La Perouse

La Perouse is a South-Eastern Suburb of Sydney. It is known for its old military outpost at Bare Island and the Kamay-Botany Bay National Park. Congwong Bay Beach, Little Congwong Beach, and the beach at Frenchmans Bay provide protected swimming areas in Botany Bay and its great sunsets at Bare Island.

Understand
La Perouse was where one of the first European settlements in Australia in 1788, first by Arthur Phillip and then by the French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, where the town was named after.

La Perouse was known as "Gooriwal" to the Muruora-dial people of the area.

Get in
The suburb of La Perouse is about 14 km southeast of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Randwick and is five minutes away from Maroubra, a popular beach side area.

By car
La Perouse is on the extreme southern end of the former State Route 70 and ANZAC Parade; around 30 min from Randwick and also 10 min away from nearby Maroubra via Anzac Parade.

La Perouse is also only 10 min away from Botany, and 15 min away from the airport. It isn't uncommon to see a plane flying that low

By bus
La Perouse is served by the 394 from Central station to the every 1/2 hour during normal times. Additionally, you can take the limited express service L94 from Circular Quay. Bus timetables are always written at the bus stop you are at. However, with frequent services, there's no need for you to look at the timetable.

By ferry
There is no ferry to La Perouse, but there is a plan to reinstate a ferry service (F10) to Kurnell which was ceased in 1974 due to a storm.

The ferry wharf proposal
As of 2021, there is a proposal to build a 100-m wharf at La Perouse. This should take about two years to build.

By walking
Once you're there at La Perouse, you'll most likely want to walk after. Considering most of the attractions there are within walking distance, you wouldn't want to take your car out anyway.

By car
Although you can take your car around La Perouse, you wouldn't exactly want to as most of La Perouse can be accessed within a mile's reach and the more important places within 300-m reach.

By golf buggy
Golf buggy (or golf carts) may be alright to use in Kamay-Botany Bay National Park, it certainly isn’t suitable for the roads outside the national park as it has no doors which isn't suitable for Aussie roads. And please don't strip on these buggys if your going for a nude swim at Little Congwong beach.

See

 * Visitors can learn about the indigenous significance of the area from the Aboriginal people of the area, with boomerang-throwing demonstrations often held on weekends and Aboriginal guided tours operating from Yarra Bay House during the week. Aboriginal artefacts are produced and sold by locals or can be bought at the Eora shop.
 * The has an outdoor reptile show is also a tourist attraction in the pit, at The Loop, on Sunday afternoons and public holidays at 1:30PM. The reptile shows were begun by the legendary Professor Fox in the late 19th century and resumed by George Cann just after the Great War in 1918. The tradition was continued by members of the Cann family, and other snake handlers since.
 * Visitors can learn about the indigenous significance of the area from the Aboriginal people of the area, with boomerang-throwing demonstrations often held on weekends and Aboriginal guided tours operating from Yarra Bay House during the week. Aboriginal artefacts are produced and sold by locals or can be bought at the Eora shop.
 * The has an outdoor reptile show is also a tourist attraction in the pit, at The Loop, on Sunday afternoons and public holidays at 1:30PM. The reptile shows were begun by the legendary Professor Fox in the late 19th century and resumed by George Cann just after the Great War in 1918. The tradition was continued by members of the Cann family, and other snake handlers since.
 * Visitors can learn about the indigenous significance of the area from the Aboriginal people of the area, with boomerang-throwing demonstrations often held on weekends and Aboriginal guided tours operating from Yarra Bay House during the week. Aboriginal artefacts are produced and sold by locals or can be bought at the Eora shop.
 * The has an outdoor reptile show is also a tourist attraction in the pit, at The Loop, on Sunday afternoons and public holidays at 1:30PM. The reptile shows were begun by the legendary Professor Fox in the late 19th century and resumed by George Cann just after the Great War in 1918. The tradition was continued by members of the Cann family, and other snake handlers since.


 * Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse. This is a swimming spot on Botany Bay. It is a fairly average beach, but has an interesting westerly outlook which allows you see the sun setting over the bay, which is very unusual in Sydney, where looking over the water usually means you are facing east. Accessible by car or bus.
 * Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse. This is a swimming spot on Botany Bay. It is a fairly average beach, but has an interesting westerly outlook which allows you see the sun setting over the bay, which is very unusual in Sydney, where looking over the water usually means you are facing east. Accessible by car or bus.

Walk
La Perouse is home to four walking trails, all in Kamay-Botany Bay National Park

Golf
La Perouse is home to the most golf courses in Sydney as a ratio; the overall is about 4:1. However, you will need a pass to enter these clubs



Scuba diving
The area around the La Perouse peninsula is considered to be one of the best scuba diving sites in NSW. Bare Island has a number of dive sites, some of which extend to over 19 metres in depth. The reef around the area is extensive. There are also a number of dives around the mainland at La Perouse. Little Congwong too is popular for snorkelling. This beach has been an often contested site for nude bathing.

Scuba divers here can see the common (weedy) sea dragon, red Indianfish, pygmy pipefish and big belly sea horses as well as fish normally found on dive sites in the Sydney-Botany Bay area.

Buy


However, you can buy other Aboriginal items by locals including boomerangs

Drink
There are no bars or pubs in La Perouse. The closest bars are either at the Bayside restaurant (in La Perouse, which is also a restaurant) or at nearby Maroubra.

Sleep
At this point in time, there are no hotels or any sort of accommodation in La Perouse. The nearest hotels are in Maroubra, 5km away from La Perouse.

Connect
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all have either 3G or 4G whilst Telstra has 5G in the area

Go next
North East West South
 * Bondi Beach is only a mere half an hour away from La Perouse. Be aware that parking can be a problem in Bondi, so it's better off going by public transport.
 * Vaucluse is on the opposite side of the eastern suburbs, again with a French name.
 * Manly is a must-go in Sydney
 * Sydney Harbour National Park
 * Go out sailing east, until you hit South America, specifically Peru or the Galapagos Islands.
 * Sans Souci is another town/suburb in Sydney with a French name and just north of the Captain Cook Bridge.
 * Mascot – A popular spot for plane spotting.
 * Royal National Park – Australia's oldest national park
 * Kamay-Botany Bay National Park – the southern part is where Sydney's desalination plant is, and was particularly used during 2019 when in drought.