The Malabar Headland Walk is one of the newer trails in Sydney, with the last section only being opened in 2017. It offers outstanding ocean views, one of Sydney’s best whale watching spots and lots of pretty green spaces too.
It’s the perfect coastal walk to do if you don’t want to stray too far from the city but you don’t want the crowds of the Bondi to Coogee track.
You can make the walk a circuit or just pick the best bit of the track to make a shorter, return walk.
Here’s what to expect from the trail.
Malabar Headland Walk
The stats
Distance: 6.4km
Elevation: 102m
Difficulty: Easy
Type of trail: Circuit
The Malabar Headland walk is an easy trail, but it can be confusing working out how to link up the inland trail through Malabar Headland National Park and the coastal path as it’s not signposted. We’ve outlined how to do it in the notes below. We recommend allowing 1.5 hours for the walk, but more if you plan on whale watching!
If you’d like to extend the walk you could start at Coogee instead of Maroubra, which adds on another 5km and is a gorgeous walk.
To circuit or not to circuit?
As it’s a circuit you can walk the trail in either direction, but we usually do the inland section first. The coastal part of the circuit is our favourite, so we save that for last.
If you’re primarily interested in ocean views we’d recommend heading to Boora Point and doing a return walk. This is primarily because first part of the circuit doesn’t offer much in the way of views.
We’ll give all the details on the full circuit so both options are covered.
Starting the inland trail
The trail begins at the car park behind Maroubra Beach, for the circuit head anticlockwise, so you start on the inland route. You immediately begin heading gently uphill on metal boardwalk before reaching a series of staircases.
From the top you get some nice views of the coast which already feels quite distant. The walk continues on a mix of boardwalk and natural rock and there are little arrows pointing the way with a surprising frequency.
This part of the walk must be the best signposted trail in Sydney, with arrows every hundred metres! This section of the track is more about the vegetation, than ocean views, and in summer we saw lots of butterflies in this area.
After 1.1km you’ll come to the end of the boardwalk to what feels like a little section of jungle on your right.
From here you head left along the sports field and all signposts vanish, not to be seen again for several kilometres.
Heading to Malabar Beach
The next part of the walk, to the beach, is not really a trail.
You can cut through the green space directly in front of you when you’ve exited the sports field, and just keep making your way straight ahead (following the fence around the Sydney Water facility) and you will eventually come to the car park just in front of Malabar beach.
If it’s been really wet it can get quite muddy on this part of the walk, so we recommended heading along the pavement beside the fields instead.
Malabar Beach is a lovely little cove which is pretty far off the tourist track. There are usually just a few locals on the beach or out for a swim. It’s also a popular spot with divers due to its proximity to two shipwrecks.
Onto Boora Point
There are no signposts to find the next part of the walk, but continue on the pavement behind the beach for roughly 400m until you come to the boat ramp.
There is then a gap in the fence and the walk continues along the fire trail.
The next 700m are fairly uninspiring, on a stony fire trail with little in the way of views, but after you reach Boora Point it’s amazing all the way.
From Boora Point to Maroubra
Boora Point is a fantastic place to come during the annual Humpback Whale migration (May to October, but sightings are best before August).
The huge rock shelf offers hundreds of metres of prime whale watching territory and the ocean views are panoramic.
Even if you’re not walking during whale season, it’s a pretty spot to sit and take a break and watch the waves roll in.
Once you’re ready to leave, the walk continues predominantly on boardwalk behind the rock shelf, and it’s virtually all flat and easy going.
The ocean views stay with you all the way back to Maroubra Beach, although they are occasionally obscured slightly by vegetation, and it’s without doubt our favourite part of the walk.
After 1.5km you’ll reach Magic Point, which has a great view of the coast and you can also see the city as well.
When you get views like this from the bush, I always find it hard to believe how close to the city you really are along this trail.
The sections of this part of the trail which are not on boardwalk get heavily waterlogged and muddy after rain. It’s always passable but we’d definitely recommend proper shoes if you know it’s been wet.
After another 650m you’ll start to get great views of Maroubra Beach and as we were walking close to sunset, the whole area was bathed in a golden light.
There’s another good lookout just before you come to the beach and it seemed to be a favourite spot with rock fishers. We saw whales all the way from Boora Point to this final lookout, which was pretty incredible!
Finishing the walk
You follow the walk away from the coast, through the gate, and left, heading alongside the ANZAC Rifle Range.
Follow this path all the way back to the car park which is roughly another kilometre. If you arrived by public transport you can choose to walk along the beach or on the pavement behind the beach back to the main bus stop.
If you’re looking for other great coast tracks in Sydney, we have you covered in this post.
Packing suggestions for the walk
Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
Essential information about the Malabar Headland Walk
Parking for the walk
Maroubra is one of the few beaches in Sydney (at least in the Eastern Suburbs) with lots of free parking! The best place to park is the Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club which has a 4 hour limit, and the trail starts and ends at this car park.
Public transport to the walk
Whilst you can’t get the train to this walk, there are plenty of buses that leave fairly regularly from Sydney. The easiest way to get there is to get a bus from Elizabeth Street (near Hyde Park), and you can hop on the 396 or 397 which will take you directly to Maroubra.
The shooting range - frequent track closures
The Malabar Headland National Park closes every Saturday and the first and third Sunday of every month when the shooting range is in operation. It can close at other times for the same reason so check before you leave to make sure you’re not disappointed.
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Are you planning on doing the Malabar Headland Walk? What’s your favourite coastal walk in Sydney? Let us know in the comments below!
