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It’s the end of June. We are so lucky to be living in Australia to witness the great annual whales migration. Pods of Humpback Whales travel along the east coast of Australia from their feeding grounds of Antarctica and head towards the Pacific’s warmer waters to breed.
We have a 4-month-old baby with us this time, and whale watching cruises are not recommended for safety reasons. Instead, we’ve decided to go whale watching on land and explore some of Sydney’s best vantage points and coastal walks.
Our first whale watching experience on land was very underprepared. We didn’t know what to expect or what to bring, but we learned a thing or two from the ‘professional’ whale watchers after today’s experience.
In this post, not only we will share the best 5 free whale-watching spots, but we’ll also share our tips on what to bring and what to expect when whale watching on land in Sydney.
You can find the top whale-watching cruise travel deals from brands that we use ourselves at the end of the post.
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Table of Contents
When is the best time to go whale watching?
Although you can sight whales from May – November, the best season to see whales in Australia is around late June to early July. Most whale watching cruises run until November, but if you’re a coastal walk lover, try and get out to one of the vantage points below between 11 am – 3 pm late June to July.
What to Bring Whale Watching
- Patience! (Yea, not very baby-friendly.)
- Binoculars: if you’re not on the water, chances are you will only catch a tiny little glimpse of whales.
- Warm jackets or even blankets: weather can change quickly. It’s usually quite cold and windy by the water, especially if you’re sitting still.
- Sun hat/sunscreen
- Chairs: You would be extremely lucky to sight whales without waiting. It’s not uncommon to wait for hours and hours to spot a pod, so bringing a chair sounds like a good idea.
- Bring lunch, snacks and water
- Pen and paper if you want to make notes
- Camera: preferably with a telephoto zoom lens for the photography lovers. Otherwise, expect this…
Top 5 Vantage Points To See Whales in Sydney
1. Kurnell Cape Solander Lookout
Cape Solander Lookout is one of the best lookout points for whale watching in Sydney. It’s a part of Kamay Botany Bay National Park in the suburb of Kurnell, only 40 minutes drive south of Sydney.
When we arrived earlier, there were photographers patiently waiting on the reefs with their tripods already. A few groups of experienced whale watchers wrapped up in jackets, looked like they planned to be there from dawn to dusk.
I had a brief chat with the volunteers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. There were already 100 humpback whales sighted by 2 pm. The closest one swam past a few hundred meters to shore just before midday! Although we didn’t spend enough time there to catch a whale passing under our nose, I learned so much about whale watching on land from the volunteers.
Why Cape Solander is our favourite spot
- Its easy accessibility by car, ample free waterfront parking. Hiking is not required to get to the vantage point.
- Whales have been reported to be seen as close as 200m to shore.
- There are recorded sightings every day during that particular season, according to Wild About Whales.
- There are hiking trails in Kamay National Park for walks.
- It’s close to a string of beaches, which you can make a day out of beach hopping.
- Newly discovered: It’s very close to Drake’s Endeavour Oyster Farm. If you’re a seafood lover, be sure to check out this oyster farm!
2. The Gap, Watsons Bay
Gap Bluff is one of our favourite coastal walks on the South Head Peninsula, facing the Tasman sea. Watsons Bay is easily accessible by car or bus, but the best place to spot whales would be further up the track, where you have a higher and broader view of the ocean.
3. North Head, Manly
Manly has so much to offer, so this would be a great day out while trying your luck with whale watching at North Head. Fairfax lookout is the best place to get a panoramic view of the harbour. You can read about our local guide to Manly here.
4. Barrenjoey Head, Palm Beach
This location requires a bit of walk uphill, but to coastal walk lovers, this is one of Sydney’s most enjoyable walks. Barrenjoey lighthouse sits at the northernmost point in Sydney, overlooking Palm Beach and the Pacific Ocean. We recommend packing some light lunch and a picnic rug. Spend some time there and try your luck on spotting whales with a binocular.
5. Royal National Park
The Grand Pacific Drive is one of our family’s top road trips from Sydney. If you plan to whale watching at one of the vantage points in Royal National Park, make it a road trip! The coast track is 26km long, and you can try your luck at one of the many headlands cliff lookouts.
Bald Hill lookout at Stanwell Tops is one of the vantage points that’s accessible by cars. This is also one of the popular lookouts where you can spot people paragliding or parasailing over the coastline.
Other Vantage Points in Sydney
There are many other whale watching places in Sydney along either side of the coast. We listed some of the lookouts that don’t require a lot of hiking as we’re a young family. However, if you enjoy walks and hikes, the best spots are always the hidden gems inside national parks. Here are a few other places that are known for whale watching, if you have spotted whales here, share your experience with us below!
- Shark Island
- Bouddi National Park
- Bondi Beach
- Long Reef Point between Dee Why and Collaroy beach
- Malabar Headland National Park
- Cape Banks La Perouse
Whale Watching Cruises
If you’re not pregnant or with a small baby, whale watching cruises might be a fun way to see whales up close. You can find some pretty amazing deals during whale watching season. One of the best travel deal sites our family use is BookMe.
Alternatively, try these travel deals…
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Have you sighted whale migrations before? Where would you like to whale watch this year?
