NORTHERN ESCAPE

 

There’s more to Sydney than high-rise buildings and bustling crowds. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is Australia’s second-oldest national park, a time capsule from pre-European times. Combining important history with scenic beauty, it makes for a perfect day out. Native wildlife abounds, especially birds! Ancient Aboriginal rock carvings and sacred sites are another highlight of the day.

Lunch Options*

We offer two options:

  • Fish & chips at an authentic Aussie pub in Manly

  • Refined Italian cuisine at North Head

Departure Point

You will be picked up and dropped back to your CBD hotel location.

Overview

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

The park is defined as a ‘chase’, an area of natural bush with no fences. The park was declared in 1894 and offers panoramic water views, untouched forest, Australian wildlife and wildflowers.

Ku-ring-gai is home to the rich cultural heritage of the Guringai people, the Traditional Custodians of this land. Incredibly, the park has the largest concentration of recorded Aboriginal sites in Australia.

* Drinks not included.

A short walk through the bush will take you to ancient rock art belonging to the Aboriginal people of West Head. The people of West Head were virtually decimated by disease within a year of the arrival of the First Fleet.

West Head

Lookout offering exceptional views across to Palm Beach (the set of the TV show, ‘Home and Away’), Barrenjoey Lighthouse and Lion Island. The beach beneath the lookout is significant for being the place where NSW colonial Governor Arthur Phillip met the local Aboriginal people for the first time.

Manly

Driving south along the Northern Beach peninsula will take us to Manly—just in time for lunch. Manly is where the world’s first surfing contest was held in 1964, making it one of Australia’s most famous beaches.

North Head

Located on the peninsula at the northern entrance to Sydney Harbour, this lookout is postcard-worthy. From the top of the dramatic sandstone cliffs, there are unspoiled views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline.