As far as I can tell, there’s no consensus as to what exactly the little cave house perched on the side of the cliff in Royal National Park was used for. Some say it’s a fisherman’s hut, others believe people lived here more permanently. Either way, it’s a fun little spot to explore, with sensational views out to the ocean and headland.
This cave house is a part of Royal National Park’s history, so please do respect it and leave it exactly as you found - or better!
Here’s how to find the abandoned Fisherman’s Cave.
The walk to the Fisherman’s Cave
The stats
Distance: 2km return
Elevation gain: Pretty much flat
Difficulty: Easy, but one narrow path which requires care
The trail
The walk to the Fisherman’s hut/hermit cave begins at the northern end of the Coast Track. You could walk here from Bundeena Wharf if arriving by public transport, but it does add on an additional 1.5km each way. Alternatively there is parking at the trailhead.
Head along the wide flat fire trail for 150m and then take the path on the left which is signposted as ‘The Balconies’.
The path is now either flat or very gently uphill and it’s in good condition, making for a leisurely stroll.
After 700m (from the trailhead) you’ll come to a metal boardwalk. Follow the boardwalk for 100m and you will come out at the information board for The Balconies lookout.
This is where you need to turn off the maintained track.
Finding the cave
Once you are at the signpost you are just 170m from the cave house, but you’d never know it was there! You could get to the cave by one of two different routes, we’re sharing the easiest one.
To find the cave, head onto the rocky platform and begin bearing left (north east).
Just 2-3m before the end of the rock shelf where you could walk no further you’ll see a little step down onto the rock shelf below - sadly this can also be identified by the small AJP heart graffiti.
This is an easy spot to walk down and there is no exposure. You now need to head right to get down to the next rock shelf below - it’s down a couple of rocks that act as stairs.
You then need to turn immediately left and walk along the overhang (keeping the cliff/overhang on your left).
You will see a small metal pole sticking out of the ground beside the cliff and it looks like you couldn’t go any further without it getting sketchy.
You are now standing on top of the cave house and if you look carefully you’ll see the chimney (or where water would funnel in, we couldn’t tell) close to the metal pole.
Continue along the rock shelf and you will come to some steps leading downhill and from here you can see the entrance to the cave.
The last couple of metres to the cave are narrowish and there is exposure to the left. It’s not too bad, but some of the plants are encroaching on the path, so just take care here.
You’ll then reach the steps down into the house.
The Fisherman’s Cave
It’s hard to imagine anyone building a little house down here, but that’s exactly what you’ll find. Well, it’s a room at any rate!
There are two windows, one with a great view and one that’s now a little overgrown. There’s also a chimney or a funnel where water might have been collected - we couldn’t work out which. We thought a chimney at first, but can’t be sure.
The cave is a reasonable size and the doorway is particularly picturesque, with the swirling cliff wall above it.
Sadly there is some graffiti, which is always disappointing to see, please enjoy this historical spot responsibly.
When you’re ready to leave, you simply retrace your steps back to the trailhead, or if you’re up for a longer walk you could continue for 2km to Wedding Cake Rock or 3km to Big Marley Beach.
Getting to the trailhead for the Fisherman’s Cave
The easiest way to get to the Fisherman’s Cave is to drive and park at Beachcomber Avenue in Bundeena (you can see the spot on this map). There’s a gate at the very end of the street which is the start of the walk.
You can also get here by public transport if you take the train to Cronulla and then the ferry to Bundeena wharf, but from here it’s an additional 1.5km walk each way.
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