This walk has become one of our classics each time we visit Sydney and not a single trip to this town has passed without us doing at least one Taronga-to-Balmoral walk. It follows the twisted coastline around peninsulas and bays through thick subtropical jungle and shrub along beaches and on top of cliffs.
Taronga Zoo is very easy to reach from Circular Quay by ferry (it’s the first stop if you’re on the right ferry). The zoo itself has been on our list for a very long time to visit with our niece (my wife’s brother’s daughter, who lives in Sydney with her parents), but somehow we always get carried away with lots of other activities and haven’t managed to take her to the zoo yet.
Today we saw many very large lizards (the largest one probably 80cm in length from nose to tail, and very meaty), cockatoos, wild turkeys, beautiful butterflies and various types of fish.
The walk is very easy and usually not very crowded. There are various rest stops along the way, even though the cafes and the one or two restaurants have limited open hours.
We usually stop for a couple of pints at Ripples in Chowder Bay, where the shark net protected beach has plenty of signs that warn people not to rely 100% on the shark nets and to remain vigilant, because these nets do tend to get damaged (presumably by great whites ploughing into them at high speed on their pursuit of human meals).
Looking for more ideas for coastal walks in Sydney? Check out our posts on the Bondi to Coogee and the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay walks.
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