The Insiders Hike For A Secluded Swim in La Perouse

We often debate whether we want to go to the beach or go for hike, but recently, we made our way to La Perouse for a bit of both. After hiking in Botany Bay National Park, we cooled off with a swim at Congwong Beach, it was a great way to spend the day exploring the less traveled side of La Perouse. 

Several of our local friends with small children recommended Frenchmans Beach for a swim in La Perouse, but without a car or a specific bike route, we kept putting it off.  We finally made it happen, and we were pleasantly surprised by the two-hour (round trip) bus ride.

According to the online transit systems, our best route was to take the train to Museum Station, and grab the L94 bus at stand A.  Fortunately, we realized that we could catch the same bus at stand C, which was one stop earlier and not much more of a walk.  Stand C allowed us to grab an optimal seat for CZ in the Kelty, and if we were to do it over again, we would catch the bus at Circular Quay.  When using public transport for a long ride, it is a good idea to look at the full route because you are always better catching a bus at the start of the route. The bus quickly filled up at Stand A, and thankfully, we were already sitting comfortably.

Hiking La Perouse

With CZ growing all the time, our pack weight keeps increasing, even when the packing list remains unchanged.  This trip was tricky because we wanted to hike and swim, but EZ convinced me to streamline the gear as much as possible. We prioritized underwear photos, and left the DSLR with its lenses at home. We also agreed to share a towel, and not take the detachable small backpack that is part of the Kelty rig. The pack was noticeably lighter, which was a welcome relief for a our midday hike.

We arrived in La Perouse shortly after noon, and started scoping out the beach.  On the inland side of the peninsula and Bare island, is Frenchman’s Bay and beach, but we opted for the smaller Congwong Beach.  It was quite hot with the sun directly overhead so we walked down the trail a bit from the beach to stop in the shade for lunch. As we finished eating, CZ was more than ready for a sleep, and in the interest of a pleasant afternoon, we took a hike before heading back to the beach.  She somehow manages to sleep wonderfully and instantly in the backpack bouncing down the trail.

We were barely a few steps down the trail, and EZ needed to set up neck pillow for CZ’s nap. It was right at midday when we started on for Henry Head. Thankfully, the trail is shady, and despite being a bit sandy in places, it was relatively flat and easy to traverse.  After hiking for 20 minutes or so, we came to a split in the walking track, and made the decision to check out Browns Rock lookout.

Browns Rock

The narrow stairs are a bit tricky to descend, and we found ourselves stumbling more than walking down at parts, but the view is worth it. From the lookout, you have unique vantage points of Congwong beach, Bare Island, and out through Bare Inlet to the ocean.

Interestingly, the first English explorers found their way to Australia through this inlet and to Bare Island. The area was lush and green in the winter, when they landed, and they dedicated it as a prime spot for offloading convicts. However when they returned, in the summer, several years later with the convict settlers, the area was brown and sparse. Bare Island bears its name from Captain Cook’s description as a “small bare island,” and it was a brown, bare island this time. They ended up moving north to the more hospitable harbour, and the rest is history.

Back to Browns Rock: there is a lovely swimming and snorkeling area that is accessible to the brave hikers willing to navigate narrow passages along the rocks. We some less equipped hikers (read: without a fraction of our gear and packs) make it down in flip-flops, and we also saw some people arriving by boat and jet ski! The water is crystal clear and gorgeous; we learned after our visit, that the area around Bare Island is the most popular scuba diving in New South Wales partially because of this.  We certainly saw plenty of snorkels in the water, and are likely to return for more underwater photography practice. It looks like a fantastic secluded swim in La Perouse.

Congwong Beach – La Perouse

As CZ started to wake up, we headed back towards the main trail to Henry Head. Reaching the split in the trail, we paused momentarily, and decided to return to the beach. The rest of the walk to Henry Head looked doable and wasn’t too long, but we approached low water supplies. We try to learn from our mistakes. 🙂

Cutting the rest of the hike and heading back to the beach for CZ to have a play before the bus ride home, was an excellent decision. As promised, the gentle, lapping water is perfect for kids to play in, even it is a little cold. I think my recent stay in Carolina, and EZ growing up there, spoiled us with the warm Atlantic water. Fortunately, the beach offered more than enough space to dump our belongings, and play in the sand with CZ.

Having brought the underwater camera and googles, EZ and I took turns trying out some underwater shots, in between playing with CZ.  It was absolutely adorable to watch CZ go from terrified to excited to the tiny waves creeping up the shoreline.  The only thing we were missing was cash for the ice cream van parked next to the “longest running snake show.”

After a couple of hours at the beach, we rinsed off the sand as best possible, and caught the 5:30pm back to the city, satisfied with another successful adventure.

We are looking into a bike route for a return adventure, so if you have any tips let us know!