Sunny was found alive in his mother’s pouch after a fatal road strike and is now being hand-raised by Australian Reptile Park keepers.
Despite a tragic start to life, orphaned wombat Sunny has brought nothing but joy to his new home at the Australian Reptile Park, which explains the cheery name bestowed upon him. Sunny’s mother was hit and killed by a car. He was found alive inside her pouch and taken in by the park, where keepers are now hand-raising him.
Sunny is bottle-fed every four hours and goes home with his keepers every night. Taking him home means Sunny gets the constant attention he would ordinarily get from his mum, and raising the energetic baby has become a team effort. This has meant the keepers have developed a tight bond with Sunny, with his affectionate nature helping him steal quite a few hearts.
“Looking after a joey is a full-time job, with around-the-clock feeds and constantly trying to wear the little fella out. We’ve definitely got our hands full," Australian Reptile Park operations manager Brandon Gifford said.
Sunny has reached the age when young wombats would naturally begin to venture further from their mothers, so he’s growing increasingly curious about his surroundings. While he remains enthusiastic about bottle time and needs his cuddles, he’s starting to investigate anything within reach.
From 26 September to 11 October, you can see Sunny and hear from the keepers raising him about what his care involves. The park is at Somersby on the NSW Central Coast, and is open daily from 9am to 5pm with free parking.
What to do if you find a wombat on the road
While Sunny’s story and connection to his keepers is a heartwarming one, it’s important to remember the devastating toll of vehicle strikes on native wildlife. An estimated 10 million animals are killed on Australian roads each year, making vigilance particularly important when driving through bushland and regional areas.
The park hopes Sunny will become an ambassador for his species, raising awareness of wildlife road strikes and encouraging drivers to watch for animals, and slow down at dusk and dawn, when many mammals are most active and often feed beside the road.
If you hit an animal or see one that appears to have been hit, stop where it’s safe and check on it. Look for lumps or movement around the pouch, then call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or your local wildlife rescue service. Joeys can be thrown clear on impact, so check the surrounding area too.
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Jessica O’Donnell is Evergreen Editor at Australian Traveller. After nearly seven years in London, she returned to her hometown of Sydney with a fresh appreciation for the places and experiences on her doorstep. Previously Ecommerce Editor at Women’s Health UK, she’s also written for The Telegraph, The Times, Runner’s World and Cosmopolitan in the UK, as well as ELLE and Harper’s BAZAAR Australia. At Australian Traveller, she helps readers plan memorable Australian escapes, from coastal weekends to city stays. When she’s not writing or editing content, you’ll likely find her hunting down Sydney’s best dirty martini or adding to the ever-growing stack of books on her bedside table.
A national beach title, a new entertainment precinct and a run of headline restaurant openings have put this Sydney suburb on everyone’s radar. Here are eight of the best reasons to spend a long weekend in Cronulla.
Cronulla has spent the past year becoming one of Australia’s most talked-about coastal destinations. Its beaches picked up the title of Australia’s Best Beach for 2026, the town centre is now the state’s first beachside Special Entertainment Precinct, and it’s still the only Sydney beach you can reach by train.
Add a wave of excellent new bars and restaurants and two national parks on its doorstep, and it’s easy to understand why locals wax lyrical about the lifestyle.
1. The new wining and dining scene
Try Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours at Isora.
Chef Nelly Robinson has set up NOA just metres from the sand, and it includes a formal room for long lunches, plus Little NOA, a low-key terrace doing burgers and cocktails. Down the strip, Retro fuses a Mexico City cantina with an unlikely sideline: pizzas on a 48-hour fermented dough, backed by the Shire’s most extensive tequila list. At Checho’s, cocktails arrive in ceramic handbags and the pops of pink neon match the mood. Isora is another newcomer and skewed towards Asia, with dishes that rely on Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours. While Bobbys is one of the best waterfront restaurants in Cronulla, its sister venue, Meadow, is the new music room we didn’t know we needed. It’s cool and sleek, kitted out with excellent audio equipment and a roster of DJs on the decks.
2. Local favourites
Follow the locals to Homer Rogue Taverna. (Credit: Trent van der Jagt)
Follow the locals home from the beach to Homer Rogue Taverna, where Harry and Mario Kapoulas draw from mum’s own recipe book – moussaka, charcoal chicken off the souvla. Duke’s Providore flips from butcher-counter deli by day to an intimate wine bar after dark, and Parc Pavilion’s new pub complex covers everything from a casual bistro to a proper sports bar under one roof. Benny’s looks over Gunnamatta Bay, where the signature barra arrives in a bag with clams and cherry tomatoes, while Alphabet St has long paired its signature Apple Martini with modern Asian share plates. At family-run Queen Margherita of Savoy, the vibes are always high and the Neapolitan-style pizza lives up to its reputation as the suburb’s best.
