First time visitor to this awesome place where we decided to catchup over a bbq with friends…read more Access is by boat, ferry or water taxi. Unsure if you can drive here as I didn't see any cars. What struck me immediately is the local swamp wallabies that coexist with the visitors and rangers. Sightings on the day included kookaburras, various birds and reptiles. It is the only place in the Ku-ring-gai Chase where you can camp. Being part of a national park, ongoing conservation and preservation is by way of entrance fees ($3 per head), which is separate to camping fees. Restrictions applies to this beautiful place i.e. fires. The campsite is well maintained and very clean. Plenty of hiking opportunities for those who are keen as it is surrounded by hills and mountains There is a body of water that is safe for some water sports. Bbq facilities is also available which we took advantage of. Beechwood Cottage is a historical property which is available to hire for functions and events. This place is great if you want to get away for the weekends with or without the kids. It overlooks Pittwater and is just a beautiful place to hang and chill.

This is a great beach and camping area, with mountains all around. Access is by boat or trails…read more No vehicles allowed. It's not a pristine sand beach, more like sand based mud, but has nice calm clear water on the back harbour side. The place has lots of space to picnic and relax. Everything is clean. And the kids get to run after the wallaby(ies) when they hop by. We went in by boat, which is a great way to arrive. There are lots of tent campers, most of which seemed to arrive and bring their gear in by boat. Several ferries service the area.

The Great Aussie Bush Camp is an amazing camp. It has so many great activities like a giant swing,…read morehigh ropes, rock climbing and bush craft. The dining at The Great Aussie Bush Camp was surprisingly great except for the spaghetti which was watery and nobody ate. The rest of the camp was amazing. Don't listen to the 1,2 or 3 star reviews because they are exaggerating. The giant swing was Had no seat which is why I didn't put it as a 5 star review. Everything at the Great Aussie Bush Camp is safe and enjoyable unless you don't like the activity which is very unlikely. The instructors will get you excited.

Lord. This place is even worse than New York Public Bathrooms. Yes, the Giant Swing was fun, but…read moreall the activities of course, had to be ruined by instructors. Not to mention, the food tastes like cardboard and glorified water. Spaghetti at Tea Gardens taste like someone added noodles to soggy water, the bread seems more sad than me and the nachos: you normally can't mess up nachos - but nope. The Nachos were soft as hell and the salsa tasted like rat piss. Not to mention the instructors ding Dong ditch, sweat and physically assault people and, some pervert at my school looked in my bathroom, naked. Speaking if the bathroom, the hygiene and cleaning is more than horrendous. Even my poop is more cleaner than the bathrooms, and it smelled like someone added fart spray. And the cabins and mess hall looked like prisons. Horrendous.

I'm no camping fan, but I have a real soft spot for Paddy Pallin. It stems from childhood shopping…read morevisits with my Dad, when we'd venture into town to check out tents, sleeping bags and backpacks for my older brothers' various Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. In fact I think we even went back to buy thermals before our big family trip to Europe. Need thermals? Of course you'd go to Paddy Pallin. I think our go-to brand was Patagonia, and although these days it has its own shopfront, Paddy Pallin is still the place to go for comparison shopping. There's Helly Hansen, Mountain Hardwear, The North Face and the new must-have, Skins. The shop is looking a bit tired these days, but if I ever decide to go camping, I know where nostalgia will take me!

From the owner: Nobody knows more about trekking and adventure travel than the team at Paddy Pallin. We don't just…read moretalk the talk. We walk the walk. But that's not all. We bash the boots, punish the packs and we push the limits of every product we sell. Because it's only through experience that we can help make the most of your experience. Icebreaker, Scarpa, Osprey, The North Face, Sea to Summit, Pacsafe, ExOfficio, Patagonia, Steripen, and Thermarest are just a few of the popular brands Paddy Pallin stocks.