A tour of the Curl Curl Boardwalk and Surf History Walk, located between the suburbs of Curl Curl and Freshwater on the Sydney Northern Beaches.
The length of this walk is approximately 1km each way.
Our starting point is in the car park at the southern end of Curl Curl beach, near the ocean pool. There are lots of options for street parking nearby, mainly along Carrington Parade. There are a couple of options for exiting the boardwalk early, if you are looking for an even shorter walk.
If you would prefer, you can check out the video directly on the Sunday Explorer YouTube channel (link opens in a new window).
There are steps at the southern end of the Curl Curl boardwalk, but not too many. If you are planning to do this walk with a pram then you could carry it up the stairs. Alternatively you could turn around once you reach the stairs and head back to the ocean pool at Curl Curl. Carrington Parade can also be used to walk, with somewhat similar views to the boardwalk, for an easier option.
After a quick visit to the Freshwater Lookout we then cross the road into the Duke Kahanamoku Memorial, on the grounds of Harbord Diggers Club. Duke Kahanamoku, better known as “The Duke” is largely recognized as being the person who popularized surfing. The memorial contains a large statue of Duke, erected in 1994, along with plaques commemorating many of Australia’s greatest surfers including Pam Burridge, Damien Hardman, Nat Young, Midget Farrelly, Mark Richards, Wayne Bartholomew and many others.
So, why is there a memorial for The Duke here? Duke Kahanamoku visited Freshwater Beach in late 1914 and performed a surfing display. In 2015 an event was held at Freshwater Beach commemorating 100 years since the original visit. At this event a replica of the Duke’s board was ridden.
Curl Curl Boardwalk – Other Adventures Nearby
Consider linking this walk up with the Dee Why to Curl Curl Coastal Walk. The Dee Why walk will take you to the northern end of Curl Curl beach, where you can then follow the road, or sand, to the beginning of the Curl Curl boardwalk.
For a couple of options to the south you could try the Wormhole Tunnel (Queenscliff Tunnel), the Secret Huts of Crater Cove, or the epic Spit Bridge to Manly Coastal Path.
Want to make a full day adventure to remember? Start at Dee Why and take the coastal walk to Curl Curl. Walk the Curl Curl boardwalk before walking over to Queenscliff where you can check out the Wormhole. Then walk along the promenade from Queenscliff into Manly. For a very rough estimate, this would be somewhere between 8-10kms, including a walk from the Dee Why B-Line bus stop to the start of the Dee Why walk. From Manly you could then take the Manly ferry back to the city. All easily achievable in less than a single day.
Curl Curl Boardwalk – Getting There
If coming by car then head towards Curl Curl Beach, taking the road towards the ocean pool at the southern end of the beach. Once on Carrington Parade you can then either look for street parking nearby or park in one of the numerous beach car parks.
If you are coming via public transport then take the big yellow double decker B-Line bus to the Warringah Mall bus stop. From here you will then need to transfer to a local bus which will take you to Curl Curl Beach.
Gear used:
- Camera: https://amzn.to/2YU36Zu
- Awesome value camera mount kits: https://amzn.to/2LFJF34
