Naturescapes - NSW National Parks e-Newsletter

Having trouble reading this email? View it on your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Instantly.

Ready for summer? We've got a whole bunch of ideas for you to get out, and get active in our national parks over the next few months - with some iconic events, family friendly tours, as well as some great volunteering options.

For those looking to go it alone, we've got some great new visitor facilities in Royal National Park as well as Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve up on the north coast for you to check out.

For those looking to stay in a national park, we've got a brand new property in Warrabah National Park within the New England Tablelands, as well as our updated camping facilities in Myall Lakes National Park within the Hunter region.

Grab tickets to Bradley's Head this NYE

Visitors can secure their seats for New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour this year at Bradley's Head as we introduce online purchasing and ticket issue to the venue.

Enjoy amazing views of the harbour in a controlled, alcohol free environment with friends or family, amongst the backdrop of our spectacular inner-city national park.

Bradley's Head is one of six venues on sale this New Year's Eve, and more information can be found on Wild Wild World.

We're giving away a double pass to one lucky reader of Naturescapes, all you have to do is email us with the answer to this question: Name a venue other than Bradley's Head within Sydney Harbour National Park that is on sale this year for New Years Eve?

Great kids activities this summer

Need some inspiration to get the kids outdoors this Summer School Holidays? Why not join one of the exciting Discovery Ranger led tours through one of your local parks?

Discovery tours this summer for the kids include experiencing convict life on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour National Park, rockpool explorations at Bouddi National Park, rainforest themed games at Victoria Park Nature Reserve, or learn the history of Koori plants with Aboriginal Discovery Rangers in Jervis Bay National Park.

Throughout summer, Nielsen Park will also continue its centenary celebrations with an extensive schedule of events, while the north coast will celebrate 25 years since the incorporation of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia on the World Heritage list.

Happy hosts for happy campers

Keep an eye out this summer for a campground host in a campsite near you!

Over 26 friendly volunteers will spend their summer holidays meeting and greeting, sharing park activities and passing on important information to campers and day visitors at 16 sites around the state.

Eager campers who missed out on summer host registrations are encouraged to get in early for the Easter program next year, with registrations for Easter Campground Hosts opening on the 15th of January and extending over 22 campgrounds across NSW.

Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Bundjalung, Meroo, Ben Boyd, and Bournda National Parks, Bents Basin and Munmorah State Conservation Areas, and Hill End Historic Site are just some of the parks that will run the program over Summer 2011 and Easter 2012.

Applying to the program is easy; interested volunteers can submit their applications online and are required to participate in a training weekend. The training workshop for Easter hosts will be held the first weekend in March at Bents Basin State Conservation Area. Queries can be addressed to the NPWS Volunteer Coordinator by email.

Gondwana celebrates milestone

November 2011 marks 25 years since the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia were first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986.

Covering over 40 national parks and reserves in north-east NSW and south-east Qld, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area is one of the most extensive areas of diverse rainforest found anywhere in the world.

These are natural treasures, yours to visit and appreciate! There are many spectacular national parks and reserves to be explored offering breathtaking views of the Great Escarpment, shield volcanoes, plunging waterfalls, scenic drives, bushwalking, picnic facilities and camping. Most have visitor facilities and are easily accessible by sealed or graded gravel roads from major towns.

Celebrate with us from November 2011 to April 2012 by booking into one of our Discovery tours where you will be treated to a unique insight into these ancient rainforests. To find out more about the anniversary, visit the website.

New Audley precinct

The historic Audley Dance Hall in Sydney's Royal National Park is back to its glamorous self, following a million dollar upgrade of the Audley precinct.

Audley once again sparkles in its heritage colour scheme, thrilling visitors as it would have in its early days, nearly a century ago. The Dance Hall is the centrepiece of the Audley upgrade, serving as a visitor centre, café and function room.

Audley now features extensive new landscaping and improvements to the picnic areas, with new tables, shelters and electric barbecues. The precinct has new environmentally friendly amenities, improved access for the elderly and less mobile, and new signage will help visitors find their way around. Audley will continue to improve as 10,000 new plants grow and flourish.

Funding for the upgrade has come from the NSW and the Australian governments, with the NSW Government contributing $1.7 million and the Australian Government contributing $1 million as a Jobs Fund Heritage Grant.

Everyone's invited to visit the new Audley precinct, and to see the Audley Dance Hall in its new glory. To celebrate, there will be an open day on 19 February 2012, featuring art, music and Discovery activities. More information can be found on Wild Wild World or call the Royal Visitor Centre on 9542 0648.

Muttonbird Island's new visitor facilities

In a region that features many massive and spectacular national parks, Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve at Coffs Harbour may be seen as a quiet achiever.

A new entrance at the base of the reserve opened last March. It incorporates an outdoor interpretive art and education space, explaining Muttonbird Island's significance to the local Gumbaynggirr People, and also provides an open space for Discovery tours and school groups.

The reserve itself embraces one of the great natural attractions of Australia - an up-close glimpse of the life cycle of one of Australia's most interesting migratory birds. Wedge-tailed shearwaters, commonly known as muttonbirds, are one of the eight shearwater species found in New South Wales and this is the most significant muttonbird site in the state.

