The Coast Track: Conquered...Again.
It's certainly been a while since I've had anything interesting to write about, but after completing the Coast Track this weekend I can finally end that drought. Huzzah! Whilst I've done this track before, it's a beautiful one and not too strenuous, so it was the perfect choice for my first hike back after a long hiatus and a good test run for some of my new gear.
For those of you unfamiliar with this track, The Coast Track is a 26KM walking trail through the Royal National Park, the second oldest National Park in the world after Yellowstone, and right here in my hometown of Sydney, Australia. As mentioned, I have done this track before, however this time around I went from North to South, from Bundeena to Otford, which I think is the best way to do it. Access to the northern terminus at Bundeena can be done by catching a train to Cronulla and then a connecting ferry to Bundeena. You can then catch a train back to Sydney from Otford Station when you reach the southern terminus.
The Coast Track can be done in a single, long day of hiking or it can be broken up over two days with an overnight camp at the beachside campground at North Era, which is what my mate Karl and I did. The first day was approximately 18KM, mostly along raised walking platforms, so it wasn't particularly tough going. There isn't much shade however so a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water is required. The walk itself is beautiful with sandstone cliffs looming over the ever-present Pacific Ocean to your left and native bushland to your right. You'll also cross stretches of sandy beaches and pretty, slow-moving rivers along the way where you can cool your heels or refill your water bottle if you have a hiking filtration system, like the Sawyer Squeeze that I was testing and which worked amazingly well.
The campsite at North Era is right on the beach, is well laid out and has pit toilets (BYOTP). There are no water facilities however, apart from a very small creek (must be filtered) and you have to make a booking ahead of time. Separating the campground from the beach is a large aboriginal midden, which is a remnant of the Aboriginal people that used to inhabit this area. And if that's not cool enough, we were lucky enough to be visited by a friendly wallaby during our stay and also spotted black cockatoos, a white-bellied sea eagle and even whales on a previous occasion!
The second day is a short but strenuous 8KM hike through jungle-like sections of palm trees, up and along the escarpment to the southern terminus and Otford Station. On weekends there is a small cafe, The Otford Pantry, where you can grab something to eat or drink while you wait for the train, thus ending the Coast Track AND the first section of a much longer track called the Great South Coast Walk, which extends 700KM, all the way down to the Victorian border! I'd only found out about this walk recently and already we're planning to knock over the next little stretch from Otford through to Austinmer and onto Wollongong. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Until then, stay safe, peeps! :)
