Recently, we were in the mood for an easy stroll and thought we would check out somewhere we’ve never been before. The Warriewood Wetlands fit the bill perfectly, a roughly 4km walk that is almost entirely flat. Perfect for a lazy Sunday.
What we weren’t expecting was just how beautiful it was going to be. The boardwalks are gorgeous and the amount of tree ferns made it feel a world away from the busy Northern Beaches. It turned out to be one of our favourite bushwalks in the area and one we’d highly recommend doing when you want to get out into nature without too much travelling or exertion.
Here’s what to expect at Warriewood Wetlands.
Warriewood Wetlands and the Irrawong Reserve
The stats
Distance: 4km circuit
Elevation: 10m
Difficulty: Easy
Starting the trail along the Swamp Forest Walk - 580m
The walk begins from the small car park on Koloa Road. You head through a little patch of bush on a flat path and straight onto the first of the Warriewood Wetlands boardwalks.
You might be close to the road - with the odd bit of noise - but it’s no match for the sounds of the birds and frogs, which fill the air. You can feel yourself relax straight away.
The boardwalk takes you over a large area of marshland which was full of inquisitive Moorhens pecking around on the reeds.
The boardwalk is just under 500m long and passes from the marshy area into a forest full of tree ferns and Cabbage tree palms, as well as many different bird species.
It’s lovely and shady and feels much wilder than it really is. It’s a great spot for birdwatching and apparently a favourite with local photographers.
Along the Jim Revitt Walk - 1.6km return
From the car park to the end of the Swamp Forest Walk is just 580m. At this point you exit the boardwalk onto Garden Street and cross over the road and into the Irrawong Reserve - signposted as the Jim Revitt Walk.
The walk continues through some beautiful forest, with yet more incredible Cabbage tree palms and even hanging vines which give it some great jungle vibes.
The track is now a narrow dirt path and continues to be almost entirely flat. There’s no need to watch footing on this walk, you can simply relax and immerse yourself in the forest.
After 780m on the Jim Revitt Walk you will reach the pretty Irrawong Waterfall. There hadn’t been a lot of rain when we visited so it wasn’t running very powerfully, but it’s still a lovely picturesque spot.
In warmer weather it would be a great place to go for a paddle or a shallow dip.
It’s also a good place to stop for lunch if you’ve brought a picnic and kids will love the giant vine which makes a fun swing! Afterwards you retrace your steps back to the road again to continue with the Warriewood Wetlands Walk.
Continuing the Warriewood Wetlands Walk - 1.8km
When you are back at Garden Street again, cross over the road and head left. The next 460m are on the pavement along the road, but after 150m you turn right onto Watergum Drive, which is a quiet residential street.
After 310m you’ll then see the signpost ‘Wildlife Protection Area’ and path to the right which takes you back into the wetlands again.
A few minutes later you’ll come to a big ‘Warriewood Wetlands’ sign and you’ll begin walking along the wide dirt path, parallel to the boardwalk (you can go and check out the boardwalk first if you like). You’ll pass by a pretty little pond, full of ducks, as you continue making your way through the wetlands.
There is another picturesque boardwalk, much like the first one, and if you happen to be walking in the late afternoon the golden light makes it particularly pretty.
After the boardwalk there is a T junction where you need to turn right. You might notice a strange smell along the next stretch and if you look up into the trees you will see they are absolutely chock full of Flying foxes.
Many of them are quite dozy, but there were the odd few chattering and flying amongst the treetops.
There were quite a few mosquitoes along this stretch, which was ok for us as we were fully covered up, but if you’re there in shorts and a t-shirt you might want to move through this next few hundred metres quite quickly!
Roughly 450m beyond the junction you’ll come to Jackson Road and turn right. The final couple of hundred metres to get back to the car park follow the cycle path.
Getting to the Warriewood Wetlands
The Warriewood Wetlands are located in the suburb of Warriewood on the Northern Beaches. The walk begins at the small car park on Katoa Road off of Garden Street where parking is free and unlimited.
If you’re taking public transport, hop on the B1 bus that runs from the city centre - they run every 10 to 15 minutes. There’s a stop on Pittwater Road, which is a 10 minute walk from the wetlands.
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