From Circular Quay it’s only a bit over ten minutes by speed catamaran to Rose Bay, the starting point of one of the most spectacular walks we’ve done in Sydney. The walk follows the coastline from Rose Bay to Watsons Bay all of about 8km distance with only a few exceptions, when the path is a bit further inland. More than half the distance is through light woodland, so that you are not fully exposed to the sun, and there are several cafes and picnic stops along the way.
From nearly all points you have beautiful views of the city and the harbour and of the many ships and boats in between. The vegetation is abundant and we saw many lizards, cockatoos, kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, parakeets, butterflies, and other colourful birds and animals.
After about two hours and a half, despite many stops to shoot photos or take a rest, we arrived at Watsons Bay, one of our favourite locations in Sydney. We were early, so easily found a table for our group of eight at the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel (or simply Watsons Bay Hotel) 1st floor terrace. Previously we had only tried Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant and Doyle’s Fish & Chips Shop, both of which we liked (Doyle’s Fish & Chips Shop is very good value, but on the lower end of the scale in terms of dining experience, whereas the restaurant is more towards the higher end, but in our view slightly overpriced; Doyle’s fish restaurant at the Sydney Fish Market is cheaper but much better value, if you’re looking for a good value alternative between the two).
Watsons Bay Hotel really impressed us. Despite becoming gradually more crowded and busy, the service was professional and friendly and we never had to wait long. I had one of the best burgers I had had in a year or so, and the seafood my wife and our friends had was also delicious. The prices were very reasonable for the location (with Watsons Bay being among the three or four most expensive locations in all of Sydney).
After an extended lunch and a few drinks, we walked the short distance to South Point with the picturesque Hornby Lighthouse, past by the (mainly male) nudist beaches.
In the late afternoon we headed back to Circular Quay by speed catamaran, to meet some other friends of ours for a meal.
Interested in some more ideas for coastal walks in Sydney? Check out our posts on the Bondi to Coogee and Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach Walks.
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