A harbour foreshore walk to Lavender Bay

(60 reviews)

Sydney audio tour: A harbour foreshore walk to Lavender Bay

This is a 0.7mi walking tour

It takes an average of 45 mins to complete.

Sydney

Australia

$6.99

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About the Tour

Sydney's harbor foreshore offers an intimate connection with both history and artistry. On this waterside walk, you'll journey from the iconic Harbour Bridge and Luna Park through a series of charming parks and gardens that celebrate Australia's artistic heritage and maritime past. This lesser-known pathway reveals quiet corners of Sydney where creativity flourishes against the backdrop of one of the world's most spectacular harbors.

Starting at Milson's Point near the North Sydney Olympic Pool, you'll follow the aptly named Olympic Boulevard past Luna Park's famous smiling face entrance. The boardwalk provides spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, with the city skyline creating a stunning panorama. You'll learn about the construction of the bridge during the Great Depression and discover how Luna Park's history is intertwined with Sydney's cultural identity.

As you continue to Lavender Bay, you'll explore Art Barton Park with its delightful bronze sculptures of beloved Australian characters from children's books. The path winds through native plantings to reach Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden, a transformed urban wasteland now serving as a tranquil artistic haven. The tour ends at this peaceful garden retreat, where sculptures and thoughtfully designed spaces honor the legacy of artist Brett Whiteley and create a space for public enjoyment.

On this 45-minute harbor foreshore tour, you'll have a chance to:

See the iconic Luna Park face entrance, one of Sydney's most beloved landmarks
Enjoy unparalleled views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and city skyline
Discover charming bronze sculptures of Australian literary characters like Snugglepot and Cuddlepie
Walk through a lovingly created garden oasis developed by Wendy Whiteley as a labor of love
Learn about the area's rich maritime history, from indigenous fishing grounds to boatyards
Explore the original 1930s Coney Island funfair pavilion, the last of its kind in the world
Visit the historic North Sydney Olympic Pool where numerous world records were set
Experience a quieter, more intimate side of Sydney away from the tourist crowds

Take this enchanting walk along Sydney's creative shore to discover a world of art, whimsy and harborside beauty just minutes from the city center.

Tour Producer

Robyn Ravlich

1 tour

Writer and broadcaster with a long, stellar career as a presenter and producer of radio features and documentaries for ABC Radio National. Lives in a bushland setting on the southern fringe of Sydney after decades as a denizen of the inner city and early life growing up in the remote outback mining town of Broken Hill. Consummate traveller and keen walker. Passionate about Sydney's iconic landmarks, art and cultural history.

Preview Location

Location 5

Coney Island

Pausing at this end of Luna Park you see an exotically decorated building known as Coney Island, named after the original amusement park in New York. It’s the only remaining example of an original 1930s funfair operating in the world. You could spend the whole day in Coney Isl... Pausing at this end of Luna Park you see an exotically decorated building known as Coney Island, named after the original amusement park in New York. It’s the only remaining example of an original 1930s funfair operating in the world. You could spend the whole day in Coney Island experiencing its cheap thrills: once you had a ticket, all the amusements and rides inside were free, including the Joy Wheel, the Barrels of Fun, the Turkey Trot and the giant wooden slides known as the Devil’s Dip – all simple pleasures, giving lots of laughs. Justifiably, Funnyland is its other name. It’s worth a visit to experience the ingenuity of the old fashioned fun machines, now modified to meet modern safety standards. As you now continue along the foreshore look out for the penny arcade slot machines through the windows as I tell you more about it.

Coney Island fell on hard times in the closure of the park following the Ghost Train fire with treasured amusements saved by the artists and Friends of Luna Park action group. It was lovingly restored in the 1990s, principally by local Lavender Bay artist Peter Kingston who worked with Richard Liney, Martin Sharp and other artists to restore and recreate the original artwork of Arthur Barton. ‘Art’, as the artist-in-residence was appropriately known, was a familiar sight throughout his 35 years at Luna Park, dressed in white painter’s overalls with a shirt collar and tie showing at the neck and always wearing a felt hat. He was reluctantly ‘let go’ in involuntary retirement in 1970, aged 81.
As I wandered through Coney Island’s interior making a radio documentary with Peter Kingston, he described Barton’s massive mural of a winter skiing scene replete with monkeys, ducks, clowns and ballerinas as ‘his Sistine Chapel’. It’s no surprise that Peter Kingston and others have sought to honour the legacy of Art Barton as we’ll soon discover.

The bay we’re approaching on this side also had a small but rich maritime past and the boardwalk itself with its sturdy timbers evokes the wharves of former times.

What is new here is the planting of native grasses and shrubs along the pleasant path. It’s wonderful to get a sense of our distinctive Australian bushland in such an urban setting. And it’s a very sympathetic introduction to what lies ahead at the end of the grass-lined path where you see trees and wider plantings in a small reserve known as Art Barton Park, completed and opened in 2007 in honour of Art Barton. Dotted amongst the vegetation we’ll discover miniature bronze sculptures of beloved characters from classic Australian comics and children’s books by authors such as May Gibbs and Norman Lindsay, all in keeping with the spirit of eternal childhood celebrated in Luna Park. Our first stopping point will be just past the large green tree on the lawn area to the right of the path. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Sydney Harbour Bridge
North Sydney Olympic Pool
Luna Park Face
Coney Island
Art Barton Park
Lavender Bay
Wendy Whiteley's Sectret Garden
Ferris Wheel
Lavender Bay Living Boulders
Comic Walk

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Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
4 Alfred St S, Milsons Point NSW 2061, Australia
Total distance

1km
Final location
Lavender St, Lavender Bay NSW 2060, Australia
Distance back to start location

734.45m

Directions to Starting Point

Arrive at Milson's Point by ferry from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour or Balmain and locate the nearby palm tree, third from the Harbour Bridge, beside North Sydney Olympic Pool. Or catch a train to Milson's Point and walk down the hill to the bottom of Alfred Street, turning right to the third palm tree.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are numerous locations that are part of the walk where you might linger. Wendy's Secret Garden at its end is a tranquil haven for a rest or picnic lunch.

Best time of day

Lovely during daylight to see the sculptures along the way.
On sunny days wear sunscreen and a hat and take something to drink. If you have time at the end of the walk, take something to eat as you linger in Wendy's Secret Garden.
Retrace your steps to return via ferry or ascend from the park to North Sydney railway station, a few minutes walk away.

Precautions

Avoid walking back up the steep hill to Milson's Point railway station.

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