Might you be the type that goes somewhere new and ends
\nup only seeing the designated and well known tourist sites? There is,
\nof course, nothing wrong with that , as it is actually a pretty good
\nway to get acquainted with a place. But it’s also nice to experience
\nthe natural perspective; to get to know the origins of a place and see
\nhow it was, even before development. Sydney, the largest city in the
\nSouthern Hemisphere, is a superb place to do this, and all by using
\npublic transport to boot. Sydney is surrounded by incredible and
\nhistoric National Parks, and wonderful walking trails right around the
\ngorgeous harbour. You can spend 2 weeks hiking around Sydney and
\nsurrounds and not need a car to get to any of them. <\/p>\n
![\"Beetle](\"https:\/\/globetrotters.co.uk\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/pictures\/june-2005-m65f1607b.jpg\")
Start in Sydney’s south at the Royal National
\nPark, the 2nd oldest national park in the world, after Yellowstone. On
\nSunday’s you can take the train to Loftus station and then get a tram
\nright into the park. It’s a short walk from the tram to the visitor’s
\ncentre, where maps and information about trails are provided. <\/p>\n
There are 3-4 wonderful trails that lead right out from
\nthe visitor’s centre and take you along differing and beautiful vistas.
\nSome of the views are breathtaking and at the same time let you imagine
\na Sydney before high-rises and a sprawling suburbia. <\/p>\n
![\"Sydney](\"https:\/\/globetrotters.co.uk\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/pictures\/june-2005-1f2a2cd5.jpg\")
\nSome trails are challenging, but there is something for everyone and
\nyou can spot many native animals in their natural habitat (just steps
\nfrom the visitor’s centre we spotted a Lyre bird, several rainbow
\nlorikeets and rosellas, white cockatoos as well as the more rare black
\nvariety). It is quite calming listening to all the sounds of the bush
\nand to know that in one hour you can be back in the city centre and be
\nshopping in some of the best stores and eating in the best restaurants.
\nAvailable too are hire boats to row on the lake, picnic areas and a
\nplace to buy a meat pie, should all that walking make you hungry for
\nsome good Aussie tucker. <\/p>\n
You can also get a train north of the city to Mt.
\nKuringah Chase National Park and walk to the trail from the local train
\nstation (we also saw several birds there and a very tame Kookaburra
\nthat came right up to us). Although rare, you should always be wary of
\nsnakes and spiders, but all the trails are well defined and often used.\n <\/p>\n
![\"City](\"https:\/\/globetrotters.co.uk\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/pictures\/june-2005-2e04987.jpg\")
\nIt’s also good to know the Harbour foreshore and most beaches now have
\nwonderful walking trails as well. You can walk from Darling Harbour,
\naround The Rocks and Circular Quay and around to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair
\nand Darlinghurst along one trail and take the ferry to Taronga Zoo on
\nthe other side and walk still another trail there. <\/p>\n
Or you can catch the ferry to Manly and get information
\nat their visitor’s centre about several hikes in that area, including
\none to North Head. <\/p>\n
The beaches on the south side of the city also have
\nlong walks that can take you past several other beaches. There is a
\nfamous one that starts at Bondi beach (accessible by bus and train) and
\ngoes south past several famous beaches with spectacular views. It even
\npasses a famous and surprisingly impressive cemetery on the cliffs. <\/p>\n
A train to Kogarah, a bus to Sans Souci and a walk
\nalong the coast of Botany Bay for several miles will take you to
\nRockdale and beyond. <\/p>\n
Another can’t miss beach is Cronulla in the city’s
\nsouth. It isn’t as well known as Bondi or Manly but many like it better
\nand say it’s more beautiful. Take the train right there and walk south
\npast more gorgeous beaches like Shelly Beach. From Cronulla, catch a
\nferry to Bundeena. There are several miles of trails there that go past
\nbreathtaking beaches, through incredible bush land, along awesome
\ncliffs and even past Aboriginal rock carvings. You get the point. Along
\nmost of these walks you experience the incredible natural beauty of
\nSydney, see beautiful and unique wildlife, experience Australia’s rich
\nhistory and get an amazing workout, all for the price of a bus, train
\nor ferry ticket. <\/p>\n
If you are willing to venture 2-3 hours out of the city
\nyou can visit the Blue Mountains National Park. There you take a train
\nand then a local bus drops you off at the trail heads. You can spend
\nall day walking the different trails here, taking in the truly
\ndelicious views, including the famous three sisters rock formation.
\nConsider staying in Katoomba overnight and exploring more of the park
\nthe next day. <\/p>\n
Everything is very easy to get to and there is ample
\ninformation at visitor’s centres, tourist information centres or even
\nthe airport or hotels. Of course the Internet is a good way to print
\nout trail and park maps or even bus and rail schedules. <\/p>\n
So you can’t limit yourself in Sydney even if you
\nwanted to. Sydney’s natural wonders are just as rewarding, enjoyable
\nand accessible as are its traditional attractions. Happy hiking. <\/p>\n
Might you be the type that goes somewhere new and ends up only seeing the designated and well known tourist sites? There is, of course, nothing wrong with that ,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","css_class_manager_body_classes":"","css_class_manager_use_in_post_loop":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-main-article"],"yoast_head":"\n