Boora Point walking track

Malabar Headland National Park

Affected by closures, check current alerts

Overview

Explore spectacular coastline views in Malabar Headland National Park on Boora Point walking track. Only 30 minutes from Sydney city, you’ll find epic sandstone cliffs, whale watching opportunities and swimming spots.

Accessibility
Hard
Distance
3.7km one-way
Time suggested
45min - 1hr
Grade
Grade 4
Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

Opening times

This track is closed Saturdays, every 3rd Sunday of the month, and at other times when the ANZAC Rifle Range is in use.

Please note
  • Please check all safety messages and alerts before visiting. This track often closes at short notice to ensure public safety during ANZAC Rifle Range operations.
  • Western Escarpment walking track is a great alternative when the eastern section of the park is closed.

Boora Point walking track is a hidden gem in Malabar Headland National Park. It's the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney, spending a couple of hours immersed in nature. 

With sweeping views up and down the coast, explore this track in whale season and keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales. You might even be lucky enough to spot the rarer southern right whale as they journey north to warm tropical waters. Both Boora Point and Magic Point provide many vantage points for viewing along the way, so don’t forget your binoculars. However, be sure to stay well back from the cliff edges.

If you're doing a return walk you can choose to hike back a different way by returning via Artillery track and checking out the historic gun emplacements and sandstone railway tracks.

After working up a sweat, you can cool off with a dip in Maroubra Beach or Malabar Beach at either end. You’ll find picnic tables and barbecues in Arthur Byrne Reserve at the northern end of the track, so why not bring lunch and make a day of it.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Also see

  • People walking through along the raised path on Artillery track. Photo: John Spencer © DPE

    Artillery track

    Artillery track is in Malabar Headland National Park along Boora Point walking track. Experience Sydney’s historic heritage and see the gun emplacements and rail tracks that formed part of the Malabar Battery.

Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/boora-point-walking-track/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Boora Point walking track.

Features of this track

Distance

3.7km one-way

Time

45min - 1hr

Quality of markings

Limited signage

Experience required

Some bushwalking experience recommended

Gradient

Short steep hills

Steps

Occasional steps

Quality of path

Formed track, some obstacles

Getting there and parking

Boora Point walking track is in Malabar Headland National Park.

To get to Arthur Byrne Reserve carpark from Sydney city:

  • Drive south along Anzac Parade
  • Turn left onto Fitzgerald Avenue
  • At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Bernie Kelly Drive
  • The carpark is at the end of Bernie Kelly Drive

To get to the Fishermans Road carpark from Sydney city:

  • Drive south along Anzac Parade
  • Turn left onto Cromwell Place
  • Turn left onto Franklin Street
  • At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Dacre Street
  • Turn left onto Fishermans Road

Road quality

  • Sealed roads

Parking

Free parking is available at the south end of Maroubra Beach at Arthur Byrne Reserve carpark, with wheelchair-accessible parking available 600m from the track head. 

You can also park Fishermans Road carpark, only 200m from the track head. There’s no wheelchair-accessible parking here.

Best times to visit

Winter

Between June and July visitors can expect to witness the migration of humpback whales and if you are very lucky the rarer southern right whale which pass close by the headland heading north to warmer tropical waters to breed. Between August and October, they can also be witnessed returning to the food-rich Antarctic waters.

Facilities

There are no amenities within Malabar National Park. You can find toilets, picnic tables and barbecues nearby at Arthur Byrne Reserve, Maroubra Beach. There are no rubbish bins in the park, please take all of your waste with you.

Visitor info

Safety messages

ANZAC rifle range closures 

  • When the nearby ANZAC Rifle Range is operating, the eastern section of the park is closed to public access.  
  • The eastern section of the park is always closed on Saturdays and every third Sunday of the month. It is often closed on weekdays also. 
  • Always check the safety messages and local alerts before planning a visit.
  • Please do not enter the park if red flags are flying above the Rifle Range and observe area closure signs at all times.
  • More safety information can be found on the NSW Rifle Association website

Bushwalking safety

If you're keen to head out on a longer walk or a backpack camp, always be prepared. Read these bushwalking safety tips before you set off on a walking adventure in national parks.

  • Boora Point walking track passes close by unstable cliff edges; always supervise children and stick to the marked route.
  • There are many divergent tracks. Please stay on the marked route to protect Eastern suburbs banksia scrub and avoid hazards.

