Bundeena 

Bundeena is found in the North-East corner of the Royal National Park, on the Southern edge of Port Hacking. It is a perfect place to spend a quiet day away from the city of Sydney, as it is only a 20 minute ferry ride from Cronulla.

Jump onboard the small ferry at Cronulla and enjoy the views as you cruise over to Bundeena, or head South on the Princes Highway and in through the town of Loftus. However you get there, it'll be worth it. Bundeena is a small community within a national park that is based around the waterfront, with beautiful views in all directions.

The ferry delivers you to the wharf on Bundeena's main beach, which is a popular picnic and swimming spot for groups and families. The three main beaches at Bundeena are Jibbon, Gunyah and Horderns, and all are safe for swimming. Take a stroll in either direction and you will find many secluded bays perfect for swimming and a spot of fishing. For super-energetic surfers, take the clearly marked track to Big Marley Beach (not a recommended swimming or surfing beach), then just a further 800metres is Little Marley Beach. Little Marley Beach is a great surfing spot about 1½ to 2hours walk from Bundeena.

There are a number of walking tracks that begin at Bundeena of varying lengths. There's the 20minute stroll to Bonnie Vale Beach, which is quite shallow and a popular swimming spot for those with children. Or a bit further along the same route is the swimming lagoon Cabbage Tree Basin. As mentioned earlier, there is the walk to Little and Big Marley Beaches that takes up to 2hours. This track offers fantastic ocean views and is an excellent place to come whale watch during their annual migration period.

Take one of these walking tracks from Bundeena and take in the local landscape with it's beautiful boulder-laden cliff tops and spectacular native vegetation. A great time to visit is from June through September, as the area is full of colour as the wildflowers bloom. Keep an eye out for the local wildlife too, the area is a great place to watch the wallabys grazing and spot native birds.

Like many visitors, you may find that one day in Bundeena isn't enough. If so, you may obtain a camping permit from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and spend the night at the local campsite.

So pack a picnic, grab some company (if you want some) and head to Bundeena for some quiet time.