By Mireia Garriga Seguranyes + Seana Smith
Getting There
By car from Sydney:
- The Royal National Park’s main entry points are along the Princes Highway
- Turn off the highway at Farnell Avenue, just south of Loftus; follow Sir Bertram Stevens Drive until you reach Bundeena Drive. Continue until you reach Bundeena.
By public transport: You can take a train to Cronulla and then hop onto the hourly ferry to Bundeena. This is a 30 minute trip on the M.V. Curranulla. No bookings are available. Find the Cronulla to Bundeena ferry timetable and more info here.
Check train timetables for the T4 train on Transport Info here.
From Wollongong:
- You can reach the Royal National Park along the Princes Highway, or via Otford, which is north of Stanwell Park.
Bundeena Beach + Playground
The most central beach is Horderns Beach, which is located next to the ferry wharf and the main strip of shops and cafés. Hordens Beach and Bonnie Vale are the most child-friendly beaches because of their calm waters.
Horderns Beach Reserve is the perfect spot to have a barbecue or a picnic in summer. The Reserve is abundant on trees and the playground has some sails.
The playground is not fenced, but it is quite easy to keep an eye on the children. It has some great equipment for primary school-aged children to keep them entertained. So, relax and admire the view.
More Things To Do in Bundeena
Enjoy a coffee and a snack or meal at one of the lovely cafes on Brighton Street.
The Jibbon Beach Loop Track: read our guide to this gorgeous coastal walk from Bundeena here.
Hire kayaks and SUPs from Bundeena Kayaks, check them out here.
The Art Trail in Bundeena: Every first Sunday of the month the village of Bundeena & Maianbar holds The Art Trail. Maps of the art trail can be found in the local shops.
Bundeena Markets: On the same Sunday of the month as the Art Trail, you can also check out the Bundeena Markets at Horderns Reserve.
The Bundeena-Maianbar Heritage Walk is another thing that you can do in Bundeena. Less demanding than the Jibbon Beach Loop Track, apparently the walk is packed with interesting local facts. You can find a detailed map of the walk in the ferry wharf or in the local shops.
Enjoy the calm waters of Port Hacking, which are excellent for practising stand up paddleboarding, renting a kayak or hire a houseboat.
Another hike that you can try is the Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk, which takes you to Marley Beach. Read about this walk on the Royal National Park website here.
Check out Bundeena Adventure Tours for guided bike rides and walks. We haven’t used these guys ourselves but we think the website looks great.
Bundeena is very close to Bonnie Vale. Find more information in this post of Hello Sydney Kids.
Find out more things to do in the Royal National Park and check local warnings on the NPWS website here.
NB Public toilets: there is a block of toilets next to the car park.
Where To Park
The main car park in Bundeena is at the beginning of Loftus St, after Brighton St. It is free but it is limited. There is also limited street parking on Brighton St. Alternatively, you can try to park on Neil Street and Eric Street.
While there is a fee for parking your car within the Royal National park, you don’t have to pay it if you only park within the suburb of Bundeena.
NB NPWS Park fees
VERY IMPORTANT: If you plan to go somewhere else within the national park please, refer to the page of NSW National Parks webpage for daily fees; some places in the Royal National Park only allow you to pay by cash.
Tip: If you love nature, buying the NPWS annual pass will save you the headache of checking fees every time that you go to visit a National Park from NSW, plus save you money.
Bundeena Accommodation
Renting a family-friendly beach house is often what works best.
Check out some cool holiday houses and apartments using this Booking.com search box.
Booking.com
Some of the beachfront properties are absolutely to die for.
Have you visited Bundeena?
Can you let us know of places you loved in the comments below?
Click here to read all about the Jibbon Loop Trail, which, with a visit to the village of Bundeena, makes a fab day out for Sydney families, or a wonderful activity on a weekend away.
