Naturescapes - NSW National Parks e-Newsletter

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Welcome to the latest edition of Naturescapes packed with inspiring trip ideas to help you plan your spring break! Shed off those winter woolies, pull on your hiking boots, and get out and about to enjoy the best that spring has to offer.

After dark in your national park

School holidays alert! It's that time again, and we've got a seriously long list of great kids activities planned in national parks across the state! There's plenty to keep your young 'uns busy during the day, but if you're looking for something a little different, how about a tour to discover the park after dark? Our raft of night activities are guaranteed to have you and the kids seeing your parks in a whole new light.

'Eyes in the Night' at Mount Kaputar, ' Muttonbirds by Moonlight' at Coffs, 'Rainforest Nightstalk' at Dorrigo and 'Wildlife of the Night' at Murramarang are just some of the cool tours on offer in September and October.

Grab a torch and spot yourself a tour at Wild Wild World by searching for the word 'night'.

Unique tours go behind the scenery

Give yourself a November to remember with one of these exceptional new behind-the-scenes, small group nature experiences!

Enjoy a two-day, multi-park discovery of the beautiful Hawkesbury River system and its parks. Led by experienced guides, you'll explore the unique flora, fauna, colonial and Aboriginal history of Muogamarra Nature Reserve and Marramarra and Ku-ring-gai Chase national parks. An evening under the stars at Gentleman’s Halt awaits, along with a host of special experiences like stargazing from an Aboriginal perspective, a mangrove canoe trip, rock art viewing and a visit past the island nature reserves of Spectacle and Long Island.

Or discover the science behind the scenery at Sydney's North Head and Sydney Harbour National Park on a three-day getaway combining flora and fauna monitoring with the ambience and luxury of historic Q Station. You'll assist NPWS researchers on projects such as bandicoot micro-chipping and habitat monitoring, and enjoy a range of fascinating biodiversity walks, talks and activities in around the park, including a snorkel at Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve and a research trip out to Clark Island.

Places are limited so get in quick! Find out more at Wild Wild World or call 13 PARK (13 72 75). Both tour packages include meals, beverages, accommodation, tour transport and equipment.

Outdoor exhibition a Pilliga highlight

Already described as 'The Pilliga's Opera House', the new Sculptures in the Scrub is giving visitors to NSW's central west a whole new reason to visit the intriguing Pilliga region.

Four years in the making, and officially opened to the public on August 19, the exhibition showcases four striking sculptures depicting the cultural history of the Baradine area.

Created by local artists, the artworks watch over the spectacular Dandry Gorge and are expected to redefine the visitor experience in the Pilliga.

Visit the sculptures yourself or join one of two special Aboriginal cultural tours running late September/early October. Find out more at Wild Wild World or call the Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre on 02 6843 4011.

Blue Mountains celebrates World Heritage

November 29 will see a special celebration at Govett's Leap in the Blue Mountains, as the region commemorates ten years as the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, a place of 'outstanding universal value'.

As part of the festivities, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Blue Mountains City Council have launched the 'Make a Wish for World Heritage' campaign, gathering wishes for the future of the World Heritage area from locals and visitors. All wishes will be recorded and then placed in a ceremonial fire on the listing day and symbolically released.

Send us your wish - download this postcard and email it back to gbm.worldheritage@environment.nsw.gov.au. Call 02 4784 7326 to find out more about the celebrations.

Celebrate your green spaces

Saturday, September 18 is World Parks Day, a global celebration of our local parks and green spaces. National parks across NSW will host special World Parks Day activities over the weekend, including guided walks, Aboriginal cultural experiences, community festivals, mountain biking expeditions and cave adventures.

Organised by Parks for Life, the annual celebration encourages everyone to rediscover their local parks. For activities in a national park near you, search 'World Parks Day' at Wild Wild World.

Exhibition captures spirit of Gondwana

The vibrant landscapes and vivacious wildlife of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area are the inspiration for photographs on exhibition now at Dorrigo Rainforest Centre.

The images are the result of a month-long photography competition launched in June to celebrate the 75th anniversary of New England National Park, part of the World Heritage Area. 60 finalists were selected from the 312 competition entries; their works will be on display from September 29 to October 24, when judges will decide the competition winners.

Visitors to the Centre are invited to vote for their favourite image for the People's Choice Award. For more information, call the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre on (02) 6657 2309.

