October 2021 (ROTM#154) Burning Palms Beach, Royal National Park, NSW, Australia

During the extended lockdown that we experienced in Sydney, I went for a bushwalk to a beautiful spot in the Royal National Park (just south of Sydney and close to where I live) that has been ruined as it’s become an Instagram destination. Thanks to the lockdown, I had it to myself, just like the good old days! On the way I took this picture of Burning Palms Beach, which is pretty unique for a number of reasons. First, it’s got a collection of beach shacks that date back to the 1930s which you can read about here. Second it actually has a surf life saving club that is patrolled by volunteer lifesavers, one of the most remote in Australia.

 It’s a good thing too, because Burning Palms, like most of the open ocean beaches in the Royal National Park is an energetic beach known for rip currents. This picture is a good example of how to spot a rip from a distance. I had the advantage of height, which is always important, and I’m looking for narrow, dark, green gaps that extend from the beach through the surf – white is nice, green is mean! The rip in this picture is a channel rip pretty much in the middle of the beach, flowing offshore at a bit of an angle. If you do visit this beach, remember that the lifesavers are only there on weekends and public holidays during the summer months.

After a long, hot hike, a rip awaits.