Bate Bay in the Sutherland Shire was named Australia’s best beach for 2026. (Credit: Taylah Darnell)
The best beach title didn’t come from nowhere. Cronulla’s beaches and ocean pools remain some of Sydney’s most photographed, pulling swimmers, surfers and photographers back year after year. The award covers several spots along Bate Bay, including four ocean pools and the Gunnamatta Bay Baths. Follow the Esplanade from Cronulla Beach, then on to Shelly Park, where an ocean pool sits beside a grassy park and fenced playground.
4. A surf culture to match
Watch the local surfers, or join in.
Life in Cronulla revolves around the ocean. Local surfers are in the water before work, wriggling into their wetsuits. Others are swimming around Shark Island or doing the downward dog at Sunrise Yoga. In the warmer months, many are putting a full stop on the day with a quick dip at dusk. Wander the Esplanade under a wide, blue sky, and you’ll understand why Cronulla deserves the its accolades. Groups like the Shark Island Psycho Swimmers (SIPS) swim all through winter, and the beachside cafes fill with these fit folk still dripping wet and salty from the surf.
5. A ferry ride to Bundeena
Royal National Park is the world’s second-oldest national park. (Credit: J Spencer / DCCEEW)
For a change of pace, base yourself in Cronulla and take the short ferry across to Bundeena. While it’s only a day trip from Cronulla, it feels like you’ve left Sydney behind entirely, without ever getting in a car.
Time your visit to coincide with the monthly art trail. Or paddle into the calm water of Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. The boho suburb is the gateway to the walking tracks of the Royal National Park – the second oldest national park in the world and the oldest in Australia. It’s worth the jaunt along Jibbon Beach to see the Jibbon Head Aboriginal Engravings, an ancient Dharawal rock art site located on a sandstone platform near Bundeena in the Royal National Park.
6. Explore Kamay Botany Bay National Park
Wander over impressive sandstone clifftops. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Prefer to stay on this side of the water? The Kurnell side of Kamay Botany Bay National Park sits just beyond Cronulla’s beaches – its coastal walking trails leading out to Cape Solander, where watching the waves crash against the soaring sandstone cliffs is as dramatic as seeing whales breaching during the annual migration season.
There’s history here too, layered into the landscape. The Cape Baily walking track snakes along the clifftops to the 1950 lighthouse, passing through heathland that is brightened with pops of pretty wildflowers during spring. Set off early, in the cool light of dawn, to make the trek from Cape Solander to Cronulla along a well-used walking track.
7. Stay the night (or several)
Peaple-watch from your balcony at Rydges Cronulla Beachside. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Accommodation in Cronulla ranges from cosy Airbnbs to full-service hotels. Rydges Cronulla Beachside has 84 rooms and suites, most with balconies over the beach or the Kingsway, plus a terrace bar, The Alley, right by the beach. And Quest Cronulla Beach has reopened after a full refurbishment with pet-friendly studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each with its own kitchen and laundry. Guests can also use the outdoor pool, gym, sauna and spa. Quest Woolooware Bay is just one suburb back from Cronulla and near the Woolooware Bay Shared Pathway, which leads across the Captain Cook Bridge to Dolls Point.
8. A vibrant events calendar
Check out Brass Monkey’s gig guide.
Music lovers flock to the Cronulla Jazz and Blues Festival, which happens every May. And there’s always something happening at the Brass Monkey, so be sure to check the gig guide for upcoming live acts.
Pop into the Cronulla Christmas Market (in 2026, it’s on November 21-22) for over 200 stalls selling gift ideas for Christmas. Food lovers, meanwhile, can graze more than 30 international hot food stalls at Eat Drink Nights Cronulla.
Bring the family along to two of the Shire’s favourite annual festivals. The Gymea Village Festival fills Gymea’s streets with rides, entertainment and market stalls every October, while the Jannali Moonrise Festival lights up November with live music, food and family-friendly fun.
Yes, Cronulla officially has the best beach in Australia, a dining scene that holds its own against the city’s best and national parks on either side of it. But best of all, these attractions are all close enough together that you never have to choose between them.
