Sydney’s newest harbour walk offers a lovely mix of history, secluded beaches and of course incredible harbour views. With old WWII fortifications, cannons and tiger cages, you’ll learn a lot about the area’s military history, but you definitely don’t need to be a history buff to enjoy this walk. The beaches are stunning and probably not ones you would have visited were it not for this walk.
It’s an easy track that’s predominantly flat, though there are several sets of stairs, so it’s not an accessible pathway.
Here’s what to expect on Sydney’s newest harbour walk.
The Middle Head/Gubbuh Gubbuh to Georges Head Walk
The stats
Distance: 5.3km return including side trails
Elevation gain: 200m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Trailhead: Chowder Bay Road Parking Area
Summary: The Middle Head to Georges Head walk is almost on a well maintained path. There is a little bit of rocky or grassy track that could get muddy after rain, but it’s really very minimal.
Most of the walk is on metal boardwalk or smooth sandstone block steps. While there are stairs scattered throughout the track, there are no long climbs and much of the track is flat.
There’s a bit of a descent to both beaches and these paths are less well manicured, but it’s still an overall easy track.
Starting the trail at Georges Head
As it’s a one way walk you can start at either end of the track, but we recommend starting at Georges Head where you can find parking that’s covered by your NSW National Parks Pass (more on that at the end of the post).
Even if you don’t have a parks pass the parking fee is cheaper than using the Harbour Trust car park. If you’re coming by public transport you can simply choose whichever end lines up better with transport links for you.
Starting at Georges Head you’ll take the signposted track down the stairs and come to a right turn after 70m. This takes you to the old casemate.
You can’t go into any of the tunnels but you can see the observation tower and gun emplacements and there are some good information boards to bring it all to life.
Through the bush to Obelisk Beach
After checking out the casemate you will head back onto the main track, passing a gorgeous harbour viewpoint before reaching the first of the metal boardwalks.
Next up you’ll pass a submarine firing station and various grated passageways.
This little bit of grassy track could get a bit muddy after rain as the pavers don’t run the whole way, but after this point the path is extremely well maintained.
There’s a little bit of walking through the bush which adds another element of diversity to the track and then you’ll keep right when Obelisk Beach is signposted (at the 500m mark).
There are more military points of interest and information boards as well as some great harbour views as you walk in and out of the bushy areas.
At the 900m mark you fork right to head towards Obelisk Beach, which is 380m away.
The path down to the beach is less well kept with some rocky terrain, but it’s not slippery and you’ll soon reach the stairs leading down to the beach. It’s an absolutely beautiful cove, I couldn’t believe it was our first time visiting!
The sand, water and views are all so impressive and it has a lovely secluded feel. It is a nudist beach so you might want to bear that in mind if that’s not your thing - although on our visit everyone wore swimmers so it’s clearly a mixed crowd.
To Middle Head/Gubbuh Gubbuh
The next part of the walk takes you to 1801 fort, some bunkers (unfortunately you can’t go inside) and the obelisk. The information board beside the obelisk details the Dunbar shipwreck (the worst in NSW’s history) which is well worth a read and really makes you feel grateful for modern day safety standards and rescue operations.
The path is still a mix of in the bush and out alongside the harbour. The path is much the same as it’s been up to this point until you reach a bit of a gully between the walls which is quite a novel section of the track.
Shortly after, at the 2.3km mark, you head right and will soon reach Outer Middle Head. You can walk a little way along the passageway here so it offers a bit more to explore than the other grated areas.
The path then continues for 100m to Inner Middle Head and this has an expansive area to explore, including old fortifications, large gun emplacements and the tiger cages which I hadn’t heard of before.
The cages were used to train soldiers bound for Vietnam on how to resist torture and the info panel on that is definitely worth reading.
Technically once you’ve explored this area you would return the way you came, or make a shorter circuit walk using a mix of the quiet road and walking track. However, we’d recommend adding on one last stop before you do.
To Cobblers Beach
From the large gun emplacement you walk slightly back along the trail and then at the junction you will see a signpost for Cobblers Beach, it’s 250m away.
It’s pretty much all downhill on a fire trail, but it’s not overly steep and the beach is worth it. You simply head down the hill until you reach a grassy area behind the beach.
There are some nice wide flat rocks where you can sit and admire the gorgeous view over the beach. The stairs down to the sand are to the left and quite rustic but not difficult.
Cobblers Beach is another clothing optional beach, but if that’s not your thing the rocks just above the beach are a great point to relax and listen to the lapping waves. The bay is calm and the beach keeps the sun late into the afternoon, it would also be a great sunset spot if you’re walking later in the day.
Completing the walk
You can return the way you came or make a circuit which is a shorter option. The circuit route includes some road walking, but it’s really quiet so it’s not too bad.
We walked back up the fire trail and then along the road, opting to cut back onto the walking track part way so we didn’t spent the entire return leg on the road. This made the route from Cobblers Beach back to the parking area just under 1.8km.
Getting to and parking fees for the walk
There are various car parks you can use for this walk but we recommend the National Parks Service run car park at the Georges Head end of the walk, which you can see here on Google maps. If you have an annual parks pass this will be free for four hours which is more than enough for the walk and spending time on the beaches.
If you don’t have a pass it’s $3 an hour up to a maximum of $16. Weekends are $4 an hour up to a maximum of $20.
The Harbour Trust car parks at either end of the trail cost a whopping $5 an hour on weekdays and $7.50 an hour on weekends. However, parking is free after 5pm, so if you’re walking in the summer months you could easily have a good sunset stroll and pay nothing at all for parking.
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Everything you need to know about Sydney’s newest harbour walk between Georges Head and Middle Head/Gubbuh Gubbuh. This easy walk showcases Sydney’s WWII history, secluded beaches and of course incredible harbour views. We’re sharing difficulty, trail conditions and where to find the cheapest parking.