Just a cruisey 50-minute drive from Sydney, the Royal National Park is filled with walks, waterfalls and stunning, remote wilderness, not to mention a whole heap of kid-friendly activities. And now it’s also home to Australia’s best stargazing spot, as voted by the travel experts at Next Vacay.
The platform looked at the number of Instagram hashtags on 30 of Australia’s most popular national parks. Royal National Park clocked in at a whopping 165,307 stargazing pics taken from various areas within it. Admittedly, its #1 ranking could be because it’s so close to Sydney and therefore gets more visitors — and Instagram posts — than other, more remote sites. Still, though, if you’re a fan of stars, it’s worth checking out.
The best time to go is during the winter, when, yes, it can be chilly at night, but you’ll also be treated to better visibility and unobstructed views. It’s also suggested that you visit when the moon is in a gibbous or crescent phase, so as to make sure its light doesn’t overpower the stars.
You can even make a family weekend away out of it by booking a cottage or campground in the park, or staying in Cronulla and taking a 20-minute ferry to the park to Bundeena. During the day, check out the Figure Eight Rock Pools, picnic at Wattamolla or walk along 26km-long Coast Track.
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Among the 29 other top stargazing spots Next Vacay looked at, they included these four.
Freycinet National Park, Tasmania
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Grampians National Park, Victoria
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Springbrook National Park, Queensland
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Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
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