Naturescapes - NSW National Parks e-Newsletter

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Ready for spring? We've got heaps on offer in our national parks over the next few months to inspire your next visit. As usual we have our Discovery program operating across the state; for those who have taken a tour with us, we'd also like to invite you to take a quick survey on your experiences.

There's news from the mountains regarding the successful launch of MyRide, and with the cold weather, still a little time to squeeze in one last run.

Several new visitor facilities, including campsites, picnic areas and a bike track. have just opened in the outback - and spring is the perfect time to experience them.

Discover your national parks this spring

There are some fantastic walks, talks and tours this spring in your local national parks around the state.

If you're planning a family holiday to the Riverina, Yanga National Park is offering a unique Kid's Nature Treasure Hunt, which incorporates GPS orienteering skills alongside a natural history of the park, or for 4WD enthusiasts there's a tag-a-long tour that takes you off the beaten track to pastoral ruins and through the wetland red gum forests.

Down on the south coast the whale season heats up, featuring a shore-based whale watching tour at Tura Head as well one in Ben Boyd National Park on World Parks Day.

Closer to Sydney there's two kite workshops in La Perouse and Middle Head, or the kids can become a part of a chain gang in Convict Kids at Goat Island.

These are just a selection of what's happening in your local national park, so head on over to Wild Wild World for more events.

Perisher embraces MyRide Dashboard

While Spring has come, the residual cold chill has meant that Perisher is perfect for some spring skiing. If you’ve already been you may have noticed the new ‘MyRide’ ticketing system integrated within the resort.

With the introduction of the ‘MyRide’ ticketing system skiers and snowboarders are able purchase their lift tickets before they leave home and later reuse and reload them online and/or from the palm of their hand with Perisher’s iPhone or Android Apps to get “direct to lift” access. Once a lift ticket is obtained guests can simply scan through electronic gates, without the need to display their ticket.

This has also meant that visitors now have access to a personalised ‘MyRide Dashboard’ online or on smartphones, that gives information to users on the lifts they have ridden, areas of the resort visited, vertical metres covered and then compare for bragging rights with family and friends on Facebook. If you haven’t already, check it out next time you’re on the mountain.

WilderQuest unlocks new adventures

Two new environments have been unlocked for WilderQuest. Town and alpine are now accessible in addition to existing rainforest and coastal environments - so now is the perfect time to jump back in if the kids haven’t visited in a while.

With great new videos, games and animals, there are heaps of new facts to discover and new activities to enjoy this school holidays.

If you also have the WilderQuest iPad app, keep your eyes peeled for a new update which will unlock a brand new environment alongside integration with our web membership. This means that soon the points that you accrue on your WilderQuest - Nature Discovery App will also be transferred to your cubby in WilderQuest.

Don’t forget, after the kids have played the game and explored our amazing alpine environment why not check out our WilderQuest Discovery events in the snowy mountains? We’ve got “Animal Habitats” and “Scats and tracks” - make sure you book your spot!

Murray Valley parks welcome new visitor facilities

The morning mist rising from the river is one of the classic Australian bush images. And this spring you can take advantage of this view at the new Edward River Bridge campground and picnic area in Murray Valley Regional Park, two brand new facilities to open up to the public.

Nearby, there is plenty to keep everyone occupied; go for an energising walk along the Edward River or relax with a book under the shade of a River Red Gum. If you’ve brought your fishing gear along there are plenty of great spots to cast your line along the river. More active? There are also places to slip your kayak into the river for a paddle and also cycle for the mountain-bikers.

Additionally, the Barooga picnic area has officially opened for visitors day use. Set beside the mighty Murray River, the area is walking distance from Cobram or Barooga and is equipped with barbeques and picnic tables.

Get on your bike at Mungo National Park

The newly opened Zanci Pastoral Heritage Trail in Mungo National Park is the ideal way to stretch out those cramped muscles. The seven kilometre, shared-path, cycle loop starts behind the visitor centre and heads across the old airstrip through blue bush, cypress pine and mallee woodland to the neighbouring Zanci Homestead precinct to the north.

Lucky mountain-bikers might even spot an emu, kangaroo or stumpy tailed lizards on the way. Definitely keep an eye out for Pink Cockatoos, which are often seen weaving about the cypress pines looking for a fresh seed source.

The Zanci Woolshed has spectacular views across the lakebed to the Mungo lunette, our amazing “Walls of China”, whilst also hosting informative notes on the region’s pastoral histories.

The Zanci Pastoral Heritage Trail is an easy ride suitable for all ages, and is a shared bike/pedestrian trail so even if you’ve left the bikes at home on this occasion you can still enjoy the journey on foot.

Stay with us and book online

We have begun the rollout of our online booking facility for stays in both campsites and accommodation on park. Currently ten sites are ready to take online bookings, but many more will be added in the months ahead.

The Byron Bay cottages, East Kunderang Homestead, Montague Island Lighthouse Keepers Cottages, and Tandara are some of the accommodation offerings already available online, and the Broughton Island Campground is a campsite ready to take bookings through our new online facilities.

To browse more options for your next stay within a national park, head over to our new NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website.

Tell us what you think!

We invite you to take part in our survey about the Discovery walks, talks and tours program offered by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The online survey will take about 10 minutes and is a great opportunity for nature lovers like you to contribute to the future development of the program. Participants in our survey will also go in the draw for an annual parks pass!

Take the survey now!

What's On

7 Sep	National Threatened Species Day
16 Sep	Q-Station Open Day
17 Sep	World Parks Day
28 Sep	Walk to Work Day
1 Oct	Spring Fair at Yanga Homestead
10 Oct	Ride to Work Day
21-27 Oct	National Water Week

Great Places to Stay

Nestle under a towering gum-tree, with the red sand stretching as far as the eye can see and Mount Gundabooka rising in the background. Sound like your idea of a camping trip? Then it might be time to start planning a visit to the new Yanda campground in Gundabooka National Park.

Located near Bourke, the Yanda campground is large with ample room for tents, campervans and RVs and with good toilet facilities, BBQs and sheltered tables and seating. The site is perfect for those wanting a relaxing setting by the Darling River. The walk to the river from the campground is a gradual slope and the campground is surrounded by large river gums shading the area and making you feel like you are almost in a forest.

While on your stay, enjoy one of the many walks in the park, keep an eye out for the diverse birdlife, or simply find the perfect spot on the river to drop a line.

Wildlife Spot

Leopard Seals have made an appearance on the NSW coast the last few winters, and these special visitors have been creating quite a buzz.

These curiously earless seals have an elongated reptile-like body that is grey to silver with dark spotting on the shoulders, throat and sides - quite distinct from their fur seal relatives. Generally found in the colder Antarctic regions, we to see them in NSW between May and September as our waters cool.

While they may look quite placid lying on our beaches, spot one yawning and you’ll be alerted to their very long canine-like teeth with sharp, ornately shaped molars. So if you spot a Leopard Seal, make sure you take your photos from a distance and keep some space away from those strong jaws.

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 860 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: Banner (D. Finnegan/OEH), Discovery Tour (D. Finnegan/OEH) Charlotte's Pass (V. Logan/OEH), Wetlands (D. Finnegan/OEH), Mungo (I. Oeland/OEH), Tandara (OEH), Yanda (M. Coleman/OEH), Leopard Seal (L. Maffesoni).

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