Long Reef Fossil and Headland Lab

Long Reef Headland is one of the classic geology classrooms of the Northern Beaches. The exposed rock, broad headland and coastal views make it easier for children to understand that landscapes preserve evidence of much older worlds. Geologists read cliffs and platforms the way detectives read clues, looking for layers, shapes, fossils and the signatures of erosion.

Even when families do not see a fossil directly, the headland still teaches the key idea of deep time. The coast in front of us was not assembled in one go. It has been shaped, exposed and reworked over immense periods. That can be a thrilling idea for kids. The ground under their feet has a story far older than any human building nearby.