End of year Mackerel Beach - Breath, Ice, & Beach

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Join us at Mackerel Beach to celebrate the end of 2024 with a Breath, Ice, Beach as well as brunch. Keep reading for more details. Feel free to email us with any questions.

Event: A Breath, Ice, & Beach Special End Of Year Event

Place: Great Mackerel Beach, north end

Time: 9.30am - 1.30pm Sunday 24th November 2024  * weather dependent

Feel free to stay and enjoy the area and return to palm beach at your own leisure (the last ferry leaves at 6.30pm)

Transport arrangements: Mackerel beach is only accessible by water (ferry or water taxi) from Palm Beach wharf or a half hour walk down the Basin track, into the Mackerel track, off West head Road in Kuringai Chase National Park.

You will need to find your way to Palm Beach Wharf. Water taxi pick up from Palm Beach Wharf, from 8.30 am. The water taxi pick up is on the left side of the wharf. The taxi will carry about ten people, and will pick up on a first come, first serviced basis. The last pick up will be at 8.50 am.

The water taxi pickup will be included in the cost.

Return to Palm Beach wharf at leisure, either by ferry or water taxi.

Further details on Transport and parking arrangement, are attached.

Mackerel Beach: Mackerel beach is a little known gem, a slice of Sydney nestled on the west side of Pittwater in Kuringai Chase National Park.  It's a car free haven with a clean safe beach surrounded by bush, allowing easy access to the park.

There are no shops or any public facilities, apart from a community library and a phone booth.

We will have access to a private home about ten minutes along an irregular track.  There is currently no public access due to land slips on this path but special access has been arranged. The track is through private properties, so please be considerate to the owners in regards to noise and trash. 

Also only tank water is available, so please don’t flush unless absolutely necessary!  

Food & Drink: We will provide drinking water and some fruit.  At the house, there will be coffee and tea available, as well a light brunch. 

To Bring: Swimming gear, towel & sunblock, walking shoes (plus insect repellent, long socks or long pants, long sleeved shirt & hat recommended for Resolute walk) if you plan to bush walk.  There is some fishing gear available but bring bait if you wish to fish.  We also have access to a kayak.

Wild life and Precautions: Apart from not drowning & sharks (very very rare).

For those unfamiliar with the Australian bush: There should be plenty of wildlife around, usually in the evening, from lorikeets to bush fowl running around, wombats, echidna and swamp wallabies.  However there can also be snakes, who will usually take off when you approach and goannas, who can be aggressive if you have food.  They have a nasty bite and best avoided.  

At the beach, there are usually not many flies or mozzies around during the day. However ticks and leeches are not uncommon especially on the walk to Resolute beach, hence the advice to wear long sleeved shirts and pants or long socks. It's much easier than using a flame, to get rid of the leech by pulling the sock off, although there maybe bleeding for some time. Ticks are not uncommon, so do a full body search after return home. If so, use an alcohol- soaked pad and gentle traction with a twizzer.  Vodka usually does the trick, both for the tick and victim.  Use magnification to check that the head is still attached to the tick and not still embedded in the skin otherwise infection may ensue.

The walk to the Aboriginal carvings on the Basin Track is worthwhile. It is usually quite benign and not strenuous, and may be organised on the day."

Transport details

Bus: Eastern Suburbs is a long way by bus to Palm Beach. 

From Wynyard stand M, route 190X or B1 to Mona Vale, then route 199 to Palm Beach.

Car: For those unfamiliar with Palm Beach, here is some information re the best way to drive to Palm Beach & the parking situation.

From the Eastern Suburbs, drive north on the Warringah Expressway, stick to lanes 2 or 3 if on the bridge. In the tunnel if you keep in the left lane, this will directly take you to the Brook street exit, Look out for the exits to your left. You will see the Northbridge exit but it is better to take the next exit which is the Brook Street. exit. At Brook Street exit, turn right. Brook Street becomes Alpha Street, then Flatrock Road, Follow to the end at Edinburgh Road, and turn right. At the next set of lights, turn left onto Eastern Valley Way which will meet Babbage Road to become Warringah Road. Following Warringah Road in the left lane until the major intersection with Forest Way. Follow the road as it veers left, and stay the left lane, because at the next set of lights, you will have to turn left into the Wakehurst Parkway.  Follow the Wakehurst Parkway until it meets Pittwater Road, then turn left and continue north-wards. Pittwater Road will become Barrenjoey Road. 

When you reach Palm Beach, you will see the wharf on your left side. 

There is limited and expensive parking in the car park just south of the Palm Beach Wharf. 

The car park adjacent to the wharf itself, is for residents only and if booked, there will be a hefty fine.  If no parking is available near the wharf, drop goods and passengers, continue to drive 50 metres along Barrenjoey Road, turn left into Palm Beach Road.  There should be unmetered parking available here, otherwise continue along and turn right into Pacific Road.

You should give yourself an hour and fifteen to thirty minutes to get from Coogee to Palm Beach. 

On the weekends, the Palm Beach ferry leaves Palm Beach Wharf from 0900, on the hour until 1600 (except no service at 1300) and services the Mackerel Beach wharf. 

