A ride through the second oldest national park in the world

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This ride can be commenced by catching the train to Waterfall.  This saves riding on some of the busy roads from Sydney.  

At Waterfall you pretty much begin the ride with a quick descent into Royal National Park (RNP). You will notice a drop in temperature, especially in the cooler months, at the bottom of the descent.  In the early mornings you can normally see Lyre birds on the road. 

Once at the end of the road turn right, heading towards Stanwell Tops.  The road begins to climb slowly for the next 10kms.  The final couple of kms are a bit steeper.  But the views from Stanwell Tops are worth it.

At Stanwell Tops you will have great views down the coast to Wollongong. Sometimes you'll be able to watch hang gliders take off from here. There are toilets and also a tap to replenish your water supplies.  After you have enjoyed the views head back through RNP.  Instead of climbing back to Waterfall, follow the road towards Bundeena. 

The road climbs for about 5kms towards the Garie Beach turnoff.  Continue straight until you see the sign for Bundeena.  This part of RNP is a lot more open than the southern end.  On a clear day you'll have views of Sydney.  After about 15kms turn right towards Bundeena.

The road now drops quickly until you arrive at the small township of Bundeena.  This is a great place to stop for lunch and if the weather is nice, not a bad place for a swim.  After you are fed and relaxed head towards the jetty to get the ferry to Cronulla.  It is a small boat, but you shouldn't have a problem taking your bike onboard.  The ferry takes about 15 minutes to get to Cronulla.  From here you can either catch the train back to Sydney or follow the bike lanes, via Sans Souci and Brighton-Le-Sands.