Wattamolla to Garie Beach

Wattamolla to Garie Beach is a 16 km out-and-back on the Coast Track, about 8 km each way. Start at Wattamolla Picnic Area, walk south to Garie Beach, then retrace the same route. It is a hard Grade 4 walk; allow about seven hours for the repeated climbs and time at the headlands. Choose it if you want a long coastal outing and do not mind doing the terrain twice. If you need a shorter day, make Eagle Rock your turnaround.

The track climbs from the picnic area to Providential Point Lookout, above Wattamolla Beach and Lagoon. It then descends to Curracurrang Cove, where a creek reaches the coast, before climbing again along the headlands. Expect changing, uneven footing, including sandy or rocky sections and steps; this is not a smooth beach promenade.

Eagle Rock's profile resembles an eagle's head above the ocean, with Curracurrong Creek falling over the escarpment nearby. The view opens along the cliff line, then the path continues south toward a final descent to Garie Beach. From the established lookout, frame the rock with ocean behind it so the outline reads clearly. Migrating humpback whales may be visible from coastal lookouts between May and October.

The trail drops from the ridge to Garie Beach, a broad sandy shore below the cliffs. Enjoy the beach, then walk the same headlands back to Wattamolla; this itinerary is a return walk, not a one-way transfer. The return brings the climbs again, so leave enough daylight for the full outing.

Start and finish at Wattamolla Picnic Area. Parking there can fill on weekends and holidays, so arrive early; park entry fees apply. Bring enough drinking water for the day because no reliable drinking-water point was confirmed along the route. Pets are not allowed in NSW national parks, apart from trained assistance animals.