deer Pool Alt = 12 m
Deer Pool, Royal National Park, is a small and picturesque set of falls that run into a pool with a sandy bank. The waterfall is fed by Marley Creek which continues its journey into Marley Lagoon, behind Big Marley Beach. Royal National Park was once home to many deer, who used to frequent these pools. This is a relaxing spot on a warm day, with the opportunity for a dip or a gentle massage in the cascade. Although a sign suggests camping is permitted by permit, permits are not issued for camping here.

(1.88 km) Deer Pools Clearing to Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk
Track: Hard - bushtrack
Length = 562 m Time = 11 mins
Climb = 41 m Descent = -3 m
Continue straight: From the clearing, this walk leads south-east up the hill through dense scrub. The track follows sprayed white dashes on the rocks, heading up the hill to pass a rocky platform (on the left of the track) approximately 300m up. The track continues past the rocky platform for approximately 100m to the intersection on the ridgeline.

(2.44 km) Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk to North end of Chimney Trk
Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 1.03 km Time = 18 mins
Climb = 7 m Descent = -38 m
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, heading down the long gentle hill as it steadily winds down to the coast. There are views across Marley Lagoon on the left as the walk heads down to the end of the service trail, where it comes to a grassy clearing with a bush track on the other side.

(3.47 km) North end of Chimney Trk to Int. Coastal Trk and Chimney Trk
Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 121 m Time = 2 mins
Climb = 0 m Descent = -9 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Marley' arrow up the short hill and over the rock platform, continuing along the defined bush track, winding down to the coast where it comes to the 'T' intersection with the Coast Walk bush track.

(3.59 km) Int. Coastal Trk and Chimney Trk to West Marley Beach
Optional sidetrip: Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 242 m Time = 4 mins
Climb = 4 m Descent = -4 m
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track along the coast, keeping the ocean to the right for a short while before the track descends steeply off the rock-shelf and down a rough bush track to the end of Marley Beach.
(Retrace your steps back to the main track, then veer left to continue along this walk.)

Big Marley Beach Alt = 1 m
Big Marley Beach, Royal National Park, is a yellow sand, crescent-shaped beach, approximately 400m in length. The beach has a large dune area, behind which Marley Lagoon is found. The lagoon is fed by Marley Creek and the surrounding catchment. The beach is not patrolled and there are no other facilities. The south-facing beach has a rockshelf at either end. For information on this beach's pollution levels, follow the 'more info' link. More info

(3.59 km) Int. Coastal Trk and Chimney Trk to Little Marley Beach
Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 436 m Time = 8 mins
Climb = 5 m Descent = -11 m
Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track winding along the coast, keeping the ocean and the cliffs to the left. The track winds down the hill for a while before coming to the end of Little Marley Beach.

Little Marley Beach Alt = 3 m
Little Marley Beach, Royal National Park, is a yellow sand beach, approximately 140m long. The narrow beach faces north-east and has a rock platform at either end. The beach is not patrolled and has no other services. For information on this beach's pollution levels, follow the 'more info' link below. More info

(4.03 km) Little Marley Beach to Int. Coastal Trk NE of Wattamolla Ck
Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 2.09 km Time = 54 mins
Climb = 174 m Descent = -96 m
Continue straight: From Little Marley Beach, this walk follows the coast across the beach, keeping the ocean to the left as it climbs up the signposted bush track at the end to the clifftop. From here, the track follows the coast line for a short period before passing over numerous sections of metal footbridge. This continues through the scrub vegetation, with short periods where the track comes back onto the rockshelf above the cliff, until the track changes to purely being a well-managed bush track through the high scrub, as it winds along to the signposted intersection of the Coast Track.

Wattamolla Dam Alt = 21 m
Wattamolla pool (or dam), Royal National Park, is a small water hole on Wattamolla Creek, above the lagoon. The pool is on the Coast Track near Wattamolla picnic area and offers a quiet spot for a dip and a rest. The pool is formed by a small, constructed sandstone dam and fed by a small waterfall above.

