Terrigal to Palm Beach

23 km (1002 hr) 10 hours

This was yet another outstanding day on the coastal camino. Started out from beautiful Terrigal and ended with a sensational ferry crossing of Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River to end the day at Palm Beach. Palm Beach is technically an outer suburb of Sydney, but I still had a few days walking to get to the Opera House to complete this stage and my own little ‘Northern Way’. Hooray!

Today combined two 'named' walks - the Five Lands Walk from Terrigal to MacMasters Beach, and then the Bouddi Coastal Walk from MacMasters to Killcare Beach. So many gorgeous beaches and dramatic headlands in this part of the world. Close to Sydney but a completely distinct character, so different from the 'big smoke'.

Highlights? Well Maitland Bay is as fine an unspoilt National Park Beach as you can find anywhere. It has long been one of my favourite places in the world and we needed a long lunch and swim break to soak it all in properly. The walk from Maitland Bay to Putty Beach is almost impossibly scenic and is a high, high, high value 3km walk. Macmasters Beach always has a great feel to it while Copacabana Headland dominates this part of the coast.

I walked with an old school friend, Glenn, today - great company. Glenn had plenty of interesting insights from his many years volunteer work as a lifesaver (one of Australia’s most wonderful and iconic organisations) and his wide range of aquatic hobbies. Nothing like a good long walk with an old mate!