Cape Solander is a natural historic site, located near the small town of

Kurnell Kurnell is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is south of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of the Sutherland Shire along the east coast. Cronulla ...

, New South Wales, situated in the

Kamay Botany Bay National Park The Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a Heritage register, heritage-listed state park, protected national park that is located in the eastern part of Botany Bay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The national park is situated approximately ...

. The location is known for

whale watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. ...

, the whale species to be seen including the

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...

southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20� ...

, and the

grey whale The gray whale (''Eschrichtius robustus''), also known as the grey whale,Britannica Micro.: v. IV, p. 693. is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of , a weight of up to and lives between ...

. Fatalities caused by falling from the cliffs have occurred at this location.

Overview

Cape Solander whale-watching platform and carpark

Cape Solander is located on the Kurnell Peninsula, on the southern side of the

. The cape was named after Swedish botanist

Daniel Solander Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander (19 February 1733 – 13 May 1782) was a Sweden, Swedish naturalist and an Apostles of Linnaeus, apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Solander was the first university-educated scientist to set foot o ...

who landed with

Captain James Cook Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 1768 and 1779. He complet ...

near the cape's location. It marks the start of the Cape Baily Walking Track, that heads over to the Cape Baily Lighthouse. Around the cape, there are several other landmarks such as Tabbigai Gap, Blue Hole Gorge, and Yena Track.

Aboriginal heritage

Cape Solander is home to the

Gweagal The Gweagal (also spelt Gwiyagal) are a clan of the Tharawal, Dharawal people of Aboriginal Australians. Their descendants are Traditional owners, traditional custodians of the southern areas of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Country The ...

and Goorawal Aboriginal People.

Description

The iconic white rocks that surround the cliffside of Cape Solander, that look like the rocks in Wedding Cake Rock, are

Hawkesbury Sandstone Sydney sandstone, also known as the Hawkesbury sandstone, yellowblock, and yellow gold, is a sedimentary rock named after Sydney, and the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney, where this sandstone is particularly common. It forms the bedrock f ...

, which is commonly occurring in the

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

area. At the parking area, there is a $2.5M

whale-watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. ...

platform for tourists to use when whales migrate in winter.

Access

Cape Solander can be easily accessed from the

Sydney CBD The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or ...

by driving west on

Parramatta Road Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. S ...

then heading South on

King Georges Road King Georges Road is a major suburban arterial road through south-western Sydney, Australia. It is a constituent part of the A3 route. Route King Georges Road commences at the intersection of Wiley Avenue and Punchbowl Road in Wiley Park ...

. After, turn on Captain Cook Drive and enter Kamay Botany Bay Nat'l Park.

Accidents

2018

In 2018, an American

Mormon missionary Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—often referred to as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and ...

slipped and fell to his death while posing for a

selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone. The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...

at the cliffs.

2024

In June of 2024, two women died when they were swept off the rocks near Cape Solander while walking. A third woman managed to climb onto the rocks to safety.

Activities

Cape Solander is a popular place for whale-watching with 300,000 tourists coming from all around the world for this activity. This place is also popular for bushwalking, with the nearby Muru and Yena trails close by, with also the Cape Baily Walking Track, which stretches down to Cape Baily Lightstation, Voodoo Point and Potter Point.

References

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