Picnic Paradise at Shark Island
Sydney Harbour offers much more than Circular Quay and the Bridge. Venture out a little further and you’ll find plenty of beautiful islands just made for exploring. While the mainland has been developed into an urban jungle, these islands are home to native flora and fauna. These natural features sit beside historic buildings and Aboriginal sites which reveal much about Australia’s cultural heritage.
One of these natural havens is Shark Island. But don’t let the name scare you off. The island was given this cute moniker because it looks like a shark, not because it’s home to some white pointers!
Shark Island is located a kilometre away from Rose Bay. It offers beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, making it a favourite choice for local picnickers.
Between 1880 and 1975, the island was used as an animal quarantine station and a naval storage depot. Now though it’s dotted with picnic tables surrounded by shade trees. Wander around and explore the rocky foreshore and sandy beaches. I promise you won’t have an encounter with Jaws!
If you want to visit Shark Island, call (02) 9247 5033 to make a booking.
Trading hours: 9 am to 5 pm daily, and 8 am to 8 pm during daylight savings
Location: Shark Island
Public transport: A ferry service from Circular Quay operated on Saturday and Sunday. It costs $16 for adults, $13.50 for children (5-15 years), $14.50 for concessions, and $53 for families. This price includes the National Parks and Wildlife Service landing fee
Website: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0039
Image source: Julius @ Flickr
2 Comments
i was doing an assingment on natrual features of sydney and i did those”beautiful islands u talked about and i got a zero coz my teacher said they were just rock im complaining about this and hoping you put real and true facts on this website
Hi Alex … I definitely report real and true facts. Good luck with your teacher – your mark was unfair because she’s quite simply mistaken.