Sydney Harbour National Park

Sydney Harbour National Park is a national park scattered across Sydney Harbour, Australia. First gazetted in 1975, it's one of many national parks within metropolitan Sydney, renowned for its sheltered beaches, tranquil picnic spots, rich Aboriginal, colonial and military heritage, aquatic reserves and most importantly; harbour islands. Where history, meets the harbour.

Landforms
Sydney Harbour National Park is located on 12 different landforms. The name in brackets is the indigenous name, which you might come across:

History
Residential development has impacted a significant amount of the harbour foreshores over many years. Much of what remained was preserved partly due to the presence of military bases, and partly because of the work of conservationists. Early conservationists were responsible for stopping mining at Ashton Park in the 19th Century. Other places were saved because of people such as Niels Neilsen, who became the New South Wales Minister for Lands and a strong advocate of a public reserve around Sydney Harbour. Nielsen was ahead of his time when he used the phrase "national park" in regard to the harbour foreshores, but Sydney eventually caught up with him.

Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to revert all the damage done in past decades, however, there was still much that could be preserved. In the 1960s were a particularly active time in this regard. In 1965 the Government of New South Wales began buying land around the foreshores, and the National Trust suggested a national park in 1968. In the following year, the NSW Government announced a plan whereby it would buy Commonwealth land around the harbour. The Sydney Harbour National Park was finally gazetted in 1975, with Nielsen Park at Shark Bay being added in 1978. Extra land was transferred from Commonwealth to State Government control, and added to the national park in 1979; the historically important quarantine station at Manly; Q station was added in 1984.

Landscape
Most of the park is a coastal landscape with some hills, no higher than in altitude. At times, there may be moments where you might feel like "is this Sydney?" due to the large amount of greenery.

When it comes to the shore, there are some near perpendicular cliffs, and some in artistic shapes and forms; providing a perfect place to relax and read a book by the ocean.

Flora and fauna
Sydney Harbour National Park is one of the last homes of the endangered bandicoots. Most of these can only be found at North Head but they are occasionally spotted at other places too. Bandicoot spotting is at best around 8PM to 11PM at a stay in Q-station. Whale watching is popular during May-November, and it's pretty common to spot one if you're at the heads. Some unique types of plants that you might see is the Grass Tree, the blueberry ash, a flannel flower or a smooth barked apple. Additionally, along the North Head to Manly path, there are some information boards where you can have a look at each types of flora you see on the way. QR reader needed.

Climate
Most of the park's climate is very similar to the climate in Sydney. However, since the park is in multiple locations, the climate may vary, depending on where you are.

As a general rule, it's best to bring some warm clothes after Easter, and go summer camping after the Labour Day long weekend in early May. At max, during the warmer months, it can go up to 35˚C during the day, and 20˚C at night. During the colder months, it's usually around 20˚C during the day but sometimes after August, it can go up to 25˚C. At night, it's usually around 15˚C but can go to 10˚C in July.

Visitor information centres
Due to the sheer scale, there would ideally be one for each and every bit. However, at this stage, the only section with a visitor information centre in North Head, and unusually, it has two, not one.

Mainland
Ferries connect various most parts of the mainland sections from Circular Quay. Some sections may be a few hundred metres walk from the park, but what's the purpose of coming to a national park without walking? If you use public transport, the routes to the various sections are as follows:
 * Bradleys Head – from Circular Quay wharf 4, use the Taronga ferry line to Taronga Zoo. From Taronga, walk on the road away from the cul-de-sac and then you're there at Bradleys Head.
 * Dobroyd Head – from Manly, use 162 to Curban Street, and then walk south towards Dobroyd Scenic Drive. This area has no ferry connection, so from Circular Quay, take the  line to Manly, and use bus route 162.
 * Georges and Middle Heads – the bus service also provides services to the Balmoral Naval Hospital from the Mosman Town Centre, from there, it's a simple three-minute walk. To reach Mosman by ferry, use the  line from Circular Quay.
 * North Head – from Circular Quay, take the Circular Quay to Manly ferry. From Manly wharf, the  bus route runs up to Q-Station, which is within the park. Services operate usually every 10-30 minutes.
 * South Head and Nielsen Park – take the Circular Quay to Watsons Bay ferry. From Watsons Bay, it's a 20-minute walk to the furthest part of South Head. Head south along Marine Parade for Nielsen Park.

