Take a 25 minute train ride from Central Station and you’ll find a picturesque suburban bushwalk lauded by locals, but to the rest of Sydney, it’s a hidden gem.
The Lime Kiln Bay and Oatley Park loop is a 6km walk that traces the wetlands and waterways of Lime Kiln Bay and the bushland of Oatley Park.
This walk is a popular place to spot birds. Keep watch for Lorikeets and Rosellas in the tree tops, Royal Spoonbills and White-faced Heron in the wetlands, and listen for the Kookaburras and Cockatoos.
And if you’ve been looking out for a dog friendly walk, so long as your dog is on a leash, it can join you on a loop around Lime Kiln Bay and Oatley Park.
| Distance: | 6km loop (or 9km from Oatley Station) |
| Start: | Waterfall Rd, near corner of Acacia St |
| End: | Waterfall Rd, near corner of Acacia St |
| Public Transport: | Train at Oatley Bus on Acacia St, Oatley |
| Water: | Bring what you need |
| Toilets: | Oatley Train Station Oatley Park Baths Sportsfield off Mallard Drive |
| Top Tip: | Use the AllTrails map to navigate. This walk links multiple bushland tracks, and while these tracks are well-formed, there is no directional signage marking the loop walk and it would be easy to end up on other tracks that criss-cross the park. |
Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop Overview
The Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop is a 6km walk around Lime Kiln Bay and through Oatley Park. The walk can be accessed via public transport, and if you start and end your walk at Oatley train station you’ll add 1.5km each way making the loop walk approximately 9km total.
Starting from the train station, if you take Mulga Road you’ll pass by a supermarket and cafes so you can pick up snacks and lunch to enjoy during your walk. After 20 minutes (directions here) you’ll have made it to the start of the bushwalk on Waterfall Rd, near the corner of Acacia St.
Once you’ve taken the steps down off the road into the bush, you’ll come to a small bridge over Dairy Creek and the Lime Kiln Bay Wetlands.
The bushland tracks alongside the Lime Kiln Bay Wetland before coming to the Hurstville Golf Course — the walk continues on a track along the perimeter of the course before heading back into the bush on a boardwalk through the mangroves.
A set of wooden steps takes you up away from the mangroves to meet another street access point for this loop walk at the corner of Jinna Rd and Pamela Ave. The walking track continues on to the pedestrian bridge over Lime Kiln Bay wetlands and into Oatley Park.
A short way after the bridge, the path continues both left and right, and for this loop walk, you’ll head right, up the hill. This section of the walk is paved and flat, and also open to cyclists so be sure to keep to your side of the track.
Part way up the paved hill, keep an eye out for wooden steps on the right hand side that head down into the bush toward the water. Following the AllTrails map is helpful here as the turn can be easy to miss. This section of the walk follows a route through Oatley Park known as The Headland Track. It runs adjacent to the bay and is especially scenic.
When you come to Oatley Baths, the track skirts the water’s edge with views across the Georges River to the Como Bridge before heading up stone steps back into the bush.
You’ll continue your walk through the bushland until reaching another access point to the track and Oatley Park at Douglas Haig St. Watch for cars entering the park before crossing the road and heading back into the bush.
The track continues through the bush until it meets Mallard Dr. Again, take care here as you’ll be walking up a road that cars use to access the popular Oatley Bush Park Playground.
This is another section where you might find the AllTrails map helpful to navigate. The path off Mallard Dr is a formed track but there is no signage to direct you onto the route. However, don’t be too concerned if you do miss the turn, the track only enters the bushland (past the sportsfield) for a short stretch before rejoining Mallard Dr and looping around Oatley Bush Park Playground.
If you’re visiting on a public holiday or weekend, this section of the park is the busiest with cars and people as the playground is popular with families and groups.
Once you’ve made it around the playground, keep your eye out on the left for the track back into the bush. Again, the track is formed but not marked with a sign so AllTrails is your friend here if you can’t see the track.
This section of the track is known as the Frogs Hollow Track and it heads back down to the Lime Kiln Bay wetlands. This is a great spot for bird watching.
Crossing a final bridge and it’s not long before you’ll find yourself back where you started. Take the stairs up to Waterfall Rd and, if you arrived via train, retrace your steps to the station to wrap up your walk.
Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop Map
The Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop is a walking route that combines multiple tracks around Lime Kiln Bay and through Oatley Park. The tracks are well-formed, however, the loop route is not marked with directional signage, so using the AllTrails map can support navigation.
How to get to the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop
Public Transport
The start of the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop walk is located on Waterfall Rd, near where it meets Acacia St. This location is approximately 1.5km from Oatley Train Station. The walk from the train station is straightforward, and you can use Google Maps to chart the direction. If you walk from Oatley train station to do the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop, the total walk distance is approximately 9km.
Alternatively, you’ll find nearby bus stops (for the 955 route) on Acacia St and Gungah Bay Road. You can use Trip Planner on the Transport for NSW website to plan your journey.
Driving
If you would prefer to drive, there is some on street parking on Waterfall Rd. Alternatively, you could start your walk at a different section of the loop and take advantage of the car parks in Oatley Park. You’ll find a car park if you enter off Douglas Haig St, and more car parking spots near the Oatley Bush Park Playground (enter off Oatley Park Avenue).
Facilities
Cafes & Shops
If you start your walk at Oatley train station, you’ll find a Coles supermarket as well as a number of cafes along Mulga Road.
Drinking Water
Bring the water you need with you.
Toilets
There are toilet facilities in a number of locations on the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop walk:
- Oatley Train Station
- Oatley Park Baths
- Sportsfield off Mallard Drive
Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park Loop Highlights
The picturesque Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park loop walk features many highlights, including its namesake Lime Kiln Bay and Oatley Park. Other highlights of this bushwalk include the mangroves of the Lime Kiln Wetlands, The Headland Track through Oatley Park, the historic Oatley Baths, and the popular Oatley Bush Park Playground.
Dairy Creek
Dairy Creek is a tributary to Georges River and you’ll cross it at the start and end of your walk on the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park loop track. The creek runs from Mortdale into the Lime Kiln Bay Wetland, connecting with Lime Kiln Bay and the Georges River.
Lime Kiln Bay Wetlands
Lime Kiln Bay includes wetland areas constructed by the local council as part of an initiative to rehabilitate and preserve the degraded natural environment, and improve water quality and recreational opportunity on the Georges River foreshore.
After passing the golf course on the Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park loop, you’ll come to a boardwalk across the mudflats providing a view of the mangroves.
Another point of interest on this section of the walk is the pedestrian footbridge over Lime Kiln Bay.
The Headland Track
The Headland Track is a bushwalking route in Oatley Park. It is a loop walk within the larger Lime Kiln Bay & Oatley Park loop track. You can see a map and read more about The Headland Track on the Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society website.
Oatley Baths
The Oatley Park Baths are located on Sandy Beach at Jew Fish Bay offering a vantage point across the Georges River to toward the Como Bridge. The baths have been home to the Oatley Amateur Swimming Club since it was established in 1927.
Oatley Bush Park Playground
The Oatley Bush Park Playground is an impressive and popular playground located in Oatley Park. It has car parking available, and facilities in the park include children’s play equipment, shaded seating, and BBQs. There are toilets located about a 5 minute walk away.
