Try our Sydney Harbour audio tour

Enjoy a sunny day in Sydney Harbour National Park this summer with our brand new Bradleys Head to Chowder Bay audio tour. Featuring 18 inspiring chapters, the self-guided walking tour takes you from Circular Quay across the harbour on the ferry to Taronga Zoo Wharf, then weaves along the foreshore of Bradleys Head to the cafés and waterside parkland of Chowder Bay, revealing stunning views of Sydney Harbour and the city along the way. The walk takes approximately two hours, including the ferry ride - but take as much or as little time as you like!

The tour can be downloaded free of charge from the NSW National Parks website onto your MP3, MP4 device or phone, to be used at your leisure. We'll also have some pre-loaded devices available for use during the initial launch period.

We're inviting you, our Naturescapes readers, to come and try out the tour on our pre-loaded devices - we'll be onsite across from the lower entry to Taronga Zoo between 9am and 3pm on Sunday, 9 January and again on Sunday, 16 January. Then just complete a feedback survey and you can go in the draw to win one of three NSW National Parks annual Multi-Parks Passes!

Download the audio tour or find out more at our website.

New visitor guide for 2011

Is your old NSW parks guide well-thumbed and dog-eared? Maybe you’re just curious about what you can do in your newer parks? With the launch of the new Visitor Guide for 2011, NSW National Parks invites you to explore, rediscover and enjoy all that your parks have to offer.

The 2011 Visitor Guide provides 92 pages of information and full-colour imagery on almost 200 national parks and other protected areas, including the highlights of each place, the best experiences and activities on offer, camp sites and fees, regional maps, as well as access information and contact details.

To download or order a guide, visit the NSW National Parks website.

Hop your way around Sydney

Head out on the harbour this summer for a Sydney experience with a difference! From 19 December until the end of January, a new Harbour Hopper ferry service will chart a course taking in ten of Sydney's best attractions, from the islands of Sydney Harbour National Park to the highlights of the harbour foreshore.

Choose your own adventure on a 1 or 2 day ticket that lets you hop on and hop off at any stop on the three Hopper circuits. Together the three circuits allow visitors to take in Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, Fort Denison, Taronga Zoo/Athol Bay, Shark Island, Watsons Bay, Luna Park, Quarantine Station, and Clifton Gardens/Chowder Bay. A fast ferry between Manly and Circular Quay is also included in your ticket. Find out more!

Legendary Pacific Coast? There's an app for that!

Surf the waves at Angourie, say hello to a dolphin at Port Stephens or swing through the trees at TreeTop Adventure Park in Newcastle. Partnering with regional tourism boards and commercial tour operators alike, NSW National Parks has collaborated on a brand new mobile app that plans your driving route from Sydney to Brisbane (or vice versa) along the renowned Pacific Highway.

Offering unique touring suggestions in national parks like wandering though the heritage-listed Trial Bay Gaol, going for a dip at secluded beaches in Bouddi National Park, or discovering the walks and waterfalls of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, the new app is jam-packed with fun facts and holiday ideas.

Whatever your fancy, if you're planning a trip between Sydney and Brisbane, be sure to check out this new app. The iPhone app can be downloaded through the App Store, and more information can be found at www.pacificcoast.com.au.

Dorrigo shows off Giinigay Wall and Reclaimed Treasures

The next time you visit Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, a "Giinagay" - or Welcome Wall - will be there to greet you. Combining the talents of over 160 school children, local artists and other members of community, the new mosaic was supported through a Federal Government arts fund.

Environmentally inspired, the new mosaic wall, created in collaboration with the Dorrigo Local Aboriginal Land Council, involved internationally acclaimed mosaic artist Guy Crosley, and forms a stunning walkway entry to the Rainforest Centre and Skywalk.

Also on at the Rainforest Centre this summer school holiday is the new Reclaimed Treasures exhibition. Running every day until the end of January, the exhibition consists of fascinating works of art created from reclaimed timber. Many of the smaller artworks are also for sale, so visitors can take home a unique piece of local art. So go have a look if you're considering a visit to Dorrigo National Park!

Barrenjoey Lighthouse trail upgrades

Stage two of the Barrenjoey Access Trail is now nearing completion, with just 158 metres left to be reworked. Upgrade work on the heritage track from Palm Beach up to the lighthouse was launched in June this year and is expected to finish mid-2011.

So far over half a kilometre of track has been repaired and restored. Work on the third phase is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of next year. If you have any further questions contact the Bobbin Head visitor centre via email or on (02) 9472-8949.

Currently, access to the lighthouse at Barrenjoey Headland is via the alternate route along Smugglers Track.

Orange Hawkweed 2011 surveys

Feeling generous this festive season? Why not give the gift of time and lend a hand in one of the many community projects happening in your local national park? There are some great initiatives taking place around the state this summer and your time and effort can help to make a real difference for our environment.

One such project is the Orange Hawkweed Surveys taking place from now until February. The surveys have volunteers searching for the weed in subalpine areas of Kosciuszko National Park. The Orange Hawkweed, a threat to Australian native grassland and wildflower communities, has been recorded in our state since 2004. Volunteers who join up to the program this summer will also have transfers, food and lodgings provided.

To sign up or find out more about this volunteer program, visit the Volunteer Opportunities page on Wild Wild World.

Hidden treasure unveiled at Copeland Tops

In July 1876, the small town of Copeland hit the big time with the discovery of gold in a local creek. Just months later, the Mountain Maid Gold Mine was opened in the Copeland Goldfield, an area that went on to produce some 11 tons of gold - which would today be worth around $400 million!

These days, the gold might have run out but you can once again visit this historic area in the foothills of Barrington Tops on a guided Hidden Treasure Tour. Step back in time and soak up the ambience of this special place as you explore its goldmining history. Tours are available by booking only, every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the year.

Copeland Tops State Conservation Area is just west of Gloucester. To find out more about the Hidden Treasure Tour and the self-guided Hidden Treasure Trail, call 02 6558 1408 or email discovery.hunter@environment.nsw.gov.au.

Welcome 2011 Sydney Harbour-style

If you're looking for a top notch spot to catch the harbour celebrations this year, nothing beats Sydney Harbour National Park! On the north side, North Head and Bradleys Head offer spectacular free vantage points, while the harbour islands of Shark and Goat put you front and centre for the fireworks - there are still some tickets left for these islands but you'll have to be quick! Popular Nielsen Park at Steele Point Road in Vaucluse has already sold out of NYE tickets, but we've got the goods for one lucky reader!

To go into the draw for four (4) passes to celebrate NYE in Nielsen Park, tell us what you'd love to see in Naturescapes in 2011 and why. Email us your thoughts by 19 December - the winner will be drawn and advised on 20 December. For more on NYE on Sydney Harbour, visit www.wildwildworld.com.au.

What's an Aquatic Reserve?

Aquatic reserves are generally a smaller cousin of Marine Parks. They protect important habitats, nursery areas and vulnerable and threatened species, as well as playing a key role in research and education. In NSW, there are 12 aquatic reserves; most are in the Sydney area. Aquatic reserves are special places for swimming, snorkelling and spotting the wonderfully varied marine life that hang out in them, like the Eastern Blue Gropers in our Wildlife Spot. Find out more about NSW's Aquatic Reserves at www.wildaboutwhales.com.au.

Got a question about your parks? Ask us!

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