Kurnell to Cronulla
This is a long walk
of about fifteen kilometres
which will take four
to five hours. It can,
however, be shortened
to ten kilometres by
taking one of a choice
of two modifications,
as noted below. The walk
starts at the mouth of
Botany Bay, so first
it is necessary to get
there. Take a train to
Cronulla, a journey of
about 45 minutes from
the city centre. From
the station, cross the
road and from the bus
stop almost opposite,
take a bus no. 987 to Kurnell and the Botany Bay National Park.
Walk through the picnic area to the left of the entrance to the National Park for a short distance to the shore and turn right along the Monument Track. You will come first to a very famous site in Australian history – the landing place of one Captain James Cook in 1770. (Actually, he was Lt. James Cook at the time.) The site is at the farthest end of the stretch of beach. A little further along the track is Banks’ Memorial.
Banks was the botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his historic voyage and returned with one of the world’s greatest botanic collections. Soon after is Cook’s Stream, where water was gathered during the first British landing on the Australian continent, and then, on your right, Alpha Farm, one of the first buildings on this peninsula. Nearby, on the left, is the grave of Forby Sutherland, a seaman on Cook’s barque, the Endeavour, who died on the journey.
The track turns sharply
right and inland at this
point and leads up to
the Environmental Education
Field Study Centre on
the right and the Discovery
Centre on the left. The
latter is a museum telling
of the history and culture
of the area. Continue
across the parking area
and main park road (Cape
Solander Drive) onto
the Yena Track, taking
almost immediately the
diversion left onto the
Banks’ Solander
Track which leads through
coastal woodland for
500 metres before rejoining
the Yena Track.
Another
kilometre and you will
come across Cape Solander
Drive once more. Turn
right for one more kilometre
to Cape Solander, where
the road ends. The track,
however, continues along
the coast to Cape Bailey,
with some beautiful views.
At this point, there
are choices. One of the
ten-kilometre options
involves retracing your
steps to the Yena Picnic
Area at the end of the
Yena Track. Follow Cape
Solander Drive just a
little further this time
and turn left along the
Muru Track which runs
parallel to the Yena
Track. When you meet
Cape Solander Drive once
more, turn left and follow
it to the park entrance.
However, if you choose
to continue from Cape
Bailey, another two kilometres
will bring you to Potter
Point.
Here there is another ten-kilometre option. Take the road, Banks Drive, leading away from the coast and if you follow this road for three kilometres, you will reach Captain Cook Drive a little south of Kurnell and be able to pick up the bus back to Cronulla at this point. Walking back into Kurnell will add about two kilometres.
The longest walk involves just continuing from Potter Point pottering round the coast. It is a further six kilometres to Cronulla, much of it beside or along the famed surf beach stretching in a long crescent round the bay. It is a pleasant enough walk, but an exposed one, so be sure to take a hat in summer. From Cronulla, you can return to the city by train.
Click here for Kurnell Map.