The ferry departures from Mackerel are variable: 1030, 1130, 1230, then 1430 & 1530 (direct service, about ten minutes return to Palm Beach), then from 1610, 1710 and 1810 (about 30 minutes return to Palm Beach). Current fare: $9.10 per person.

The water taxi may be available on call. 0415 408 831. Currently $48 per trip.

Kuringai Chase National  Park

Please see attached information is attached, regarding the nearby trails.

Note: that the Resolute Beach track from Mackerel beach starts near where 'Breath, Ice, & Beach' will be held.  So it will be convenient to do so after 'Breath, Ice, & Beach'. It's about 600 metres to a pretty beach surrounded by rocks and bush, and a small waterfall occasionally runs.  However re-read precautions re bush walk to Resolute Beach. 

For those who have not been to West Head, the views are stunning but involves much more walking.  A walking/running loop is worth doing involving Resolute beach - Westhead lookout and return via Basin track and Mackerel track, but please talk to the organisers before embarking, for directions to the house afterwards."Currently there is no public access from Mackerel Beach to the Basin Track and Aboriginal carvings but there is access from the house we will be visiting. Just above the house is a short walk up to the lookout at Sinclair point, well worth the short climb.

Resolute Track Loop: Please note that while the maps on this web site are useful and generally contain more, and more accurate, information on trails, the relevant topographic maps should be carried on most walks. These are available from the Lands Information Centre, map shops, and most outdoor stores. 

Time: 3 hr  Distance: 8km Fitness: E Skill: E Ascent: 180m Maps:  LPI Broken Bay 9130-1N 1:25000 

Introduction: The Resolute Track lies at the far end of West Head. There are a number of interesting aboriginal sites in the area, as well as numerous lookouts. This is a good walk in summer as you can stop for a swim at Resolute Beach or Great Mackerel Beach. 

Access: Park your car at the Resolute Picnic Ground, 11.2km after you turn on to West Head Road. The walk could also be done in reverse by catching a ferry from Palm Beach to Great Mackerel Beach. 

Track notes: From 06 Jul 2004, last checked 06 Jul 2004 From the car park at the Resolute Picnic Ground, pick up a track starting from the left hand side of the toilets. After about 50m there is a sign to the right to Red Hands Cave. This is a short detour and is worth taking to look at the aboriginal rock art. Return to the main track, and take the other branch. After about 250m you pass a large cave with a bench below it, up to your left. A further 200m brings you to a track junction, at a creek crossing, with a sign board next to it. 

[At this point, if you don't want to visit West Head, it is possible to cross the (usually dry) creek and follow a vague, rough track downstream. For about 200m it is on the right bank, past a cave, and then crosses back to the left hand side at a waterfall. A further 100m brings you back to the main Resolute Track] 

To visit West Head, continue along the track for a further 400m. West Head has a number of vantage points with good views to Lion Island, the Central Coast, Barrenjoey and upper Pittwater. Backtrack about 50m to find a track leading south from the lookouts. This winds steeply down into a gully and crosses the creek at a small waterfall. Shortly after this you reach another track junction. Straight ahead leads down to West Head Beach, a small beach dotted with large boulders. Head down to the beach and have a break. It is possible at low tide, although somewhat tricky, to scramble around the rocks to the south to Resolute Beach. From West Head Beach, return up the stairs to the track junction and head left on a good track. After about 200m look for a small bunker just below the track to the left. This may have been used in WWII as a lookout post or gun emplacement? 

A further 300m brings you to another track junction. Head left down to Resolute Beach, a nice sandy beach, good for swimming in summer. It also has excellent views across Pittwater, and is less busy than West Head Beach. After lunch return to the main track and turn left, continuing around the headland. Note a track off to your right after 50m for the return journey, but continue straight ahead. 600m or so of walking brings you to Great Mackerel Beach. Note the two large cabbage tree palms flanking a large eucalypt where you emerge onto the beach. You will need to remember where to pick up the track on your return trip. Cross the intermittent creek at the north end of the beach and walk along to the southern end. After a break, retrace your steps along the beach and back to the cabbage tree palms. 

[Alternatively, about 100m past the jetty, you can turn right and wander around the back of the settlement, crossing a small creek at a bridge. At the north end, head past the Fire Brigade shed on the left and pick up a vague track that eventually brings you back out near the north end of the beach.] 

Locate the track you walked in on and head back to the track junction near Resolute Beach noted earlier. Turn left onto the track, which climbs steeply up the hill with a number of stairs. Just below the top, look out for a large cave to the right of the track which contains a midden and was used by First Nations People.

The track emerges onto a 4wd trail at the top. The trail continues left for about 150m, but the lookout at the end is mostly obscured by bush, so head right. Keep an eye out for a small track to your right after about 700m. This heads north through the bush for about 180m to a rocky outcrop with a number of aboriginal engravings on it. Don't worry if you miss this track. Continue along the 4wd track for a further 300m, turn right at the intersection with the North Mackerel Track, and a further 550m of walking brings you to the engravings on your right. If you turn left at the North Mackerel Track you come out to a lookout over Great Mackerel Beach and south over Pittwater. 

From here continue along the fire trail for about 400m to the car park where you left your car. If you have time and have not had enough lookouts, head across the road to the Koolewong Track, and do the short loop walk as well. 

Bushwalking NSW - http://bushwalkingnsw.com - © Tom Brennan 2002-2016