The Headland Track & Jew Fish Bay Track - Oatley Park

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Route: Mallard Drive, Ridge Track, The Headland Track, Devil's Canteen, Oatley Baths, Jew Fish Bay Track, Christensen Circuit, Oatley Park Castle, Ridge Track, Mallard Drive

Date: 28/09/2024
From:

Parking: Steam Roller Park
Start Point: The Ridge Track
Finish Point: The Castle
Region: Sydney

Route length: 3.3 km
Time taken: 01:07
Average speed: 3.8 km/h
Ascent: 70m
Descent: 68m

Points of Interest: Devil's Canteen, Jew Fish Bay, The Castle

I've been a bit quiet in the hiking space lately, tending to our newest All the Gear crew member, our puppy Border Collie. Now that she's 5 months old, I'm keen to get her out in the 'wilds', so I've been looking at short, puppy-friendly hikes in the Sydney area.

Regular readers may not be aware that dogs are banned from Australian national parks, which rules out many classic hikes in the Blue Mountains, Royal National Park, and Sydney Harbour National Park. However, if you look a little closer, you can find many pockets of native bushland that fall outside the national park banner. One of those is Oatley Park.

Oatley Park protects important examples of the natural environment which occurred throughout the area before the spread of suburbs. Dating back to the early European settlement of Australia, the land was granted to Thomas Oatley in 1831, who established an extensive vineyard and orchard. However, it wasn’t until 1887 that the area was dedicated for public recreation, and transformed into a park.

Oatley Park is a family-friendly area, so there are several places to park around it, including adjacent to the playground (Stream Roller Park) which is home to an old steam roller if you hadn't guessed. Many of the roads, paths, and lookouts were built during the Great Depression through the Unemployment Relief Scheme. The first path we'd be using is the Ridge Track, leading towards Oatley Park Castle and the Headland Track.

Steam Roller Park

The Ridge Track

A short downhill section leads off the Ridge Track onto the Headland Track on the north side of the peninsula that forms much of Oatley Park. There are some fleeting views of Boggywell Creek as the track wends its way through the bush. 

A long sandstone ledge rises a number of metres above the track. Hawkesbury Sandstone, between 180 and 220 million years old, is the predominant rock in the park. A steep sidetrack takes you to the base of the cliff. Here there is a large stone overhang known locally as Dracula’s Canteen. The rock face is a beautiful example of honeycomb weathering.

Boggywell Creek

Boggywell Creek

The Headland Track

Devils Canteen

The path continues around the headland to Jew Fish Bay, where you'll get several nice views of the river. Jewfish Bay Baths (or Oatley Baths) are one of New South Wales' largest swimming enclosures and has been used as a swimming spot since the turn of the Century. The Oatley Swimming Club was founded in 1927.

Georges River

Georges River

Jew Fish Bay

Jew Fish Bay

Oatley Baths

Oatley Baths

Leading away from the swimming area is the Jew Fish Bay Track, which follows the edge of the bay as far as the edge of Oatley Park. Here it meets Christensen Circuit, one of the roads that runs around the headland. There is a lookout located partway along the road before it leads to Oatley Castle.

Jew Fish Bay

Jew Fish Bay Track

The castle in Oatley Park, often referred to as Oatley Castle, is a charming sandstone structure built around 1935. It was designed to resemble an old British castle and serves as a lookout point, offering beautiful views over Oatley Bay. Originally constructed during the Great Depression, the castle was part of a government initiative to provide employment and relief.

The Castle

The Castle

The Castle is located just below the Ridge Track, which provides a quick return to the playground and car park.