Date: 15/3/2025
Trip leader: Tim
Party: April, Eva, Mutianzhu, Raph, Shuyuan
There is a storied history of nude bushwalking in the SUBW, which is part of a broader tradition in which cultural figures such as Percy Grainger and conservationists like Myles Dunphy were among the best known participants. In recent decades there has been renewed interest in the practice, especially where it involves skinny dipping in wild places.
SUBW’s nude walks have been infrequent and generally impromptu. More often than not they are regular walks or canyoning trips gone nude, because well why not. It was T2 who got things organised and he has led several club walks in the Blue Mountains to some incredibly beautiful natural pools. The attraction, as Sierra Willow put it to journalist Victoria Ong when describing one of these walks, is that “it’s a sensory thing. You feel and remember the bushwalking experience in a different way.”
Nude trips in the wilderness don’t suit everyone in the club, and some members have been asking for an option that is more accessible. So, after popular demand for a walk closer to the metropolis we finally got around to organising one. We settled on a route along the Harbour that would afford spectacular views, some time in remnant forest on the foreshore, and culminate in a visit to a clothing optional beach for a spot of wild swimming.
Of course our kit had to remain on for the walk itself, but it wouldn’t need to be at our destination, Cobblers Beach at Middle Head (Gubbuh Gubbuh).
Cobblers Beach is one of a handful of beaches legally designated as clothing optional under the Local Government Act. Greater Sydney is fortunate to have four of these (Cobblers Beach, Obelisk Beach, Lady Bay Beach, and Werrong Beach). Environment Minister Pam Allen explained the reason for the legal protection of these beaches in NSW Parliament in 1996:
“Many people of all ages in the community enjoy nude bathing as a recreational pastime. It is entirely appropriate that these people are able to enjoy their pastime at suitable beaches. Unfortunately, in the past there has been some uncertainty as to whether nude bathers, or naturists as they are called, would be able to enjoy their pastime. This will no longer be the case; the designation of these beaches for nude bathing will be enshrined in legislation. Owing to the public demand for nude bathing, in the late 1970s the New South Wales Government under Premier Neville Wran announced that certain beaches within national parks, being beaches that had traditionally been used for nude bathing, would be officially declared as nude beaches.”
All of these beaches are found in stunning spots within National Parks and provide great views of the Harbour or, in the case of Werrong Beach, the Tasman Sea. The Werrong Beach Track is currently closed due to a landslide during the “triple dip” La Nina between 2020 to 2023 which caused record breaking rainfall and flooding.
After three walkers had to cancel last minute due to illness or other emergencies, our party comprised six. We met at Circular Quay where we introduced one another. It was an exceptionally warm and humid day, and a heatwave warning was in place, which was unusual for mid March. Sydney’s climate is not what it was. The morning was overcast, but the clouds gradually drew apart and the heat of the sun was soon bearing down on us.
Our short ferry ride took us to Taronga Zoo Ferry Wharf where we commenced the walk. Almost everyone else on the ferry shuffled off to the zoo, but we turned right and made our way along Athol Wharf Road, and then on to the Bradleys Head Walking Track.
We caught glimpses of the little sandy beaches on the Harbour, and remarked at how clear, sparkling and inviting the water was. Our route then brought us over the ridge via Athol Hall. Arrangements were clearly being made for a wedding and reception there later in the day.
We then joined the Taylors Bay Track where we came to an interpretive sign on the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard, the largest member of the skink family. I explained to the group that we would likely see quite a lot of wildlife on the walk and at Cobblers Beach, and also pointed out the disturbances to the track made by Australian Brush Turkeys foraging for seeds, fruits and small insects.
Sure enough not long afterwards we saw an Australian Water Dragon (one of many seen during the day), and at Chowder Bay we found a number of Kookaburras behaving very placidly. Later, near Georges Head, we saw a Rainbow Lorikeet sitting proud and guarding its chicks in a tree hollow. At Cobblers Beach we were to encounter half a dozen Kookaburras which were quite happy to pose for photos in exchange for attempts to steal our food, literally from our mouths.
The track then wound its way around Taylors Bay, behind some of Sydney’s most exclusive real estate, and on to Morella Road Reserve. The walk continued to Chowder Bay (Gooree), which was still quiet despite the sunny weather. Usually Clifton Gardens Reserve is full of families, with kids enjoying jumping into the bay from the pier within the netted enclosure.
We then passed the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS). I explained to the group that SIMS was a joint initiative of the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, UNSW and UTS and that it was engaged in important research and marine restoration projects, such as the globally significant Project Restore which aims to enhance and regenerate urban marine habitats by recovering lost seagrass meadows, enhancing kelp forests, installing living seawall panels, and deploying artificial fish habitats in Sydney Harbour. SIMS is also leading the Sydney Seahorse Project which is replanting seagrasses and reintroducing seahorses such as the endangered White’s Seahorse. As it happens, Cobblers Beach is the first location in Sydney Harbour to host a seagrass restoration site.
After admiring the historic buildings occupied by SIMS, we climbed the steep steps to Chowder Bay Road, and walked on to George Head and Belvedere Lookout. We passed the various military fortifications and gun emplacements from the Second World War and made our way to Middle Head (Gubbuh Gubbuh).
Before European settlement Gubbuh Gubbuh was home to the Borogegal people, who lived in the area for 40,000 years. Indigenous warriors danced with Captain Hunter and his marines on Cobblers Beach in January 1788, and this was apparently the first encounter between Indigenous people and the European invaders on Sydney’s North Shore. There still remains archaeological evidence of the Borogegal people’s presence, including rock carvings and middens.
Sections of the walk here were on the very newly completed track which connects Georges Head and Middle Head, and eventually took us to Obelisk Beach.
By this stage the heat was starting to take its toll on the group, and a cool swim beckoned. So we continued directly to Cobblers Beach via Middle Head Road, and the Cobblers Beach track, stopping for a photo at the top.
Cobblers Beach track is on a degraded road that was originally constructed in the late 19th century to allow the army to haul ammunition up to Middle Head from a wharf, remnants of which can still be seen in the retaining wall at the eastern end of the beach.
When we arrived at the beach we found a comfortable and shady place to stretch out on the grassy area overlooking the sandy beach, and were greeted by a cool breeze coming off the water. Despite the warm weather the beach was not as busy as we thought it might be and there was plenty of room. By the time we arrived high tide had well and truly receded leaving plenty of beach to explore.
After stripping off, and sharing some lunch, we went for a swim. Not everyone had been swimming in the ocean before so this was a new experience. Raph, a trained lifeguard, brought goggles with him and the group took turns to see what marine life could be spotted in the shallows. Various species of fish were spotted. The water was exceptionally clear, warm and calm. Being close to the heads, the water at Cobblers Beach tends to be much cleaner than other Sydney Harbour beaches.
After several hours of blissful swimming, exploring the foreshore, sun baking, chatting, eating, relaxing and speaking with other beachgoers, it was time to make our way to the city. We took the bus to South Mosman Ferry Wharf, where we caught the ferry back to Circular Quay. On the short return trip we enjoyed a spectacular view of Sydney’s CBD on a hot and hazy day.
A few members of the group who were initially a little nervous about the experience noted that it was one of the best things they had ever done and were keen for recommendations of other places where it was possible to enjoy wild swimming in Sydney.
