Sydney Harbour Federation Trust

Experiences at North Head Sanctuary

Walks at North Head Tours at North Head View from North Head Bandicoot Bushland at North Head Sanctuary Kids activities in the Discovery Room Grass plant

North Head Sanctuary is a great place to get away from it all. It is an ideal, quiet and peaceful location for recreation activities such as bird watching, picnics and walks. The Visitor Centre offers craft and other interactive activities for children, as well as an interesting exhibition on the military history and the remarkable flora and fauna of the area.

Walks and self-guided tours

North Head Sanctuary is a spectacular place to walk. The quite serenity of the headland is perfect for contemplating the city of four million people in the distance. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the bush tracks and observe the native wildlife. This walk also forms part of the Sydney Coastal walk.

More on walking at North Head Sanctuary
More on Sydney's Coastal Walks

Tours

Our guides can take you around the North Head Sanctuary and to places not normally visited by the public. The guided tours are done in conjunction with the North Fort Artillery Museum and give an insight into the fascinating military history of the area and include venturing into the tunnels and fortifications.
Check out dates for tours to North Head

Lookouts

The walking track at North Head Sanctuary offers a number of places to view the city through untouched bushland. The North Head Sanctuary track leads through to North Fort and then onto Fairfax Lookout in the Sydney Harbour National Park.

Eating

North Head Sanctuary offers many idyllic settings for picnics. Nearby North Fort Café is currently undergoing refurbishment but is expected to re-open in late 2010.

Kids' Programs

Visit the Discovery Room at the Gatehouse Visitor Centre for free children's activities. Children can make a bandicoot mask or flannel flower. There is a range of books to read, a microscope to examine bush remnants and other interactive activities.

Nature and Wildlife

The bushland at North Head provides habitat for a wide range of native species. One of the largest remnant areas of the endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS) exists on North Head. This heath-like plant community thrives on the headland.

Also keep a look out for the many birds, including the New Holland Honeyeater, the white browned scrub-wren, rainbow lorikeets and the little wattle bird. If you are lucky, bandicoots and possums may also make an appearance.

Native Plant Nursery

Volunteers at the Native Plant Nursery are working to propagate plant species that are indigenous to North Head, particularly the endangered population of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. The nursery is open every weekend from 10am to 4pm.

You too can get involved in saving North Head's precious native species by volunteering with the North Head Sanctuary Foundation. See their website for further details.
More on the Native Plant Nursery

Business Directory

Meet our tenants at North Head Sanctuary. Businesses at North Head