Cronulla

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Route: North Cronulla, The Esplanade, Cronulla Rockpools, South Cronulla Beach, Cronulla Point, Blackwoods Beach, Shelly Park, Windy Point, Oak Park, Bass and Flinders Point, Darook Park, Gunnamatta Bay, Gunnamatta Park, Lewis Street, Blackwoods Beach, The Esplanade, Cronulla Point, North Cronulla Beach

Date: 21/03/2020
From: North Cronulla

Parking: North Cronulla Beach
Start Point: North Cronulla Beach
Finish Point: North Cronulla Beach
Region: Sydney

Route length:  5.3 miles (8.7km)
Time taken: 02:26
Average speed: 2.3mph
Ascent: 131m
Descent: 129m

Points of Interest: South Cronulla, Cronulla Rockpools, Bass and Flinders Point, Gunnamatta Bay

While we are currently facing the outbreak of the Coronavirus, Australia remains relatively clear of the disease with far fewer cases and deaths than countries across the rest of the world. For this reason, many areas are remaining open for access, though gatherings of more than two people outdoors are banned (unless you are all in the same household). This leaves me and Sara to explore some areas a little closer to home - one of those being Cronulla.

Cronulla is one of Sydney's southern suburbs, 20km south of the CBD. It is located on a peninsula framed by Botany Bay to the north, Bate Bay to the east, Port Hacking to the south, and Gunnamatta Bay to the west. We parked along North Cronulla Beach which has ample free parking due to the popularity with locals and tourists alike.

The whole of Cronulla Beach features a long stretch of sand that runs from Boat Harbour to North Cronulla, followed by rock pools and another sandy beach at South Cronulla. We followed the paved Esplanade south to Perryman Square and around to the Cronulla Rockpools.

North Cronulla beach, looking south from the car park

The huge sweep of Bate Bay

North Cronulla Beach

Rockpools and ocean pools are quintessentially New South Wales, with just a handful found outside the State’s borders. There are about 100 along the NSW coast, from Yamba in the north to Bermagui in the south, with 35 in Sydney alone. Each pool is a product of its location, built out into the ocean or carved directly into the coastal rock.

South Cronulla Beach Rock Pool

Ocean pools took off in the late 19th century as competitive swimming was becoming popular and people wanted a place where they would be protected from the pounding surf and unpredictable currents. We passed the first set of pools on our way to South Cronulla Beach, a more family-friendly area than the surf-pounded sands of North Cronulla.

South Cronulla

The beaches were named by Surveyor Robert Dixon who surveyed here in 1827-28 and, by 1840, the main beach was still known as Karranulla. Kurranulla means ‘‘place of the small pink seashell’’ in the dialect of the area's Aboriginal inhabitants, and forms the basis of the modern name Cronulla.

The Esplanade continues southwards along the peninsula, passing further rock pools at Blackwoods Beach. From here, the Shark Island reef was clearly visible. The reef break is a well know surfing location where waves can stand up fast. Things were looking calm today but, when there are large swells, the reef produces some magnificent waves.

Shark Reef

Shark Reef

Cronulla Point

Rockpools near Blackwoods Beach

Rockpools

Rockpools

Shelly Park and Shelly beach are close to Blackwoods Beach, along with some more, quieter ocean pools. We shortly reached Glaisher Point (also called Windy Point), which protrudes out into the Pacific and has a fine view north, back along the coast. The Esplanade continues to Oak Park and eventually Bass and Flinders Point at the southern tip of the peninsula. Matthew Flinders and George Bass explored and mapped the coastline and Port Hacking estuary in 1796 and the point is named in their honour. The point overlooks the entrance to Part Hacking with Royal National Park on the opposite shore.

View from Windy Point

View south from Windy Point across Port Hacking

Oak Park ocean pool

Bass and Flinders Point

Bass and Flinders Point

Bass and Flinders memorial

Access to the southwestern tip of the peninsula is restricted by the NSW Marine Rescue base. The volunteer service is the equivalent of the RNLI and comprises some 3000 volunteers. It wasn't long before we had negotiated a route round the base to Darook Park on the west side of the peninsula. Darook Park overlooks the sandy expanse of Gunnamatta Bay.

Salmon Haul Reserve

Salmon Haul Reserve

Gunnamatta Bay

Gunnamatta Bay

Gunnamatta Bay

Gunnamatta Park

We continued northwards along the beach towards Gunnamatta Park. The wide beach here is exposed at low tide so, if you're planning a visit, check the tide times to avoid having to detour along the roads. Gunnamatta Park holds a valuable remnant of bushland canopy including an unusual but natural occurrence of Rough-Barked Apple-Gums. These trees grow in the park and are usually typical of the nearby Wianamatta Shale soil as opposed the Hawkesbury Sandstone on the site.

A Kookaburra in Gunnamatta Park

Gunnamatta Bay

Blackwoods Beach

South Cronulla Beach

Cronulla rockpools

Cronulla rockpools

The Esplanade

From the park, we cut across the top of the peninsula to reach the Esplanade once again, only a short distance from the beach at South Cronulla. Following the Esplanade, we returned to the car via the rockpools and a coffee from the old Cronulla Pavilion.

South Cronulla

North Cronulla Beach