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Nature and parks

Hawthorne Canal Reserve, Leichhardt Sydney

Must do

Coastal walk, Bondi to Coogee

Highlights

Love Every Second of Sydney in Winter

There’s no better time of the year to get out and about in the great outdoors and experience Sydney’s stunning natural attractions. Go cycling and enjoy the sunshine, the green open spaces and sparkling beaches. Follow a walking trail passing through harbourside bushland, picnic by Sydney Harbour National Park or jog along the promenade at Bondi Beach.

Sydney’s natural wonders and attractions

Sydney Harbour foreshore picnic. Image Hamilton Lund

With its rich environment of bushland, pockets of rainforest, green open spaces and coastal strips, Sydney is the ultimate outdoor playground at any time of the year. One of the best ways to enjoy Sydney's stunning natural attractions is on a coastal trail such as the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. Discover secret nooks in which to laze away a day with a picnic, take a leisurely cycle along leafy pathways or escape to a quiet harbourside park.

Sydney Harbour is the gateway to a world of natural attractions. Navigate your way around the inner-harbour islands by ferry or hire a kayak and paddle your way to a secluded harbour beach where you can swim and picnic.

A short drive from the city is more untamed beauty. The world's second-oldest national park, the Royal National Park, lies to the south of the city while the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is an easy 90-minute drive west from the heart of the city. Both popular tourist attractions, these pristine natural environments come alive in spring and summer with wildflowers; cooler weather is perfect for a range of outdoor activities ranging from bushwalks and hiking, to camping, mountain biking, abseiling and canyoning. Come away feeling refreshed and invigorated by the fresh air and pristine environments comprised of wetlands, eucalypt woodlands, rugged bushland, lush rainforests and sandstone gorges.

National parks around Sydney

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

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

Sydney Harbour islands

Sydney Harbour has several small islands that are accessible by water taxi, ferry or on a guided tour. Enjoy a leisurely picnic, learn about colonial heritage and admire the sublime views from Fort Denison, Shark, Clark, Rodd, Goat and Cockatoo Island. 

Views to the city from Shark Island. Image Andrew Gregory

Sydney walks

Take to Sydney by foot and you'll be rewarded with beautiful scenery at very turn of the track. Popular walks include the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, the harbourside walk along the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walkway or any number of bushland and river trails in 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 New South Wales

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