Day Trip Palm Beach

Palm Beach

Palm Beach is one of the most scenic beaches in Sydney. It is a popular destination for people to escape the crowded city beaches during the summer months. Palm Beach is north of Sydney City and is situated opposite the picturesque Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.

-Catch the bus (number L90) from Wynyard Station. The bus will take approximately 1.5 hours to Palm Beach although there are a number of stops you can make on the way. If you have an unlimited bus ticket you might want to hop on- hop off the bus at any number of the beautiful northern beaches. Step off the bus at Palm Beach Wharf.

-A number of ferry’s leave from the wharf to various destinations in the area. One of these is the ‘scenic cruise’ which travels from the wharf along the Hawkesbury River to Bobbin Head and back. This cruise leaves Palm Beach at 11am only during the week, and at 9am, 11am and 3:45pm on the weekends. Another option is to catch the regular ferry at Palm Beach to Ettalong and explore the area. Ettalong is home to the largest undercover market on the Central Coast open every weekend from 9am to 4pm. For a shorter trip, the 45 minute round trip from Palm Beach Wharf to Mackeral Beach and back is worth taking.

-Once you’ve made your way back onto dry land, walk across the road from the wharf where there are some highly recommended (and pricey) cafes offering a perfect place to stop for some lunch.

Barrenjoey Headland Walk up to the lighthouse is one of the best ways to appreciate the area. From the wharf, walk north along Barrenjoey Rd until you reach Barrenjoey car park. The track starts from here and make sure you continue to follow the signs up to Barrenjoey lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 1881 and is the third lighthouse that has been constructed on this headland. The headland is at an elevation of 113 metres and can be seen up to 35km out to sea. This is a fantastic lookout which offers an uninterrupted view over Palm Beach and the Northern Beaches.

This is a return style walk meaning you will have to take the same path back down.

Finish off with a quick splash in the water at Palm Beach before catching the same bus back to Wynyard.