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Nature and parks

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Royal National Park in Bundeena. Image Hamilton Lund
Aerial of Cockatoo Island and Spectacle Island, Sydney harbour

Explore Sydney’s great outdoors

Find things to do in Sydney with a diverse natural environment on an outdoor adventure. Enjoy a scenic walk, or visit national parks and tiny harbour islands.

Sydney’s natural wonders and attractions

Sydney Harbour foreshore picnic. Image Hamilton Lund

With its rich variety of bushland, rainforest, green spaces and coastal spots, Sydney in Summer is the ultimate outdoor playground for locals and tourists alike. Experience one of Sydney’s best-loved walks, such as the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. Discover secret nooks in which to laze away a hot day with a picnic, take a leisurely cycle beneath leafy pathways or escape to a quiet retreat to drink in the sights and scents of the great outdoors.

Sydney Harbour acts as a gateway to the natural world. Navigate your way around the Sydney Harbour Islands by ferry, hire a kayak and head to secret secluded coastal hideaways or make your way to a scenic spot by foot.

Only a short distance from the city lies the untamed beauty of the Royal National Park and the lush mountainous region of the Blue Mountains, a 90-minute drive from Sydney. Both popular tourist attractions, these pristine natural environments come alive in the warmer seasons with colourful displays of flora and thriving wildlife. Head here for bushwalks, hiking, camping, breathe in the fresh air and uncover the richness of a landscape that includes wetlands, eucalypt woodlands, rugged bushland, lush rainforests and sandstone gorges.

National Parks around Sydney

It’s rare for a global city such as Sydney to be surrounded by nature at every turn. Sydney Harbour National Park is at the heart of the city while Ku-ring-gai and Royal National Parks the city to the north and the south.

aerial view of Bradley's Head, part of Sydney Harbour National Park, looking towards the city. Image Hamilton Lund

Sydney Harbour Islands

As well being home to idyllic picnic spots, the Sydney Harbour Islands, including Fort Denison, Shark, Clark, Rodd, Goat and Cockatoo Island. Guided tours can be booked through Cadmans Cottage to learn about Aboriginal culture and Sydney’s colonial past.

Views to the city from Shark Island. Image Andrew Gregory

Walks and hikes near Sydney

Taking to Sydney by foot offers rich scenic rewards with routes to suit all fitness levels. Be sure to do the favourites such as the coastal clifftop walk from Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, the harbourside walk from Mosman Wharf to Cremorne Point, the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walkway, or, head off the beaten track with a daytrip to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Walkway through the Gunngai Aboriginal site at Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. Image Andrew Gregory

Natural Charms, Tourist Attractions 

Whatever gets you out into the great outdoors, whether it’s a picnic on the grass, a game of cricket, a bike ride through a leafy park, a stroll through history or a bushwalk in rugged surroundings, Sydney and its diverse suburbs have just what you’re looking for.Some of these places are famous and well known, yet even in the very heart of Sydney there are quiet, green, natural, nooks where you’ll only hear the sounds of birds tweeting and leaves rustling.

Sydney Harbour brings its own special dimensions to the natural world. The foreshores and harbour islands are accessible places of secrets and mystery. They often come with a great story to tell, and only reveal their natural treasures to those who are prepared to strike out by combination of Sydney Ferries and by foot.

You don’t have to travel far from the city to put yourself into the Royal National Park or the fringes of the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage Area. These are wild and rugged tourist attractions where you can go on a real nature tour and bushwalk, hike and camp in rainforests, wetlands and eucalypt woodlands, all cradled by sandstone gorges.

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Great nature based experiences in Sydney

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