Bundeena to Marley Beach Walk

Walk from Bundeena to Marley Beach to experience the glittering blue ocean and immaculate beaches, along this section of the RNP Coastal Walk.

We recently trekked the last couple hundred meters of the Royal National Park’s Coastal Track in Otford. When you break out of the brush and scrub, the path opens up to endless ocean views and the sea cliff bridge down below. I can only imagine victorious and relieved feelings from those finally spotting the end of the walk. JZ and I haven’t mustered up the passion, endurance, and quad strength that would be required for a 33km hike with CZ in the backpack, so for now, we are content complete the track in a piecemeal fashion, similar to our approach on the Sydney coast line.

Walking Bundeena to Marley Beach

We walked the Marley beach track with a couple friends and their young son, one bright, cool Sunday morning. Our hike began from the trailhead around 8am after catching the Cronulla ferry to Bundeena.

They graciously drove us from the wharf to the trailhead at the dead end of Beachcomber Ave. We arrived at 8:10 and snagged one of the last spots. If you miss out on the limited parking spots, you can park on certain sections of the road. Alternately, skip the parking drama and ride the ferry from Cronulla and then walk 1.5km to the trail.

Upon entering the park, you wind through bush and scrub, over metal grates, and across sandy paths. On this morning, the trail appeared fairly empty, we saw a few other hikers, and enjoyed quiet conversations and the gentle roar of the ocean. This would drastically change for our return hike. Fortunately, unlike some coastal walks, paths in Royal National Park are clearly marked and we rarely faced confusion on which way to turn.

I love walking across the sandstone cliffs in search of sweeping views, better vantage points, and the occasional migrating whale. This section of the Coastal Track delivers on all of these fronts. I wandered from cliff’s-edge to sandstone rock formations, discovering new views for hours, with minimal vertigo. The tall cliffs can be unnerving, especially staring so far down to the churning, deep blue ocean below. We do not recommend this walk for toddlers or particularly curious (and/or fast) children. Luckily, CZ remained content in the backpack during these wide open clifftop sections.

Wedding Cake Rock

About 3km into the walk, we reached the Wedding Cake Rock lookout. This location became Insta-famous after several jaw-dropping photos on the white, square rock went viral. However, the section of sandstone is extremely unstable, and this area is now fenced off and closed to the public. We could imagine how surreal and beautiful the rock would be without the fencing, but also appreciate the safety precautions taken when necessary. The fence did not prevent large groups of tourists from visiting and photographing the rock. On our return, families, couples, and solo travelers clogged the trail and area around this beautiful landmark.

We checked Wedding Cake Rock off our Coastal Hike To-See list, and we wanted to enjoy more. After a brief pause, we continued to the Marley Beach lookout. This lookout did not disappoint; with stunning views from Marley to Little Marley beach. The sun reflected off the deep turquoise water and bright, white sand for a blinding beautiful beach.

Marley Beach(es)

By this time, the kids were more than ready to get out and stretch their legs. We let them out of the backpacks, and they ran jubilantly along the beach as we looked for a suitable picnic location. While the beach is wide and relatively deserted, Marley beach lacked sun protection. We packed up the kids and continued across the rocks to Little Marley beach. This beach is equally as beautiful, and better children who  can safely play in the shallow tide pool. Nestled in the back, by the creek, we found lovely, shaded, grassy area. We set down our picnic blankets to relax and have lunch.

After sandwiches, fruit and playing in the sand, we packed up the kids and headed back to the car. At this point, the trails become clogged with other walkers and we appreciated the quiet and stillness we experienced in the morning.

Know Before You Go – Bundeena to Marley Beach Track

• If you catch public transport, you need to walk from the Bundeena Wharf to the start of the walk along Beachcomber Ave. If you drive, know that the parking lot fills up quickly, but there is on street parking available.
• Water: none
• Bathrooms: bathrooms are located at the Bundeena wharf, not along the trail or at the parking lot
• This track also lacks bins, so be sure to bring a trash bag with you.
• Much of the walk is along open cliffs, so keep a close eye on young children. I felt safest with CZ riding in the backpack for most of the walk, and coming out to hike on the beaches or paved paths.

I thought it was incredibly cool that the NPS borrowed the Google Trekker device to showcase these incredible walks online – check it out here.