ATTRACTIONS LA PEROUSE NSW

La Perouse is an historical haven that blends Aboriginal, French and Colonial traditions. Named after the navigator Jean-Francois de Galaup de La Perouse, the first Frenchman to arrive in Australia in 1788, this treasure is resplendent with beaches, bays and bushland. La Perouse's museum contains original maps, antique scientific instruments and intriguing relics recovered from the wrecks of La Perouse's frigates Boussole and Astrolabe. The museum is also the starting point of a walking trail ending at Endeavour Lighthouse where you're rewarded with spectacular views across the bay to the site of Captain Cook's landing place. Worth exploring and accessible via a bridge from La Perouse is the tiny Bare Island, the site of a fort completed in 1885 to strengthen Sydney's coastal defence. On weekends there are Aboriginal artefacts, all of which are for sale, on display at the park....

La Perouse Museum is located on Kamay Botany Bay National Park’s northern headland. The museum is housed within the historic Cable Station building, once Australia’s only link to the rest of the world. The La Perouse Monument is located nearby. Almost 2,000 items across several rooms of exhibits document the 1787–1788 expedition of French explorer the Comte de Lapérouse. Items include the complete Atlas of the Voyage of La Perouse. Lapérouse arrived in Botany Bay a week after the First Fleet. His expedition was last seen in what is now national parkland before mysteriously vanishing. The fascinating exhibits in La Perouse Museum also tell stories of the local area, including Aboriginal stories. ...

Grab your backpack and follow Henry Head walking track as it curves along the clifftops and beaches of Kamay Botany Bay National Park. This easy, four kilometre walk will reward you with dramatic views across Botany Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond as you make your way to Endeavour Lighthouse at Henry Head. There two options for where this walk can be started - La Perouse Museum at Cann Park on Anzac Parade; or the carpark near the park entry gates on Anzac Parade, opposite Goorawahl Avenue. Take a break to admire the views, and check out Henry Head’s historic World War II battlements – part of Sydney’s early coastal defence systems. If all this isn’t enough to pique your interest, there’s always the bird watching. Kookaburras, lorikeets and yellow-tailed black cockatoos are just some of the species you might encounter as you stride along this walk. Reptiles such as skinks, blue-tongue lizards and water dragons are also common around here. Once you reach Henry Head you have the option of turning back to retrace your steps, or, continuing the walk a further 1.2 kilometres to explore Cruwee Cove and the headland at Cape Banks....