The Coal Coast Trail runs from the outskirts of Sydney, through the Royal National Park and down the NSW coastline to Kiama and Gerringong. The route’s location and accessibility via public transport makes it an ideal cycle touring and bikepacking route near Sydney.
Day One on the Coal Coast Trail – Sutherland to Coledale
Jon and I cycled the trail in April, taking advantage of some perfect spring weather and ideal riding conditions. We caught the train from Kiama to the start of the Coal Coast Trail in Sutherland; here we grabbed a coffee and toasted cheese sandwich at the Left Bower cafe, before saddling up and riding towards the Royal National Park. After about 5km of roadside cycling, we veered onto the dirt at the Royal National Park Visitor Centre, and onto Lady Carrington Drive. The following 10km followed the peaceful Hacking River along a beautiful, fern filled, lush and often muddy trail.
At the end of Lady Carrington, we joined Lady Wakehurst Drive and climbed out of the park, emerging at the Oxford Lookout and Bald Hill lookout; both offering incredible distant views south down the coastline. From here we followed the coastal bike path to Coal Cliff, stopped for a swim at Coal Cliff rock pool, before crossing the famous Sea Cliff Bridge, finally arriving at our campsite for the night – Coledale Beach Campsite.
Day Two on the Coal Coast Trail – Coledale to Gerringong
Dinner at the Wombarra Bowlo, followed by an early night, saw us well-rested on day two and ready to continue down the NSW Coal Coast.
Today’s riding predominantly followed the NSW Coastal Cycleway and hugged the coastline all the way south. We took our time as we passed many small towns and beaches along the way, stopping for breakfast in Port Kembla.
Arriving in Kiama, the day was already very hot so we stopped at the Kiama rock pool for a cooling swim. This was an absolute highlight of the trail and made up for the hours of sweaty pedalling that had brought us to this point.
From Kiama, we continued along the coast trail until we reached the Kiama Coast Walk. Heavy googling prior to the trip surprisingly revealed that this coast track is cycling friendly and is advertised to cyclists on the visit Kiama website. Despite being advertised to cyclists, the trail doesn’t make for the best of riding as it is bumpy and quite undulating. The views of the coastline, however, more than make up for the slow and uncomfortable riding during this section.
At the end of the Kiama Coast trail, we emerged at the northern end of Werri Beach, where we were anxiously waiting to see the depth of the creek crossing ahead. Luckily, the crossing barely exceeded knee height, so we were able to carry our bags across and onto the beach proper without too much trouble. It’s worth noting that the creek can be considerably deeper and occasionally impassable, so it’s definitely something to consider as the only option would be to backtrack all the way along the coast trail.
We finished our ride along the Coal Coast Trail by enjoying another ocean pool swim at the southern end of Werri Beach. Overall, the Coal Coast Trail is around 120km and makes for an excellent and fairly easy overnight ride. Jon has subsequently completed this route as a day ride, however he didn’t stop for quite as many swims along the way.
Trail Notes – The Coal Coast Trail
- Distance: 120km
- Duration: 1-2 days
- Location: The start at Sutherland is 45 mins from Sydney CBD