Sometimes, the best trails are hidden right in front of your doorstep. Cape Banks from La Perouse is one of these tracks. With a very un-Australian name, La Perouse was named after the French navigator Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (1741–88). De Galaup landed on the northern shore of Botany Bay west of Bare Island on 26 January 1788. La Perouse is popular destination for day trips thanks to the idyllic location. La Perouse is also a great spot for those interested in the beach (with a clothing optional area) or for those who would enjoy a picnic with a scenic background of Bare Island Fort.
While we did have a nice picnic here after our activities, the running was what we came here for, and running we did. This is probably one of the best running trails close to Sydney. The trail offers single track trails, abandoned bunkers, beaches, golf courses, and coastal runs. But let me take you through our run, so you can decide for yourself!
Congwong Beach
Our journey started at Congwong Beach, a family friendly beach. Congwong Beach provides access to a calm part of Botany Bay thanks to its location. This beach provides great swimming opportunities, but since we’re running, we’ll focus on that. In our first attempt to run, we took a wrong turn and ended up at Little Congwong Beach, which is a clothing optional beach. A small run back took us to the right path, and we followed a single trail path to Henry’s Head.
On our way to Henry’s head, there’s a lot to see. The trail is full of small lizards, and this area is full of abandoned bunkers and air defense. This gives a very unique vibe to the trail, and makes this a great location for running or walking. The views on the way overlook Botany Bay and give hardly a dull moment.
After several kilometers, the trail goes to Henry Head Lighthouse. Don’t expect too much of this Lighthouse, it’s basically a concrete block not higher than 3 meters. However, the bunkers here are an interesting sight, and the view is astonishing. Our run went further, towards Cape Banks.
Cape Banks
The run to Cape Banks consists of boardwalks, rocks, and some small inclines. Don’t expect big climbs here, but the elevation makes the run interesting and there’s never a dull moment here. Cape Banks is a rock formation and part of St. Michael’s Golf Club. While not a golfer myself, this golf course is amazing. The views here are incredible, and it must be a delight to play next to the ocean. The trail goes right through the golf course, which was something new for us. After a well looked-after path, the trail brings us to the shooting range and the cemetery. (we’re reasonably sure the combined location of these two landmarks is merely a coincidence…). After that, more golf courses.
Before reaching the rest of of golf courses, for us, this was the turning point of our 10km run. We decided to head back in the direction we came from for our picnic with friends. An alternative approach would be to continue the track, and turn this into a close to 20 km run, though that might be an option for a later day.
Again, thanks for reading, and hopefully until next time!