From mid-November, when the birds settle from their northerly migration, thousands of pairs and their nests can be seen on the island. It's also an excellent vantage point for whale watching over winter and early spring. For more information contact the Coffs Harbour office on 6652 0900.

Volunteer in your local park this summer

Got some spare time this summer? More than just pulling out weeds, volunteering in National Parks represents a diversity of community involvement and activities with programs such as Aboriginal youth engagement, fish identification training for volunteer SCUBA divers, koala observers, and Harbour Hosts.

One of this summer's highlight events will be Hawkweed eradication in the Jagungal Wilderness Area of Kosciuszko National Park. We need keen volunteers to help NPWS staff locate the weed as part of the eradication program; no previous experience is required, as you will be trained in surveying techniques, GPS use and plant identification.

Or do you want to learn about Cape Byron's maritime history and share your knowledge with visitors? The Cape Byron Friends Volunteer program operates seven days a week and volunteers guide visitors through the natural and cultural heritage of the Cape Byron State Conservation Area.

If you are interested in these or other volunteering opportunities in national parks around the state, visit our website.

What's On

25-26 Dec	Christmas Day and Boxing Day
31 Dec	NYE on Sydney Harbour
5 Jan	National Bird Day
26 Jan	Australia Day on Shark Island
2 Feb	World Wetlands Day
12 Feb	Picnic Day at Nielsen Park
2-3 Mar	Sydney Coastrek 2012

Wildlife spot

They're iconic Australians, they're endangered and they need our support - the coastal emus of our north coast are one of the most rare and isolated species in the country, surviving only between Red Rock south of Grafton and Evans Head in NSW.

With a population likely to be less than 120 birds in NSW, these flightless birds play an important role in seed dispersal throughout the Clarence Valley.

Fortunately, our national parks and reserves give sanctuary to fragile populations. Yuraygir and Bundjalung national parks, along with the Richmond River floodplain, are safe habitats for a species that was once abundant along the eastern seaboard.

Inland, the emu is a commonly-encountered species; tall, shaggy-feathered with that familiar sparsely-feathered head and neck. However, it doesn't survive well in developed areas, making coastal emus particularly vulnerable.

Strategies for the species' survival include obtaining DNA samples to find out more about nesting behaviour and the birds' numbers and distribution. Evidence shows that a controlled breeding program, possibly using emus from inland NSW, may be the key to the emus' recovery.

Great campsite

Broughton Island, in the Myall Lakes National Park, is the only place in NSW where you can camp on an island amongst an active seabird colony - it’s a key breeding site for wedge-tailed shearwaters.

And now, Broughton’s Little Poverty Beach offers improved camping facilities, following an upgrade that provides three large timber camping platforms and two grassed sites, allowing comfortable, sustainable and private camping for up to 30 people (up to six campers per site).

This upgrade allows for safer, sustainable and more equitable camping, and soon you’ll also be able to book a site before setting sail from the mainland.

Camping at Little Poverty Beach has been described as being marooned on a deserted coastal island - with some of the most some of the most spectacular coastal views in Australia. For information on the new sites and booking requirements, call the Nelson Bay office on 4984 8200.

Great places to stay

Our latest accommodation getaway is now open for business! For those wanting to escape into the Warrabah National Park - Muluerindie is a retreat that offers privacy and seclusion and recreational opportunities of the Namoi River and the woodland environment.

The quirky solar-powered stone building was originally built as a retreat for the owner's guests. Now fully renovated, it sleeps a maximum of 8 and features a fully-equipped kitchen, comfortable bedding and a wrap-around balcony with spectacular views over the river.

Wildlife is a great attraction of Warrabah National Park, and staying at Muluerindie gives you the best chance of encountering animals such as kangaroos, possums and platypus - more than 120 bird species have been recorded, and reptiles are common in the rocky environment.

Great bushwalking can be found nearby, featuring unique in-land landscape such as massive granite boulders, deep gorges and tor forms. For more information on the accommodation contact the Armidale office on 6738 9100.

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 850 national parks and reserves across the state, taking in four World Heritage Areas and four National Landscapes. There are also 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 Office of Environment and Heritage within the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

For further information: T | 02 9995 5572 E | naturescapes@environment.nsw.gov.au

Images: Broughton Island Header (Great Lakes Tourism), NYE (DNSW/H. Lund), Discovery Tour (OEH/D. Smith), Gondwana Rainforests (OEH/B. Webster), Audley Dance Hall (Phillips Marler Architecture), Muttonbird Island (Fisher Design + Architecture/ A. Fisher), Coastal Emu chicks (WIRES/K. Cranney), Volunteering (OEH/S. Cohen)

*Naturescapes competitions full terms and conditions can be found at Wild Wild World.

First time you've received Naturescapes? You may have signed up for more info from us via our websites or at a recent event. If it isn't for you, you can unsubscribe instantly at the top of the page. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage within the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. The information contained in this publication is of a general nature only and is, as far as the Department is aware, correct at the time of publishing. The Department accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred as a result of reliance on any information contained in this publication. Privacy Policy.