(6.12 km) Int. Coastal Trk NE of Wattamolla Ck to Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk
Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 2.39 km Time = 40 mins
Climb = 14 m Descent = -47 m
Veer right: From the intersection, this walk heads north-west down the spur, with the spur on the right of the track. The track then descends onto the saddle and continues north-west through the thick wall of scrub on either side, to the 'T' intersection approximately 400m down the hill.
Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail heading east, meandering through the thick green scrub over a number of small bumps (used for water diversion) as the track winds towards the coast. After a while, the management trail comes to the signposted intersection of the 'Deer Pool' bush track.

(8.51 km) Int. Mowlee Ridge Trail and Marley Trk to Int. Marley Trk and Bundeena Drive
Track: Hard - bushtrack
Length = 2.44 km Time = 49 mins
Climb = 99 m Descent = -54 m
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk heads north-west along the flat trail which runs through the scrub. The track continues for approximately 100m, then begins to descend after passing a rockshelf on the right. The track continues for approximately 300m, following the sprayed white dashes through the dense scrub and coming to a clearing.
Continue straight: From the clearing, this walk heads across the top of the waterfall, then follows the arrow on the sign across the creek on top of the waterfall to the other side. The track passes a clearing on the right as it continues up the hill, following the sprayed white dashes up the hill. The rather narrow track leads up the hill to the road, crossing a few rock platforms. The road is found about 350 meters past the old pipe with white spray-painted arrows. There is a 'Marley Track' sign just before Bundeena Drive, and a car park on the other side of the road (1.7km east of Mainbar Rd).

Drive from Int. Marley Trk and Bundeena Drive
You can drive or ride from this end of this Bushwalk There is free parking available.
You can drive or ride from the end of this walk
Use these links to plan your trip from the end of this walk.
Plan your trip to --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|

Getting there

Plan your trip to the start of the walk and back from the end of the walk

Public Transport links currently not working, sorry

Driving Directions
To the start of the walk

Drive from:
From the end of the walk

Drive to:


Near by


Campsites in the park
Bonnie Vale camping ground
North Era camping ground
Uloola Falls camping ground


Nearest know Outdoor Stores near the start of this walk
Store Address Phone Distance (straight line)
Boots Great Outdoors 23 Koonya Cct, Caringbah (02) 9542 8988 8.3 km
Paddy Pallin Adventure Equipment 587 Kingsway, Miranda (02) 9525 6829 7.8 km
Carlton Canvas Co 337 Princes Hwy, Carlton (02) 9587 0208 14 km
Engadine Disposal & Outdoor Centre Pty Ltd 1042 Old Princes Hwy, Engadine (02) 9520 3367 10.3 km
Hurstville Disposals & Outdoor Centre 235 Forest Rd , Hurstville (02) 9580 4445 15.2 km


A list of the nearest UHF CB repeaters I found to Marley Track.
Channel Call sign
(more info)
Site Distance and dir from Marley Track
Click to re-center search
1 SYD01 12/14 Ormonde Parade HURSTVILLE 15 km (to the N)
3 VMG3 Mine commsite WESTCLIFF COLLIERY 30 km (to the WSW)
7 SYD07 7 Glamorgan St BLACKTOWN 40 km (to the NNW)
5 SYD05 Sydney Adventist Hospital 185 Fox Valley Rd WAHROONGA
Emergency use only
41 km (to the N)
6 VMB7 CB Repeater Site 16 Alan Rd BEROWRA HEIGHTS 54 km (to the N)

Weather and Park info

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 9 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.

Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate summary detailed weather and climate information here
°C (feels like °)
km/h from the
% humidity     (as at )
A graph displaying the average daily temperature range for the year

Royal National Park Link to official closures and fire bans page

Region: Sydney & Surrounds
Park fees Camping Facilities
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.


Walker Feedback

Comments
Add NewSearch
Liam & Kepi - Marley Track - First timers... IP:27.33.59.xxx | 2010-10-04 06:43:01

What a lovely day!

Kepi & I have recently bought a pair of hiking boots each and it was a perfect walk to wear them in on.

We found the track notes rather easy to understand and really helpful. We didnt manage to spot the old concrete pipe with white spray painted arrows, however there were sufficient white lines painted along the track which assured us that we were headed the right way!

There was maybe a little bit of uncertainty on our part along the cliffs of the Coastal track - in between spotting our next metal footbridge - where we were unsure of whether we should start heading inland from the coast.

