Kamay Botany Bay National Park Park

Address: Kamay Botany Bay National Park, New South Wales, Australia

Website: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/

Hours: Park accessible daily (daylight hours); specific facilities have variable opening times

Admission: Park entry free; some guided walks and access points may have fees

Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a protected coastal area on the southern headland of Botany Bay in New South Wales, Australia, incorporating headlands, beaches, sandstone cliffs and historic sites. The park preserves both natural coastal vegetation and places associated with early European contact and Aboriginal cultural history.

The Kurnell headland and Cape Solander cliffs, extensive coastal heath and walking tracks, and heritage places such as Bare Island Fort. The park also contains interpretation related to Captain James Cook’s landing on 29 April 1770 and local Aboriginal heritage.

The area served varied uses after European contact, including defence works, quarrying and settlement; Bare Island was fortified with a masonry fortification built in 1885-1886. The site was later protected to conserve its natural coastal environment and historic features and now forms part of the national park estate managed for conservation and public access.

Kamay Botany Bay National Park occupies the headlands at the mouth of Botany Bay, on the southern side of Sydney’s metropolitan area. The park lies on the Kurnell peninsula and adjacent shorelines, roughly 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district.

• Cook landing: The site marks Captain James Cook’s recorded landing at Botany Bay on 29 April 1770 and contains related historic places and interpretation.
• Best viewpoints: Cape Solander on the Kurnell headland is a recognised shoreline viewpoint used for seasonal whale watching and coastal observation.

What to See#

• Bare Island: A small heavily fortified island at the entrance to Botany Bay, built in 1885-1886 and now conserved as a historic site open for guided visits, interpretation and short walks.
• Kurnell and Cape Solander: The Kurnell headland contains the Cape Solander lookout, coastal heathland, and a network of walking tracks along sandstone cliffs and beaches overlooking Botany Bay.
• Cultural and historic precincts: The park includes Aboriginal cultural sites, visitor interpretation and areas associated with Captain James Cook’s 1770 landing on the bay.

The park has several access points. From Sydney CBD, drive or take public transit to Kurnell for the southern headland or to Cape Solander; Bundeena and Cronulla ferries provide pleasant water approaches to park walkways.

• Arrive early to avoid the busiest picnic sites and to watch shorebirds when tides are low.
• Use the Bundeena or Cronulla ferry services to combine the park with a pleasant water crossing from southern Sydney.