For that far away feeling, Natarsha Brown finds that Weemalah Cottage, a charming rustic log cabin sitting on a picturesque riverbed, is the perfect weekend getaway for Sydneysiders.
We’ve left Sydney pre-peak hour on a sunny Friday afternoon, headed for Audley Weir to pick up the keys to our Royal National Park residence for the weekend. In less than an hour we are pulling into the quaint, riverside complex and it seems the weekend has already begun – families are sitting on the grassy knoll enjoying a mid-afternoon snack and playing catch, a group of teenagers are paddling along the meandering Kangaroo Creek in canoes and kayaks, and an older couple are having a laugh while making a bit of a splash on an aqua bike.
The friendly lady at the Visitor Centre hands over our park pass and information pack, giving us some advice on all the things we should see and do in the next couple of days, before warning us about the harrowing journey down to our accommodation. Yep, “harrowing” was the exact description.
She shakes her head doubtfully when I inform her I’m driving my pint-sized Mazda 2. “Just when you think the road is not driveable, it gets even worse. The driveway is like this,” she pauses and starts motioning her arm in a vertical straight up-and-down gradient. “Full of bumps and holes all the way down.”
“I’m a country girl,” I explain, starting to become more and more apprehensive. “I am used to terrible roads.”
“Not like this one,” is the only reassurance she gives me.
We are staying at Weemalah Cottage, one of only three RNP accommodation options that doesn’t involve tents or finding a bed in the town of Bundeena. The modest log cabin is roughly five kilometres east of Audley and four kilometres west of Bundeena, and while the road is indeed bumpy, as long as you take it slow it is actually quite a fun ride (the kids will no doubt go crazy playing corners). It’s well sign-posted and we make a short pit stop to take photos of a mother and baby wild deer grazing just metres from our car. The isolation is the best part; this is the place for those wanting to slow down and unplug.
With three bedrooms, Weemalah accommodates six people with everything you need for it to be a home away from home, featuring a fully furnished living room, kitchen and bathroom. Guests also have access to a television, DVD player, washing machine and clothes line. Not to mention it is perfectly positioned for exploring Australia’s oldest national park – after a day spent out and about, it is the ideal place to unwind and enjoy the fantastic river views.
As soon as we arrive we open up the doors and windows – breathing in that we-are-in-the-bush fresh air – before lighting up the barbecue on the verandah for an early dinner overlooking the lapping water, watching the occasional boat or kayaker drift past and listening to the sound of birdsong.
The following day, it’s no surprise that that our morning begins with our cottage being surrounded by kangaroos. In fact, the friendly marsupials are our alarm clock; we wake up slightly alarmed when we hear twigs breaking and ‘footsteps’ outside the window. After yet another meal on our already-beloved verandah, we start planning for the day.
Sandwiched between the cities of Sydney and Wollongong, the Royal National Park has been protected since 1878 – making it the world’s second oldest national park, after Yellowstone in the United States. Originally known simply as National Park, it gained its Royal moniker in 1955, acknowledging Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Australia the previous year, when she passed through the area on a Sydney to Wollongong train.
The park is a playground for outdoors lovers – covering 15,091 hectares and stretching inland 32 kilometres from the coast – and offering swimming, water sports, fishing and great scenic walks (or simply idyllic picnic locales if you want to slow down for the day). Home to a total of 11 beaches, including the surfing hot spot Garie Beach, families wanting some sun, sand and surf are spoilt for choice. There are also calmer swimming spots at the large sand spit near Bonnie Vale campground and Jibbon Beach. For a freshwater dip, Karloo and Deer pools are also great choices.
About halfway along the coast, Wattamolla is one of the park’s favourite picnic spots and gets very busy in the summer. Its popularity most likely stems from the fact that it has both a surf beach and a lagoon, allowing for safe swimming for little ones. We are visiting in late winter and arrive to find a total of six people milling around the waterfall and stunning viewpoint, and a practically empty carpark.
It’s from here that we are hiking a small part of the remarkable Coastal Track, attempting just a two- to three-hour walk, great if you’ve got little legs with you. Of all the trails in the park, this one is undoubtedly the most spectacular, following the sandstone cliff line and affording phenomenal views over the ocean. We had booked a shuttle bus earlier in the week with Bundeena Kayaks, who pick us up in Bundeena and drive us to Wattamolla, so that we can walk the one-way route back to town without backtracking. This makes exploring just a chunk of the much-longer walk much more manageable – halving the length and time of your walk – meaning you can linger in places you like along the way.
This section of the track takes in sights such as Wedding Cake Rock, the Balconies, Marley Beach and Little Marley Beach. The rugged panoramas are out-of-this-world and while there are lots of other people exploring the coastline as well (since we are blessed with a gorgeous sunny day), we still enjoy stretches when it’s just us and the Pacific Ocean. Between May and November there’s also the chance of catching sight of passing whales, following what’s known as Australia’s Humpback Highway – so be sure to pack a pair of binoculars! We stop for a dip at Little Marley Beach, since the waters are relatively calm, and spend quite a bit of time investigating all the crooks and crannies at The Balconies, definitely the highlight for us. When we reach the town of Bundeena, we pick up the car and reward ourselves with some gelato.
On our last day we enjoy a lazy morning, sleeping in – we requested late checkout – and driving just five minutes up the road to the Warumbul Picnic Area to enjoy a late breakfast with (even more!) riverside views. It’s hard to believe the wilds of the Royal National Park are on the city’s doorstep, from its secluded beaches and vertiginous cliffs to its dense scrub and lush rainforests, and we plan on spending many more weekends getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnecting with Mother Nature.
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