If you're driving to the various sections that do have road access, be wary that finding parking can be a problem at times, especially in the South Head/Nielsen Park section. The various headlands on the Lower North Shore and in Manly have a decent amount of parking available, though these can fill up very quickly.
 * Dobroyd Head – follow the signs to Balgowah, north of the Spit Bridge.
 * Georges Head – from the Spit Junction, head south on Military Road, not towards A8. Then, at the roundabout, turn left onto Middle Head Road. Keep following Middle Head, until you hit the end of the road. For Bradleys Head, follow the same route except at the roundabout, take the third exit onto Prince Albert St and continue until the end of the road.
 * Middle Head – from Mosman, go to the very end of Middle Head Road. There will be a carpark, and you should be good parking your car there. $8 parking fees apply.
 * Nielsen Park is half an hour away east from the CBD and can be reached by following the signs towards Vaucluse. From Bondi, simply head north on Military Road (unrelated to the Military Road in Mosman). Head north on Old South Head Road and follow signage. Follow the same road to access South Head, but continue north until the end of the road.
 * North Head – accessing this section is easy once you arrive at Manly. From Manly, take Darley Road up passing St Pauls Catholic College, and passing the old Manly hospital, and you'd have arrived. Once there, turn right, and go underneath the small arch.

Clark Island
Situated near to Double Bay, and not serviced by scheduled ferries. You will need to reserve a place and pay a fee of approximately $7 per head to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Additionally, you also can't moor a boat here.

Fort Denison/Muddawahnyuh
The ferry service to Fort Denison is suspended until early 2022 as the island is closed for maintenance.

Goat Island
Goat Island is the nearest island on the western side of the bridge. Goat Island was open to the public for significant periods in the past. However, this island has now closed to the public, however, ferries still occasionally run. The best way to explore the rich history of Goat Island is on a guided tour with NPWS or a well reputed tour guide and contact Sydney Harbour Tall Ships for a schedule. The Aboriginal cruise ship also takes you for a tour there.

Rodd Island
Situated in Iron Cove, just off Rodd Point. Not served by ferries. Access by water taxi or drop off. Island landing fee of $7. Must be booked and paid for in advance, and the island capacity is limited to 100, and single groups are limited to 50. You cannot moor a boat on the island.

Shark Island
Shark Island is served by an hourly Matilda Cruises ferry on weekends and NSW public school holidays only. The price of $17/$15 round trip per adult includes the National Park landing fee.

Fees and permits
Since this is not one connected park, it will vary across places, however, most of Sydney Harbour National Park is free to access, but in most cases, parking fees apply. So below is just a list of notes: Here's a list of the parking fees:
 * No entry fees on the mainland
 * Entry fees do apply on some islands.
 * On the mainland, parking fees do apply
 * Parking fees are usually restricted to that location. e.g, a parking ticket bought at North Head won't be valid on Bradleys Head, but can be valid in another part of North Head, until the time it expired. This means that you could leave and revisit, but it must be before it expires.
 * Bradleys Head carpark: $8 per vehicle per day
 * North Head carpark: $5 per vehicle per day, no change given
 * Chowder Bay Road parking: Monday-Friday: $3 per hour, to a maximum of $16 per day. Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: $4 per hour, to a maximum of $20 per day.
 * If you have an NPWS pass, then you can park for free for four hours a day
 * Country Pass parks and single park passes aren't valid here.

Additionally, pets are prohibited in most parts, but Nielsen Park and Green Point Reserve is an exception.

By car
In some landforms such as North Head, taking the car is the best solution to getting around. For all other bits of the park, you for the most part cannot take your car in. Most places, however, will have a designated carpark.

By walking
Since this is not one connected park, you will need some other form of transport apart from walking to get from one section to another. However, below, shows how you can get from one place to another, and how to get around each section.

However, apart from North Head, the best form of transport within a section is by walking, as most of the time, there are no roads, or the roads are too narrow.

See
The national park protects the landforms of Bradleys Head, Clark Island, Dobroyd Head, Fort Denison, Georges Head, Goat Island, Middle Head, Nielsen Park, Rodd Island, Shark Island, Sydney Heads including the Quarantine Station at North Head and The Gap bluff at South Head. The national park also protects the waterway between North Head and Dobroyd Head, defined as the North Sydney Harbour Aquatic Reserve. However, Goat Island is not closed and is no longer accessible to visitors. Most of these places that are protected were home to some forts that were put in World War II as defence forts.

Clark Island
An entry fee applies to Clark Island, of $7. Make sure to bring some coins with you.



Fort Denison/Muddawahnyuh
A popular island on the harbour. You can't miss seeing it, as it's right in front of the Opera House.

The island was used as a convict prison during the early days of Sydney's settlement. The island was then known as Pinchgut Island. In 1857 the entire area became a large fort, built to defend Sydney against Russian attack.

If you want to take a tour of the island and visit the tower, you need to purchase a ticket which includes the ferry transport 24 hours in advance from the Sydney Visitors Centre at Cadmans Cottage in The Rocks. The National Parks and Wildlife Service run a half-hour guided tour for $27/$17 and $72 for a 4 person family. That includes the ferry trip to the island. Standby tickets are available for the tours from the cafe on the island for $10, but these are subject to availability.

