In my mind, I’m a fit, tanned beacon of health. In reality, I’m vampire pale, close to 50 with an autoimmune disease. But a girl can dream, right? The thing is, you don’t have to go on day-long hikes to far-flung places to get the mind and body benefits that a walk in nature can bring. If you’re short on time or energy, you can still hit the urban jungle for a short, breath of (or lack of breath depending on your fitness) fresh air.
Distance: 1.2km one way
The walk: McCauley’s Beach to Sandon Point Headland
Park on Hamilton Road or Corbett Ave, Thirroul and you’ll spot the NSW Coastline Cycleway straight away. This is a two-way path with lots of room for both bikes and pedestrians. You’ll also see the ocean sprawled out in front of you and plenty of happy pups as McCauley’s is dog friendly.
Along the cycleway are loads of flowering acacias and banksias and along with the sound of crashing waves you can expect to feel like you’re in holiday mode straight away. Listen out for the distinctive call of the yellow-tailed black cockatoos that feast on the banksias. You might also hear them in the little bush patch on the right side of the cycleway. Head in there and you could see the shy eastern whipbird, various cormorants fishing in Hewitts Creek or even a sacred kingfisher or two!
Ahead you’ll see bulrushes bordering both sides of the path. This section can go underwater after rain. Not much but expect to get your feet wet if it's been raining on and off (which it always is these days!) Look closely at the path’s edge as sometimes there’s a turtle sitting out here having a sun bake. There are also lots of smaller birds like red-browed finches, superb and variegated fairy wrens and golden-headed cisticolas and you might even be serenaded by the popping call of the striped marsh frog.
Signage points out areas of significance along the walk with the area from McCauley’s Beach to Sandon Point Headland recognised as an ‘Aboriginal Place’ by the NSW Government; a deeply significant and sacred place and an important meeting place for Aboriginal people from all along the east coast as well as being a burial site. You can read more about the indigenous history of the area here.
As you continue on, the area becomes more urban with houses, very fancy houses, on your right and with grass down to the beach. The beach below is home to the vulnerable sooty oystercatcher and the Norfolk pines ahead are used by Australian magpies and nankeen kestrels, which will often plunge down to the ground to pick off lizards.
Looking out to the ocean you might see dolphins at play or humpbacks from June to November.
To the left of the carpark are a couple of picnic tables and toilets are located under the Sandon Point Surf Club. All along the walk are water stations for you to fill up your water bottle or your pooch’s bowl. Head down the concrete stairs to the rock platform for, without a doubt, the best rock pools in the Illawarra. The diversity here is incredible. Check for low tides here. Please note, the rock shelf is a ‘No Dogs Zone’. Look up and you may see the incredible white-bellied sea eagle circling overhead. To your left are the historic boat sheds, being in place for over 120 years which you can read about here.
You can continue on to Bulli for a coffee and a play at the park, or turn around and head back to complete your mini adventure.
