Would you imagine me if I informed you, an hour away from Sydney, there’s a spot the place a waterfall plunges into an emerald lagoon, which then spills out onto golden sand, which then opens out onto ocean?
Spoiler alert: there may be. And it’s referred to as Wattamolla Seashore.
Situated within the Royal Nationwide Park south of Sydney, Wattamolla is a type of particular locations you hear about, however not often get to go to.
I’ve needed to go there ever since I used to be a child. However regardless of visiting the Royal Nationwide Park a number of instances, till not too long ago, I’ve by no means made it to Wattamolla, regardless of making an attempt thrice.
The primary try I cancelled attributable to dangerous climate. The second and third had been cancelled due to good climate.
One among them, I acquired midway there earlier than getting a Nationwide Parks alert on Twitter that the carpark was full, the opposite I drove all the way in which to the Nationwide Park solely to see the enormous queue of automobiles earlier than deciding to go some other place.
This could in all probability be no shock, contemplating how in style Wattamolla has turn into on social media (Wattamolla Falls and Wattamolla Seashore have a mixed 10,465 hashtagged posts to their names), with Instagram customers likening it to a “land earlier than time” and a “paradise on earth.”
Taking a look at all of the rave critiques of the place, I went half anticipating it to really feel like Fiji.
TikTok customers, as an illustration, can’t recover from the actual fact there’s a “waterfall subsequent to an ocean,” with the feedback on most of the Wattamolla movies that includes associates imploring one another “we have to go.”
As for me, on a latest hike from Bundeena, I ditched the automobile and determined to stroll to Wattamolla, and my persistence was rewarded.
I began out by getting the practice to Cronulla. Then I acquired a ferry to Bundeena. There, I stocked up on drinks and snacks on the nook retailer and set off.
Ten kilometres later, after passing Wedding ceremony Cake Rock, in addition to Marley and Little Marley seashores (in addition to what felt like a number of thousand path runners …), I made it to Wattamolla.
Although I went on a cloudy day, after rain, so the water was murkier than within the images I’d seen on Instagram, I used to be rewarded (early within the morning a minimum of) by (comparatively) small crowds and a peaceable expertise.
There’s a in style rock soar spot at Wattamolla Falls (paying homage to rock jumps I’ve seen in Samoa and Fiji), but it surely has been fenced off for security causes (there have been quite a few accidents and drownings right here). So as a substitute of leaping down, I walked down the trail to succeed in the underside. As I dove within the water (from the sand) I noticed a water dragon.
I then acquired out, feeling refreshed, and made myself a espresso with my mountaineering range.
Trying over Wattamolla because the solar got here out, I made a decision it wasn’t fairly the love youngster of Fiji, the Philippines, Koh Samui and Samoa that I had hoped for, however nonetheless: it’s a particular place (and for those who go very early within the morning, you’ll be able to actually think about your self to be on some castaway island).
As I stored on strolling I observed a bunch of individuals SCUBA diving within the water, apparently round a submerged shipwreck. I then completed my hike, realising that with regards to the Royal Nationwide Park, I’ve solely seen the tip of the iceberg (there’s additionally the Infinity Swimming pools, Wattamolla Dam and Curracurrong Falls).
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