There is a rather upmarket cafe on the island. There is a morning brunch for $47 adults and $43 children (which includes the tour). Lunch is also available.



Georges Head, Mosman




Goat Island
Goat Island was the home to the first water police station and harbour fire brigade. Following this, the island served as a shipyard. In more recent years it has been a location for filming.

Nielsen Park, Vaucluse

 * Aboriginal rock engravings can be seen at, displaying a fish and at , which has some charcoal drawings of fish.



North Head, Manly




Fairfax Track
The following are the lookouts along the way along Fairfax Track. These can only be accessed via the Fairfax Track, which is a 700-m loop. While the Fairfax Track may be a nice track to see, make sure if you're travelling with young children, make sure they do not pick things off the ground. There are unexploded ordinance on the ground, and it is a federal offense to even move them.

Rodd Island
This is the westernmost island of Sydney Harbour National Park. While there's not much to see, has become more increasingly popular in the past decade.

However, Rodd Island is not served by ferries. Access is only by water taxi or drop off. There is an island landing fee of $7 and must be booked and paid for in advance, as the island capacity is limited to 100, and single groups are limited to 50. Additionally, you cannot moor a boat on the island.

Shark Island
While getting here is hard and there is not much to see in this island, going next to the wharf will give you a view of the entire CBD, featuring 80% of the highlights of Sydney. There's also the (Shark Island Light) which is mostly underwater now. However, the not-underwater sections still give you a good view of the eastern suburbs - often some of the world's most expensive houses, just after some in New York City. There's also a popular shed here as well, most renowned for giving you a view of the harbour.

However, Shark Island is also not served by ferries. Access is only by water taxi or drop off.


 * is the main hub on the island.

Do
There's plenty of things to do in Sydney Harbour National Park, for most interests, whether it's hiking, swimming, or learning about Aboriginal culture.

Bradleys Head, Mosman




Clark Island
While there may not be anything to see in Clark Island, hiking to the top provides magnificent and resplendent views of the harbour. There are multiple trails and walking paths in Clark Island, and you have the choice of whether to go the easy slow not-so-steep path or the steep path.

Shark Island
Walk the outer loop of the island, and have a picnic on the barbie. Oh, and you may occasionally see a shark while on the barbie. Won't attack you though.

Buy
There aren't many souvenir shops here, however, souvenirs can be bought at Q-station's reception at Q-station. You could also get a souvenir at some places like Strickland House or Grotto Lighthouse, the real beauty of the park lies within its history with the harbour, not buildings.

Bradleys Heads, Clontarf, Georges Head and Middle Head, Mosman
These are all the restaurants and cafés within the boundaries of the park, or the only way out is through the park.

Fort Denison/Muddawahnyuh
This restaurant/cafe is closed until the entire Fort Denison reopens in early 2022.



Manly-North Head
In the park

Slightly outside the park These are places to eat, and are just within 1-km proximity of the park. Most visitors often go to the Manly town centre, as there's a lot more variety in Manly, and getting there is easier rather than taking the bus to the Q-station restaurants. See Sydney/Manly for more.

Drink
Most of these places do not provide alcohol or wine. In some places, they are even prohibited, and you could be checked at any time.

Camping
While camping is usually the only form of accommodation in most national park, there are no campgrounds in Sydney Harbour National Park as most of the area is unsuitable for camping. Additionally, camping is prohibited in some areas to protect bandicoots.

Backcountry
While there are great views here, backcountry stays aren't a thing here, for a couple of reasons. The first one is the fact that most of this national park had only existed to protect the remains of the small reserves, but keep in mind you're still in the middle of Sydney, not in an exurb like Royal National Park.

Stay safe

 * Watch out for the small Sydney funnel web spider. They are known to have lethal bites.
 * Carry some water with you at all times regardless of the season.
 * Some locations can get chaotic on New Year's Eve. Unless you've deliberately come on NYE for the fireworks, and your experience may not be so great due to the heavy crowds.
 * Artillery Drive is heavily protected, and only wastewater management staff and residents are allowed.

Respect

 * The maximum limit inside the park is . Avoid speeding, as the low limit is meant to protect the endangered bandicoots.
 * Don't damage Aboriginal rock engravings - it's disrespectful and disgraceful. And thus, this can result in a $60,000 fine.
 * Watch out for endangered bandicoots at night. Do not flash lights at them. If you're taking a photo, make sure your phone's flash is off. Otherwise, don't even think about it.

Go next

 * Cockatoo Island is only a mere few kilometres away and can be accessed by the Cockatoo Island Ferry line or the  Parramatta River line.
 * Barangaroo may not be park of the National Park but it still has lots of greenery, and also is home to a famous Chinese Garden.