Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Nature reserve in northern Sydney, Australia.
Ku-ring-gai Chase is a national park in northern Sydney with sandstone cliffs, eucalyptus forests, mangrove swamps and sheltered coves along the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater waterways. The landscape extends across wide areas with deep valleys, rocky coastal sections and quiet waterways that sit between forested hills.
The area became a national park in 1894, making it the third in Australia after Berowra Waters and Royal. The protection was declared at a time when access to Sydney still relied mostly on boat travel through the waterways.
The name comes from the Guringai people, who lived here for thousands of years and left behind more than 800 sites with rock engravings. Visitors can see images of animals, humans and geometric patterns on red sandstone walls that remain clearly visible today.
Several walking tracks lead through the grounds, some with lookout points over the bay, others to rock engravings or beaches. Those arriving by boat will find several ramps and mooring spots along the coast that allow access to quieter zones.
A sphinx carved into rock stands on a hill overlooking the bay and was created in the 1920s by a returned soldier. The monument carries inscriptions that remember comrades who fell overseas.
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