Convict Trail recognised

A section of the historic Old Great North Road has been recognised as a cultural heritage site of outstanding universal value, with its recent inscription on the World Heritage List along with 10 other convict sites around Australia.

In its declaration of the sites, UNESCO claims the 7.5 kilometre section in Dharug National Park, including Devines Hill and Finches Line, represent "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts."

Originally built to connect Sydney to the settlements of the Hunter Valley, the Old Great North Road runs through Dharug National Park and Yengo National Park, and includes the oldest surviving stone bridges on mainland Australia.

Yanga to set festival toes tapping

Historic Yanga Woolshed in Yanga National Park will come alive to the beat of a country bush band on October 2, as visitors take to the floor for a twirl at the Balranald 5 Rivers Outback Festival Bush Dance, one of the highlights of the weekend-long event.

Other festival activities include a fishing competition, cooking competition, Poet's Breakfast, and an afternoon event celebrating the 150th anniversary of Burke & Wills' expedition. Visitors will also be able to join guided tours of the Park's homestead and spectacular wetlands, which are flourishing after recent environmental water flows.

Find out more at www.5riversoutbackfestival.com.au.

Island Hop returns to Harbour

Just days to go until Sydney Harbour Island Hopping kicks off for 2010, with an exciting new program taking in the national park islands of Goat, Shark and Clark on the Island Hopper ferry, every Saturday and Sunday from 9 - 24 October. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to explore three of the city's best kept secrets!

Part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, Island Hopping will also see a return of the Perfect Picnic on Clark Island (4 October) and a special festival lunch and dinner dining and tour experience on historic Fort Denison (Saturdays and Sundays, 9 -24 October).

Tickets are on sale now! Find out more at www.harbourislandhopping.com

Charity trek gears up for 2011

Wanted: Aussie women looking for a physical, emotional and mental challenge to join charity hike! Coastrek is preparing once more for its annual 'Wild Women on Top’ event, which sees teams of four trekking 50-100 kms along the spectacular coastal tracks and harbour foreshore areas between Palm Beach and Coogee.

The two-day walk over 4- 5 March 2011 takes participants through parts of Sydney Harbour National Park, including North Head, Dobroyd Head, Bradleys Head and South Head. Don't fret guys, entry is open to both males and females, but each team must be at least 50% female!

Registrations for the trek, which raises funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation, open on September 22.

Celebrity park pick

Toasting October's Crave Sydney International Food Festival , we asked Sydney chef and proprietor of Becasse Restaurant, Justin North, where he goes to chill in the great outdoors.

"My favourite NSW National Park destination is Milk Beach in Sydney Harbour National Park (.pdf, 459k).

"The Sydney Harbour foreshore is one of the most beautiful places in Australia and Milk Beach, in front of Strickland House along the Hermitage Foreshore Walk in Vaucluse, has one of the best vantage points.

"I take any international visitors to Sydney there and it blows them away; the Bridge, Opera House, the North Shore and the Eastern Suburbs - they're all there. I pack some delicious, simple food and just throw down a picnic blanket and the whole of Sydney Harbour is there in front of you to enjoy. It's the most convenient, relaxing way to see all of Sydney!

"I love taking my family there too. There are a couple of really great bush tracks and my kids just love going native. You wouldn't know you were in the middle of a bustling city as you wander right along the harbour to Nielsen Park."

What's On

18 Sep	World Parks Day
19 Sep	Coast Spirit Exhibition launch
29 Sep	Save the Koala Day
1 Oct	Walk to Work Day
1 - 4 Oct	5 Rivers Festival
4 Oct	The Perfect Picnic
8 - 14 Oct	National Recycling Week
9 - 24 Oct	Sydney Harbour Island Hopping and Dining on Fort Denison
13 Oct	Ride to Work Day
29 Nov	Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area 'Listing Day' - 10th anniversary celebrations

For more upcoming events, tours and activities: www.wildwildworld.com.au.

Great places to stay

Imagine you're a castaway. But instead of a desert island, you're surrounded by a dramatic landscape of rolling hills and massive boulders. And rather than a palm frond shelter, you have the rustic comfort of a beautifully restored historic cottage.

Now add a group of your favourite people. Plus an amazing lighthouse and a NSW National Parks guide to show you around when you arrive. Add some whales feeding offshore, a scattering of little penguins, and fill the air with the sounds of seals and gulls. Now imagine it's real. Guess what? It is!

