The 6.5 km return hike from Garawarra Farm to Thelma Head showcases some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the Royal National Park.
This moderately challenging track passes two beaches and features multiple vantage points along the way, offering sweeping views of the coastline.
Garawarra Farm to Thelma Head | |
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Distance: | 6.5 km (return) |
Duration: | 2.5 hours |
Grade: | Easy |
Dogs: | Not allowed |
Getting There
This walking track begins at the Garawarra Farm Carpark in the southern part of Royal National Park (see map for location).
To reach the trailhead, take Garie Road from Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, then turn right onto Garawarra Farm Road. Although this road does have potholes, a 4WD vehicle isn’t necessary.
After a short drive of less than 2 km, you’ll find a spacious car park. Note that there’s a $12 parking fee for Royal National Park, payable at one of the ticket machines.
Track Notes
The walk from Garawarra Farm to Thelma Head spans about 3.2 km and is easy to follow, with a well-maintained path, boardwalk sections, and clear signage throughout.
While it’s moderately challenging with a few steeper sections, anyone with a reasonable fitness level can tackle and enjoy this scenic trail.
Map
In the track notes below, we will describe this fantastic hike along the following sections and highlights:
- Burgh Ridge Track
- Era Beach
- North Era Beach
- Thelma Head
Burgh Ridge Track
After parking at the Garawarra Farm car park, look for the signpost shown in the image above; that’s where the walk starts. Note that this is also the start of the Palm Jungle Loop Track, another great hike we strongly recommend.
To start your hike, take the left path at the signpost. The trail immediately leads into the bush along a well-maintained path, with various staircases and sections of metal boardwalk.
The forest scenery on this descent is beautiful, featuring large gum trees and Angophora trees that create a lush, inviting atmosphere.
As you leave the forest behind, you’ll catch the first distant views of Burning Palms Beach to the right.
The path continues downhill along a boardwalk until it reaches a junction with the Coast Track, a 26-km hike that stretches from Otford in the south to Bundeena in the north.
Era Beach
At this junction, turn left to follow the path along the coastline toward Era Beach and South Era Beach.
In this scenic part of the Royal National Park, you’ll spot numerous cabins scattered throughout the area.
Built in the 1920s and 1930s on privately owned land with permission, these cabins were constructed using local materials and without amenities like roads, water, or electricity.
The cabin community formed the Era Surf Life Saving Club in 1938, and no lives have been lost there during patrol hours.
In 1950, the cabins became part of the National Park and the cabins were permitted to remain, with owners paying an annual fee to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The walking trail continues behind the beach, winds through the cabin community, and climbs up the headland at the beach’s northern end where you’ll see North Era Beach appearing.
North Era Beach
Rather than climbing the headland, you can also reach North Era Beach by crossing the rocky area between the two beaches at low tide.
This route involves a bit of rock scrambling, but it’s shorter and offers a touch more adventure than taking the hill path.
You’ll notice that North Era Beach is much smaller than its neighbour, but it’s a scenic stretch of sand nonetheless.
The trail passes the North Era Campground, set on a large grassy area just behind the beach. Used by hikers tackling the Coast Track over two days, this campground requires a booking if you plan to stay overnight.
Thelma Head
The walking trail up the hillside follows a long staircase leading to the top of Thelma Head, the headland between Little Garie Beach and North Era Beach.
As you ascend, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the Royal National Park coastline from the top of the headland.
To the south, you’ll see North Era Beach and Era Beach, and to the north, you’ll see Little Garie Beach, Garie Beach, and Garie North Head.
Once at the top of Thelma Head, you can either retrace your steps back to Garawarra Farm or, if you’re up for more adventure, continue north along the Coast Track.
Subject to any closures, you can hike as far as you’d like, with the trail extending all the way to Bundeena via landmarks such as Eagle Rock and Wedding Cake Rock!