Great Southern Walk, NSW

The Great Southern Walk

This 67-kilometre walk from Kamay Botany Bay National Park, through Royal National Park and into the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area will take visitors through stunning coastal landscapes and places of national heritage significance.

Featuring dramatic coastal views, a range of stunning natural environments and opportunities to stay overnight, this new walk has an abundance of experiences for individuals, couples, groups and families.

In June 2021, the NSW Government announced the Great Southern Walk, a 59-kilometre track extending from Sydney’s south to the Illawarra.

The Great Southern Walk will incorporate existing walking tracks through the Kurnell peninsula, the iconic Royal Coast Track and tracks through the Illawarra Escarpment, with some new connecting tracks in both Royal National Park and the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area and upgraded tracks in Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

The Sydney section of the walk will start at Kamay Botany Bay National Park at Kurnell, crossing the peninsula to Cronulla, through Royal National Park from Bundeena to Bald Hill and then through the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. Camping is already available at Bonnie Vale campground, while new small sustainable camp locations will be provided at Wattamolla and Garie. A mix of camping platforms, basic hiker huts, amenities and camp kitchen are proposed.

The Illawarra section of the Great Southern Walk will link from Bald Hill and Stanwell Park, adjacent to the southern entrance to Royal National Park, and through the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area to the Southern Gateway Centre at Bulli Tops. Locations are being explored for an overnight opportunity.

New South Wales’s coastal national parks between Sydney and Wollongong are some of the most popular in the state, with high visitation and diverse environmental and cultural values. We aim to provide sustainable access to these parks for a range of visitors. This investment will enable visitors from independent walkers to small, guided groups to experience Sydney’s southern coastline and the Illawarra Escarpment.

What can visitors expect?

This walk allows visitors to immerse themselves in a multi-day walk along the Sydney and northern Illawarra coastline.

Accommodation will be available at both new and existing campgrounds. Bonnie Vale campground, which has welcomed campers for decades, offers powered and unpowered sites and upgraded amenities.

Two new campgrounds are proposed for Royal National Park at Wattamolla and Garie, where camping platforms, basic hiker huts, amenities and camp kitchen are proposed. Both sites have water with sewage treatment systems upgraded in 2018 to cater for the existing high day visitor demand in these sites. These sites also have previously disturbed areas suitable for small campgrounds.

A walk-in campground and basic hut accommodation are proposed to be built in the Maddens Plains area of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. The proposed campground site would support walkers on the Great Southern Walk, and the design of the infrastructure will be subject to environmental and cultural heritage assessments. An amendment to the current plan of management is required and is currently on exhibition for public comment. The amendment also includes the closure and rehabilitation of the Austinmer Camp. The site receives little use, has been subject to antisocial behaviour and has impacted nearby residents.

Draft amendment to the plan of management

During 2022, the National Parks and Wildlife Service sought public comments on the draft amendment to the plan of management for Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. Public exhibition of the draft amendment allowed members of the community to have a say in the management directions for the park.

The Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area Plan of Management Draft Amendment was on public exhibition until 28 October 2022. The consultation has now closed.

What is a plan of management?

Parks and reserves established under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 must have a management plan. Once the plan is adopted, no management operations can be undertaken in the parks unless they are consistent with the plan. Plans of management may be amended to support changes to park management or proposed works.

Why was an amendment required?

An amendment was prepared to facilitate the establishment of walker accommodation as part of the Great Southern Walk – an iconic multi-day walk starting in the northern part of Illawarra Escarpment State Conversation Area, extending north through Royal National Park and finishing at Kamay Botany Bay National Park. The amendment will also allow for rock climbing in certain areas north of Bulli Pass.

For more information and to download the ‘Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area Draft Amendment to the Plan of Management’ visit the project website.

Establishing accommodation for the Great Southern Walk

In partnership with other land managers, NPWS is developing the Great Southern Walk. This is a multi-day walk starting in the northern part of Illawarra Escarpment State Conversation Area, extending north through Royal National Park and finishing at Kamay Botany Bay National Park. While the upgrade of existing tracks and provision of some new tracks is permissible under the current plan of management, a new campground, walkers’ hut accommodation and associated infrastructure will be investigated and may be constructed in the Maddens Plains area.

Details and siting of the campground and walkers’ hut accommodation would be subject to heritage, environmental and sustainably assessments. Subject to the findings of these assessments, the campground might be located in Part 11 land or in the state conservation area. The draft amendment also proposes to align group size limits with those applicable to the adjacent Royal National Park.

The current Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area Plan of Management identifies a clearing along the Gibson Track at Austinmer (Austinmer Camp) as a potential site for walk-in camping. However, a campground and walkers’ hut accommodation in the Maddens Plains area would be more suitable to support walkers on the Great Southern Walk. The campground at Austinmer receives little use, has been subject to antisocial behaviour, and its use has potential to impact on nearby residents. The Austinmer Camp will be closed and rehabilitated.

Amendment 1: In order to facilitate overnight walks along the length of the escarpment, campsites will be investigated subject to environmental and cultural assessment. A campground including walkers’ huts, other hard-roofed and/or tented accommodation and associated facilities, such as walking track connections and a vehicle service road, will be developed in the Maddens Plains area as part of the Great Southern Walk. Final siting and design of this infrastructure will be subject to environmental and cultural heritage assessments.

Amendment 2: Plan reference: page 27, under Commercial activities and short-term licences
NPWS may engage commercial operators to provide support services to walkers on the Great Southern Walk. This could include guiding, food and supply drops, facilities maintenance (see Figure 3 for potential campground locations) of walker accommodation and hiker pick-up and drop off services.

Amendment 3: Plan reference: page 29, under Management response
Permit walk-in camping in the Maddens Plains area as part of the Great Southern Walk (see Figure 3 for potential campground locations). Subject to environmental and cultural heritage assessments, provide walkers’ huts, other hard-roofed and/or tented accommodation and associated facilities, such as walking track connections and a vehicle service road.

How will the accommodation be managed?

National Parks and Wildlife Service will manage the planning, construction and establishment of new campsites, ensuring all environmental and related considerations are carefully handled.

National Parks and Wildlife Service will run an Expressions of Interest process to find a suitable delivery partner to help run the guided walking as well as manage the new camping experiences using the new facilities. The new facilities will continue to be owned by National Parks and Wildlife Service.

So, watch this space and stay informed via the project website.