Figuring out Figure 8 pools
Updated: Jan 8, 2021
- Royal National Park, NSW, Australia
An unexpected trek, surprised us while we planned for a relaxing trip to Figure 8 pools and it took a tough walk to figure out the actual place, with no preparation and motivation. Discussing the story, the lessons we learnt and tips for the trek.
Trek Rating: Moderate
The trip overall was adventurous, extreme variations of walks and landscape, jungles, meadows, sand and boulders. Beautiful site, good for walkers and nature lovers.
Traveling tips:
Around 40 kms from Sydney, 1 hour drive.
Leave in morning before 8:00 am from Sydney, so that you have some spare time to enjoy the dips and take a break.
Never go any places around NSW on impulse without looking in to the details.
Always be prepared with shoes and change of clothes.
Always carry food even best of the places don’t have cafes around sometimes, specially this was a trek,so nothing on the stretch.
Carry minimum and comfortable load.
Never plan during rains or in high tides, as the site disappears.
Happy and safe travel guys, please don't do it like us otherwise its really a good place to trek .
Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/travel_o_some/ to know more about such awesome places, do read our painful story below-
The Start of the weekend
For the first time in many years, I deliberately kept my long weekend free so that I can rest do nothing and just relax in the comfort of my home. It has been a very long week and from last one year, I haven't taken any leave not even sick. I was exhausted, stressed and in dire need of rest. Naturally I was looking forward to the long weekend break.
So this week was completely unplanned left there for things to occur by themselves.
But its sheer destiny or just the mischief of universe, it enjoys poking me or it just cant see me doing nothing. so one friend, proposed Bollywood night, I agreed and not just that I convinced 8 more friends to come along. I have no idea why I got involved in this, I always forget I am not a night person and my battery runs out around 11:30.
I mean yes, its once in a long time, I love dancing on Bollywood, actually I can only dance and enjoy at the same time on Bollywood numbers. Most importantly it’s rare to have all friends going somewhere and doing something together. So Long story short, danced our each bone out, till 4:30 hours until I was removed by Police just for taking a 2 mins Nap at 02:00 AM after one hectic week and a super long and tiring night. I mean is it really a reason to remove someone specially when I woke up.
All my friends got pissed we had a heated argument with the Cop lady nonetheless we had to leave. Saturday, the only option was relaxing as each and every body part was paining and complaining.
Plan to the pools
One day gone, still recovering and on Sunday can't keep my brain to an idle mode, so I decided to go to Figure 8 pools convinced my friends, its just one hour drive and we will see these amazing, naturally formed structure. Two of my friends who were hanging out at my house agreed.
We started at 12:00 after doing everything super slow, as allowed by the body pains of Friday night. Reached the destination at 01:00 and we were happy, not bad!
Finally, after parking the car we marched towards the place dressed in slippers and beach wear. We saw the board, and it mentioned “Figure 8 pools 7 kms - 3 hour return trek” .
There was a pause until, my friend started swearing words and looked at me, as if I am to blame for this. I had no clue myself, about the trek and I was the one, most inappropriately dressed for a trek specially my fancy footwear. While there was a heated argument between us, he left and walked alone.
We covered significant distance to reach here, and though all of us were tired, there was no scope for returning. I already made up my mind, and had no courage to leave the place and go back.
Eventually the trek began. First, we unclimbed a hill, passed a Jungle and then meadows to arrive at a beach. The pain was building up and mood was spoilt for my friend, we hated our footwear and the load of heavy bags.
We walked till the beach with all the discomfort. Then took 2 mins break and spotted pool 8 site which was still quite a distance.
to wait, as Mohit had hurt his feet, his slippers were two size smaller, for he was wearing the spare one from my house. I had to go and finish the trek to pool 8 no matter what, already we have been through the rocky and slippery terrain of boulders and here again a one km boulder trek was awaiting to be covered before we reach the site of pools.
Everyone was looking at us with Awe or sarcasm the way we were dressed up and jumping the boulders. Many people, showed their concern and said be careful, we had no choice but to be careful as any injury could have been catastrophic and going back with a broken leg was unimaginable.
After 35 mins of painful trek I reached the site and pool 8 was a small structure then what I had imagined. It was surrounded by a group getting photographed all in and around it. I waited 15 mins for my turn and when I jumped it was deep and cold however all my complaints were gone since
I came all the way to see it. The sight was delightful with many more other pools of different shapes and sizes. I took a dip in each pool which looked safe and possible for me. My friends also came, both of them chose to continue the trek.
They just looked at the pools and walked away with no intention of getting wet, already too much pissed by the trek and there was no place to change the clothes just an array of uneven boulders around.
I took 20 mins of pleasure dip switching different pools and then we continued again for 1.5 hours.
But this time it was worse, we were worn out, motivation was lost, feet were sour and hurt and we had to climb the whole hill.
Nonetheless, we did it in time and it really felt like an achievement, however the recovery we made on Saturday after Bollywood night, all wasted.
Hope you enjoyed our suffering ;).