Travel guide Chatswood

There’s no place in the world like Sydney for nature & the great outdoors

Nature and wildlife is easily accessible in Sydney.  The city is completely fringed by national parks – in fact, Sydney Harbour forms its own national park, bordered to the north by Ku-ring-gai National Park and to the south by Royal National Park – with easy access to the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains in 90 minutes.

The newest nature attraction in Sydney, Sydney Wildlife World, opened recently in Darling Harbour. Visitors can see more than 6000 animals such as rock wallabies and koalas, right in the heart of the city. There is also the long-standing Taronga Zoo, perched perfectly on the harbour foreshore at Mosman, where the giraffes are often said to have the best view of Sydney Harbour!

Explore the national parks on Sydney’s doorstep: Royal National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park offer blissful isolation within just one hour of Sydney’s city centre. Lane Cove National Park is located just 10km from central Sydney. Here are some highlights of the three national parks on Sydney’s doorstep. www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

•      The rich forests along Lady Carrington Drive, a historic walking and cycling trail beside the Hacking River in the Royal National Park.
   
• The sense of Victorian park life you get at Audley in Royal National Park, with its causeway, picnic lawns and rowboats. 
•  The rock engravings, hand stencils and other Aboriginal sites along the Resolute Track in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Part.
• A day’s outing on the ferry to The Basin, in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, for a picnic and a swim around the lagoon or sandy beach.
• The Kukundi Wildlife Shelter at Lane Cove National Park, where you'll see tawny frogmouths, lizards and flying foxes
        Enjoy Sydney’s green city centre: Sydney’s parks are great for all outdoor activities, including doing absolutely nothing. Here are some simple ideas to get out and about in the fresh air.
• Fly a kite at Bondi Park or Sydney Park. www.aka.org.au
•  Have a picnic at Clontarf Reserve (Sandy Bay Road, Clontarf)
• Ride a horse in Centennial Park (Oxford Street, Paddington)
        www.cp.nsw.gov.au
• Join a free guided tour (10.30am) of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Mrs Macquaries Road). www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
• See Shakespeare in the Park (The Esplanade, Balmoral)
        www.shakespeare-by-the-sea.com
• Read the paper in Hyde Park (Elizabeth Street, City)
• Be educated in the Royal Botanic Gardens: On the shore of Sydney Harbour beside the Sydney Opera House, the 30-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens invites visitors to stop and smell the roses, walk on the grass, join a tour and stay for lunch. On display is a living collection of Australian native and exotic plants including the famous Wollemi Pines, Australian Rainforest species and the enormous Moreton Bay Figs.
• The gardens run an Aboriginal Heritage Tour. Join Aboriginal Education Officer, Clarence Stockee, for a journey of discovery. Uncover the Royal Botanic Gardens rich Aboriginal heritage, experience traditional music, dance and artefacts, and taste some bush foods.  www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Get your walking shoes on: There’s a range of snapshot-worthy walks around Sydney’s famous waterfront.

• Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach Allow 2 hours for this 6km walk along Sydney’s newest walking track – it meanders through bushland and historic military sites, finishing at peaceful Balmoral. www.harbourtrust.gov.au.
•  Federation Cliff Walk If breezy cliff tops and jaw-dropping views are your bag, spare an hour for this bracing 3km walk from Vaucluse to North Bondi, finishing with a coffee at the end. www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/council/bprs/parks/parks/fedwalk.asp
•  Harbour Circle Walk Explore the bridges, harbour islands, historic streets and urban bushlands in this 26km route from the Harbour Bridge to Hunter’s Hill. Download maps from www.planning.nsw.gov.au/harbour/walking.asp  
• Manly to the Spit It’ll take around 4 hours to complete this 9km walk, but there’s lots of variety along the way, including beaches, Aboriginal sites and subtropical rainforests. Visit www.mynrma.com.au/sydney_spi.asp
• Bondi to Bronte Beaches, parks and top views make this 3.5km walk from Ben Buckler Point to Waverly Cemetery Sydney’s most famous. For maps, visit www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/council/bprs/parks/parks/coastwalk.asp 

There’s no place in the world like Sydney.

For more information, see www.seesydney.com

For further information, contact:

Kylie Robertson                                  Irene Morgan
Robertson Solutions                            Tourism  NSW
Cell: 917-213-1773                            Tel: 310 641 1622/
Kylie@robertsonsolutions.com          tourismnswla@earthlink.net