Montague Island , off Narooma on the far south coast, offers self-guided stays for groups of up to 15 from February to August and at other times when possible. And while the wildlife may come and go by the season, the spectacular ambience of the island is perennial.

Great things to do

Hoist your pack and explore the longest stretch of protected coastline in NSW this spring on the soon to be opened Yuraygir Coastal Walk. The four-day trek stretches from Red Rock in the south to Angourie in the north.

Track markers guide walkers along a series of tracks, trails, beaches and rock platforms using the footprint of the endangered Coastal Emu. The Walk winds through the villages of Brooms Head, Minnie Water and Wooli, travelling past heathlands, long sandy beaches, crystal clear creeks, and rocky headlands. Along the way abundant wildflowers and birdlife can be glimpsed.

If a four-day walk sounds a bit too intense, there are also half-day and full-day sections you can explore. Call the NPWS Grafton office for more information on 02 6641 1500.

Wildlife spot

Earlier this month we celebrated Threatened Species Day, which aims to highlight the plight of some of our most endangered creatures, such as our feature creature this issue - the Mountain Pygmy Possum.

Weighing in at just 40 grams when mature, this mini marsupial is actually the largest of Australia's five species of pygmy possum. You'll find them in rocky areas where boulders have accumulated below mountain peaks, so in NSW the only place these little critters can be found is in Kosciuszko National Park.

With a general diet of seeds and fruits, the possum starts to shore up its fat reserves over summer by munching on its favourite staple, Bogong Moths. Then it hibernates throughout the cold months of April to October.

Mountain Pygmy Possums make easy prey for feral animals and their numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years. There are several actions currently being undertaken including feral control, fire management, habitat rehabilitation and continuous monitoring. Despite these actions only 500 adults are accounted for in the wild in NSW.

Help save the Mountain Pygmy Possum by donating to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

Did you know?

Using hot water for your washing machine uses more energy than cold, particularly if your home has electric water installed? Electric hot water accounts for about a third of your average household electricity bill. By switching your wash loads from warm to cold, you can save at least $30 off your energy bill and reduce 400kg of dirty carbon pollution.

Help change our world starting at home - watch this space for more tips on living sustainably.

Gondwana giveaway

Newly published, Remnants of Gondwana is an authoritative yet highly readable guide for visitors to the individual sites that make up the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, as well as for those interested in the natural and social history of Australian rainforests and national parks.

From flowering plants, songbirds and other rare or threatened animals belonging to ancient lineage, the glossy publication details the geography, natural and social history of the region by experts in their field. The book will be available through NSW national park visitor centres, all good book stores and through the NSW Government online shop .

Win a copy of Remnants of Gondwana! To go into the draw, email us with the answer to this question: In what year was the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Congratulations to our recent winners!

Myall Lakes Guidebook giveaway: M. Mears, G. Potts. (Answer to the question, "Myall Lakes is home to one of the tallest trees in NSW, a magnificent 76m-high flooded gum. What is it called?" was The Grandis.)

I love National Parks competition: F. Flavel

Sydney Harbour Island Hopping: M. Meyer (Answer to the question, "5 islands in Sydney Harbour form part of Sydney Harbour National Park, including Shark Island, Clark Island, Goat Island and Fort Denison. What is the name of the 5th island?" was Rodd Island)

Perfect Picnic: A. Chin

About NSW National Parks

NSW's national parks and reserves are cared for and managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service . There are more than 820 national parks and reserves across the state, taking in four World Heritage Areas and four National Landscapes. There are also six marine parks and 11 sites on the National Heritage List, while more than 300 parks form part of the extensive Great Eastern Ranges. NPWS is part of the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water.

For further information: T | 02 9995 5571 E | naturescapes@environment.nsw.gov.au

Images: Pilliga sculptures (M. Sutherland/DECCW), Montague Island (S. Cohen/DECCW), Sydney Harbour Island Hopping (N. Cubbin/DECCW), Yuraygir NP (K. Novak/DECCW), Mountain Pygmy Possum (M. Schroder/DECCW), Hawkesbury River (P.Goldie/DECCW), Old Great North Road (S. Davis/DECCW), After dark Mungo (D. Fuchs/Tourism NSW), Yanga NP (R. Blackburn/Tourism NSW), South Head (H. Lund/Tourism NSW), New England NP (M. Ewijk/DECCW).

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