We also found it handy to bring along our compass to use in conjunction with the maps and track notes provided to reassure ourselves that we were headed in the right direction!

Looking forward to trying another track on Wild Walks out over the next few weeks - what a great resource!
paul smith - done it hard IP:121.209.179.xxx | 2011-01-08 23:34:51
i walked this track from bundeena ferry with a couple of school mates when we were about 14yo and stoped at marely beach for the night. continued on to deer pool via little marely, little marely had remnants of old cottages and stayed at deer pool for the night and walked the next day up to bundeena rd where we hitched a ride into town. we carried a ex army tent made from canvas and it was so heavy we had to put a pole through te middle, and 2 of us carried it on our shoulder we stuggled and we where thinking of ditching the tent at deer pool . hahahah but we didnt.
Jyri - Awesome afternoon hike. IP:121.44.212.xxx | 2011-07-10 09:31:53
Did this track this afternoon.

The track down to Deer Pool I found a little overgrown in places and the white dashes spray painted on various rocks did reassure me that I was heading in the right direction, also the arrows that some other hikers had drawn in the sand helped. There were a few people about on this walk today.

The notes and map came in handy when at the last intersection before heading to the deer pool return hike I took a wrong turn and preceded to hike up the service trail until I felt that something wasn't quite right. I consulted the notes for clarification and had to back track and found the signage back to Deer Pool. Met a couple on the way and they confirmed the Deer Pool signage was in the direction I was back tracking towards. Phew!

I didn't spot the old concrete pipe either and I somehow missed Wattamolla Dam.

Took me a little over 4 hours to complete and got back just before it got dark. Being winter the days are too short, eother that or I don't get up earlier enough.

Thanks Wild Walks for providing some great guides to exploring the fantastic national parks we have.
Krutas - Enjoyable hike IP:27.32.81.xxx | 2013-03-03 12:12:40
Did this hike this morning in a small group of 5. Took exactly 4.5 hours including photograph time, relaxing, drying (see below) and lunch.

It rained quite heavily for the past few days so most of the first part of the track was muddy and ponded. Some members of the team (without gortex boots) had trouble crossing the top of deer pool waterfall as the water level got quite high. At the end they had to take their shoes off - the rocks were quite slippery but the water was nice and cool.

We thought we were lost once we reached top of the bush climb from deer pool and we actually went the opposite direction (turned right instead of left). Still we got back onto the coastal track and the cliff views were amazing.

The bush trail from deer pool to the service trail was actually the most fun part of the hike as the service trail was quite flat and quite hot with no shelter from the sun. We ended up missing Wattamolla Dam as well.

Nonetheless it was a fun day out, good bit of exercise. Glad it didn't rain :)

I've been a loyal user of the site and this is my first time posting - I really want to thank Wildwalks for providing all this valuable information and making bushwalking much more convenient and safe.
admin - Hi Kruta Super Administrator | 2013-03-03 22:00:12
Thanks for the feedback and kind words about wildwalks. Sounds like the walk was quite the adventure and some good fun.
Matt :)
Bogger - Great walk IP:101.170.170.xxx | 2013-07-21 10:41:13
I did this walk yesterday. Absolutely awesome with some breathtaking scenery. Deer pools was lovely especially with the recent rain. And of course the walk along the cliffs on the coast trail cannot be done justice.

As one of the earlier posts mentioned the track from Bundeena drive to the Deer Pools has suffered quite badly from the recent rains, and the track from the pools to the fire trail is overgrown in places. The white marks are handy but quite hard to see in places.

Awesome site and I look forward to having a go at many more of the walks on WildWalks in the near future (Did the Otford - Helensburgh walk last weekend). Thanks.
James - Marley IP:203.6.77.xxx | 2014-05-05 23:43:10
Walked this one this morning (6 May 2014). Plenty of side tracks to disorientate particulary about 200m before the Deer Pool. Disturbed 2 Deer at Little Marley Beach. Point to note, at Little Marley Beach the track continues straight across the beach. A little difficult to follow as there are numerous 'no camping' signs which are faded. Some of the metal walkways are damaged as you head south along the cliff tops. Overall some great scenery. 1 Hr 15 mins all up.
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