It’s a luxury when there is a cafe and picnic area halfway on a walk, especially when you can order cake and coffee to fuel the return walk up a long set of stairs! Despite the stairs, this is a pleasant 7km walk with some beautiful bush and scenery and a great halfway point for bub to have a play in the park.
The short
| Distance | 7km Return |
| Grade | Medium |
| Type | Carrier, little hikers |
| Time | Half a day |
| Conditions | Wide flat fire trails, steep stairs, shaded |
| Facilities | Toilets, cafe, picnic tables, visitor centre |
| Getting there | Car – Park at the trailhead at Grays Point, next to Grays Point Public School, South of Sydney, free parking on street. |
Total climbing: 108 m
The long
Access
The Grays Point to Audley hike starts at the end of Grays point road, adjacent to Grays Point Public school, located in the Sutherland Shire, South of Sydney.
There is plenty of free street parking available, however on the weekends you may have to park further away from the start of the walk as it is the trail head for a number of bushwalking and mountain biking trails.
I acknowledge that this walk is on the lands of the Dharawal people and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
The trail
After parking, start from the Florence Parade firetrail. There is another smaller trail leading off south from the parking lot, but for this walk, use the larger, wider firetrail. Be mindful of mountain bikers riding past!
Follow this firetrail and after about 700m you will come to an intersection of firetrails. Continue straight, following the signage pointing towards the visitor centre.
After another 400 meters you will arive at Bungoona Lookout and path. This is a small detour to the lookout with views down to the Hacking River. On it’s own, Bungoona path is a short, accessible walk, great for a quick pram walk – see more here.
After Bungoona lookout, continue walking past the National Park parking and visitor centre, following signs for Audley and the Honeymoon stairs. Follow the stairs down to Audley, take care going down, especially if there has been recent rain. When we did this walk, extra care was needed with some wet and muddy sections.
Once at the bottom, cross the road and head to the Audley Dancehall and Cafe for a coffee and cake and enjoy a picnic in the park with your bambino. There are toilets here too if you or you little hiker needs a toilet break.
To return retrace your steps back up the Honeymoon steps and back to your car at Grays Point!
