It has been far too long in between visit to the Royal National Park for me. With a recent streak of blue-sky days I suddenly found myself heading down there to check out the three main beaches: Burning Palms, Garie and Wattamolla. Each beach lies within a 20 minute drive of one another with the exception of Burning Palms, which involves a 20-30 minute hike down a hill.
On my trip I covered Burning Palms first due to its proximity to a unique rock pool formation known as “Figure 8 Pools.” This collection of “eight shaped” pools is only accessible at low tide and even then the route can be tricky due to the lack of an established path. If you intend to hike to this location double check the weather conditions.
If a less strenuous beach experience is what you’re after, Garie and Wattamolla beaches are the perfect locations each with their own unique perks. Garie has the added bonus of a beach kiosk while Wattamolla offers onsite barbecues in addition to a nice waterfall.
Each of these beaches offer a unique experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else in NSW. If you’re seeking to change up your beach experience you cannot beat a day trip to the Royal National Park.
Note: Only Garie beach is patrolled (on weekends during surf season) the other two are not. Exercise caution if you intend to take advantage of the water.
Masography 