Fishing safety

Fishing from a boat, the beach, the rocks or by the river is a popular activity for many national park visitors. If you’re planning a day out fishing, check out these fishing and rock fishing safety tips.

Wearing of a life jacket is compulsory for all rock fishers

Water activities

Beaches, rivers and lakes in NSW national parks offer lots of opportunities for water activities. Please take care in the water and find out how to help your family and friends stay safe around water.

Permitted

Fishing

A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.

While fishing is permitted at Malabar Headland, it can be very dangerous. Life jackets are compulsory when rock fishing. Please see our fishing safety page for more.

Recreational fishing off Magic Point is permitted. However, line fishing is prohibited more than 50m offshore because Magic Point is a critical habitat area for the endangered grey nurse shark. Check this map showing the critical habitat area.

Prohibited

Cycling

Bicycles and trail bikes are not permitted on Boora Point walking track.

Pets

Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.

Smoking

NSW national parks are no smoking areas.

Learn more

Boora Point walking track is in Malabar Headland National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Ancient landscapes

View of Malabar from Malabar Headland National Park. Photo: Chad Weston/OEH

Malabar Headland National Park is part of the traditional land of the Bidjigal and Gadigal People. Malabar Headland is a significant area (Bora Ground) for Aboriginal people. The word Bora is used throughout Eastern Australia to describe an initiation site or ceremony.

Plants a plenty

Eucalyptus moorei buds on eucalyptus mallee scrub. Photo: Steve Douglas

Alive with wildflowers in spring, Malabar Headland contains the last known population of the once extensive Port Jackson mallee in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. It’s also home to the eastern suburbs banksia scrub – one of the most critically endangered ecological communities in NSW. The park supports at least 7 distinct plant communities and this diversity of habitats is only matched in the eastern suburbs in Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

  • Western Escarpment walking track Get back to nature on Western Escarpment walking track in Sydney's Malabar Headland National Park, near Maroubra. This short track through native heath boasts coastal views, bird life and wildflowers.

Dramatic cliffs

Cliffs and coastline, Malabar Headland National Park. Photo: C Weston/OEH

Malabar Headland is home to many of the pre-colonial landscapes that once occurred throughout the eastern suburbs. You’ll find coastal rock platforms, sea cliffs and headlands in the eastern section, and sandstone escarpments and remnants of aeolian sand dunes in the western section. These were believed to have been formed as a result of the last major glacial period.

Walk the coast

Humpback whale breaching off the coast of NSW. Photo: OEH

If you’re keen for a walk with never-ending ocean views as your backdrop, follow the rugged coastal cliffs along Boora Point walking track which links to the iconic eastern beaches coastal walk. During whale watching season, you might even spot a whale or two on their annual migration.

Plants and animals protected in this park

Animals

  • Eastern common ringtail possum. Photo: Ken Stepnell

    Common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)

    Commonly found in forests, woodlands and leafy gardens across eastern NSW, the Australian ringtail possum is a tree-dwelling marsupial. With a powerful tail perfectly adapted to grasp objects, it forages in trees for eucalypt leaves, flowers and fruit.

  • Eastern bentwing bat. Photo: Ken Stepnell

    Eastern bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis)

    Eastern bentwing-bats congregate in caves across the east and north-west coasts of Australia, in colonies of up to 150,000. These small Australian animals weigh around 13-17g and can reach speeds of up to 50km per hour. Eastern bentwing-bats use both sight and echolocation to catch small insects mid-air.

  • Humpback whale breaching. Photo: Dan Burns

    Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

    The humpback whale has the longest migratory path of any mammal, travelling over 5000km from its summer feeding grounds in Antarctica to its breeding grounds in the subtropics. Its playful antics, such as body-rolling, breaching and pectoral slapping, are a spectacular sight for whale watchers in NSW national parks.

  • White-bellied sea eagle. Photo: John Turbill

    White-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

    White-bellied sea eagles can be easily identified by their white tail and dark grey wings. These raptors are often spotted cruising the coastal breezes throughout Australia, and make for some scenic bird watching. Powerful Australian birds of prey, they are known to mate for life, and return each year to the same nest to breed.

  • Yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Photo: Peter Sherratt

    Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

    The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is one of the largest species of parrot. With dusty-black plumage, they have a yellow tail and cheek patch. They’re easily spotted while bird watching, as they feed on seeds in native forests and pine plantations.

Environments in this park