Sydney is blessed with one of the most spectacular natural harbours in the world. A short opening between the North and South Heads gives way to waterways, secluded bays and beautiful harbour foreshore areas. Today Sydney Harbour is alive with yachts, boats and other marine activities, but the natural splendour remains, with protected areas and parklands – such as the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Sydney Harbour National Park – preserving the quintessential rocky sandstone and gumtree greenery of Australian waterways.
So get out of your Sydney accommodation, get your walking shoes on and explore the hidden treasures of the Harbour. Here are a few of the best walks on offer.
- Spit Bridge to Manly along Middle Harbour. This 9.5 kilometre track from the Spit Bridge in Sydney’s Middle Harbour to Manly beach offers walkers a backstage and varied look at Sydney Harbour’s northern foreshore. The walk weaves through some of Sydney’s best harbourside real estate, past gun emplacements, hidden beaches, subtropical rainforest, Aboriginal middens and tracts of wild coastal heath. Pack your swimming costume and have a dip in one of the many bays and beaches, and enjoy a meal or a drink in Manly after the walk. Ferries and buses are available in Manly to take walkers back to the city or the Spit Bridge.
- Federation Walk. Federation Walk follows the dramatic sandstone cliffs between Dover Heights and Vaucluse that form the Southern headland of Sydney Harbour. The walk begins with the dramatic scenery of the cliff edge that scales off into the vast Pacific Ocean. Further on, walkers can enjoy unsurpassed vistas of the Harbour, particularly Watsons Bay where the walk ends and ferries and buses can be taken to various Sydney destinations. This is a great walk to blow away the cobwebs!
- Glebe Foreshore Walk. If you’re looking for a Sydney Harbour walk that caters to pedestrians, cyclists and dogs then the Glebe Foreshore Walk from Bicentennial Park to the Sydney Fish Markets at Pyrmont is for you. The path links over 27 hectares of open space and walkers can enjoy unimpeded access to Rozelle Bay and Blackwattle Bay. The off-leash area for dogs – from Pope Paul Reserve to Ferry Road – makes it a walk that is popular with those looking for a relaxing stroll as well.
Whether you’re a veteran Sydneysider or a visitor, the splendour of Sydney Harbour never fails to amaze.
Where’s your favourite Sydney harbour walk?