Otford to Figure of Eight Pools

This is the second time I did this walk. Last time I went on the high tide and wasn't able to get too close to the pools. This time I was determined to get a closer and better look at it.

The walk started from Otford station, up a very steep path to Lady Wakehurst Drive. Then we walked along the road to the start of Cliff track, with a beautiful lookout of Wollongong and the Sea Cliff Bridge.


The track begins with more climbs, which made me think maybe I had enough of this walk already. I was already tired and puffed out, and this is only the start of the walk!!

Once we got to the top of the hill, the walk got easier and we walked on a fairly easy, flat path and service trail.

We reached Garrawarra farm car park and turned down to the Coast Walk, declining to Burning Palms Beach.




 A bit or walking on beach and rocks, we finally reached the pools. There are a few pools that looks like the figure 8.












The famous figure of eight pool....



The one I mistaken as the main figure of eight pool last time I was there....


And the mini figure of eight pool....


We had lunch next to the pools. Some people swam in the pools but the water was too cold for me. I enjoyed walking around on the soft, slippery, furry algae and dipping my feet in the pools. After lunch, we headed back on the Coast Track through Palm Jungle, which is a long ascend. It was very tiring when we were trying to keep speed uphill to make the 3:16pm train. If we missed that one, the next train is 5:15pm, 2 hours later.

We got back with plenty of time to enjoy a chai apple pie and a thick mango smoothie at the Pie Shop before the train comes.


Total distance: 16.6km
Climb: 820m
Difficulty: Hard

Go to the link below for information and map for this walk.
http://beyondtracks.com/walks/royal-national-park/otford-to-burning-palms-loop-via-garawarra/

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