Any sunny Sydney day is a good time to check the tides and head down to the Royal National Park. Situated at the southern tip of Sydney, bottom end of ‘the Shire’, this pearl of greenery, jewel of coast is an explorers paradise. Many know of the family-friendly beach at Wottamolla (and when I say many, if you’ve ever been down those parts on a summer weekend, you will probably have been turned away from the full carpark), and the cliffside natural beauty of Garie beach, but less know of Burning Palms. Hence the call to check the tides. At low tide, you can take an adventure out to the little-known Figure 8 Pools. They don’t exist above water at high tide (believe me, I went searching!), so check a day or two ahead to make sure the timing might work in with your plans as low and high is generally a difference of six hours. The drive down into the Royal National Park (which used to be named the National Park until Queen Elizabeth …