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Naturescapes - NSW National Parks e-Newsletter

Welcome to the Spring edition of Naturescapes - ready to get out and get active? We've got some great ideas below.

Grab the family and enjoy our parks on a bike, or try something new and enjoy the Blue Mountains from a different angle, within a canyon. Release your natural creativity with a local artist, or test out your inner gym junkie in the great outdoors.

We're also celebrating 100 years of Sea Acres National Park, and welcoming ships and visitors from around the world for the upcoming International Fleet Review.

International Fleet Review set to dazzle

International Fleet Review

More than 40 warships and 17 tall ships, operated and staffed by 8,000 naval personnel from 19 nations will participate in the much anticipated International Fleet Review, from Thursday 3 to Friday 11 October.

The feature event held on Saturday 5 October will see Sydney Harbour come alive as never before with a day of activities on and around the harbour followed by The Spectacular - a 30-minute show that celebrates over 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and, in particular, commemorates the original seven warships that entered Sydney Harbour in 1913.

Sydney Harbour National Park offers fantastic vantage points and amazing panoramas of the harbour for the IFR Spectacular. There will be a number of tours throughout the week where you can explore the historic batteries and fortifications built around the harbour from as early as the 1870s. Book now to get a rare glimpse back in time.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is selling tickets to three premier vantage points in the harbour so you can enjoy the naval activities taking place throughout the day, soak up the atmosphere of the Ceremonial Review and be ‘wowed’ by the evening Spectacular. Receive a 15% discount off the ticket price for 5 October by entering promotional code “NPWSIFR” at the time of ticket purchase. Tickets are limited so book early.


Get on your bike!

2 Wheeled Treks

2 Wheeled Treks brings together a series of community cycling and guided mountain bike events throughout our national parks.

From beginner’s rides at Mount Wondabyne through to the renowned Oaks Trail in the Blue Mountains National Park for bike enthusiasts, you can choose different cycle routes to match your ability level.

What better way to discover our parks and connect with nature, while learning from experienced rangers, than from the comfort of a bicycle seat?

There are 10 guided treks to choose from around the state so grab your bike and book your next ranger-guided cycle tour this Spring; spots are filling fast.


Coming soon - NYE in Sydney Harbour

NYE fireworks

Stay tuned! Tickets will go on sale in soon for the city’s amazing harbourside green spaces and islands of Sydney Harbour National Park.

As a Naturescapes subscriber, you will be the first to know when the vantage point information is released on www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/nye


Canyoning season begins

Canyoning in the Blue Mountains

Mark the start of the canyoning season in World Heritage-listed style and scale new depths with a climb in the Greater Blue Mountains.

Take your pick from about 400 canyons in Australia’s most accessible wilderness and experience natural grandeur like never before. Inch down a picturesque chasm, gaze gobsmacked up the side of a sheer rock face and marvel at the breathtaking vista of one million square kilometres of UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Go with the experts on one of the many tours operating in the area. Operators adjust experiences to meet different skill levels but all participants will thrill at the backdrops of golden sandstone cliffs, serpentine canyons, rainforest, waterfalls, streams, wildlife and the iconic blue haze.

Along the way, learn from your guide about the many unique eco-systems found within the national parks that make up the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, including the award-winning Blue Mountains National Park, and how to take care and tread lightly in sensitive canyon environments.


Release your inner artist

Indulge your inner artist

This spring we have plenty of artsy experiences on offer in our national parks, with many of our local visitor centers showcasing new exhibits, displays and activities. Two highlights this September are the What You See sculpture workshop at Dorrigo National Park and the Open Studio Day at Hill End.

On 25 and 26 September you can join Sandra Pitkin, sculptor and installation artist, to explore nature and perception at Dorrigo National Park. Visitors will take a guided walk through the rainforest before using coated wire, paper, and found objects to make their own sculpture.

At Hill End on 22 September, there will be a rare opportunity to see inside artists’ studios and the two 19th century artist residency cottages. The Open Studio Day, in partnership with Hill End Arts Council, will also include the launch of a new exhibition by local artists at the visitor centre’s Jean Bellette Gallery. Register for the Open Studio Day at the Royal Hall with the Hill End Arts Council.

Other great exhibits and events can be found in the What’s On section of our website.


Go wild with WilderQuest

WilderQuest stand

This Spring school holidays, we're bringing our WilderQuest interactive stand back to Sydney. In a partnership with the Australian Museum, our award-winning WilderQuest stand will be on show in Gallery 2.

Parents and kids are encouraged to drop by the stand between 24-27 September and 1-7 October and take part in the WilderQuest experience. The exhibit will feature the multi-award winning WilderQuest iPad app with its two interactive environments, activity sheets and, of course, the WilderQuest website with its full suite of fun and educational activities.

Kids can also enjoy WilderQuest adventures in the great outdoors these school holidays with the return of WilderQuest Discovery tours to national parks around the state. One of the highlights is the WilderQuest: Bush Babies tour, which offers kids a glimpse of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park’s local wildlife and their young.

Find out more about the WilderQuest program, or join the conversation at our new WilderQuest parent’s facebook page.


Sea Acres celebrates 100 years

Article Image

Sea Acres Rainforest Centre in Port Macquarie is celebrating 100 years of conservation with three days of fun activities for all the family between 6 and 8 September.

In 1913, the area now known as Sea Acres National Park was proclaimed by Crown Lands a reserve for the protection of our native flora and fauna. The scientific importance of this extraordinary coastal area was recognised for its diverse range of vegetation, native birds, mammals and reptiles, as well as the unique geological value it holds.

To help us celebrate this significant milestone, you are invited to come along and enjoy the festivities. Explore the mystery of the forest on the Nature Night Walk, take some time to chill out with Yoga in the Rainforest, or get up close and personal with our scaley friends at the Reptile Awareness Display. Young nature lovers will enjoy Stories in the Rainforest, where children will learn all about the importance of protecting rainforests all around the world. These are just a few of the great activities on offer and many are free or gold coin donation.

Bookings are required for all activities except Boardwalk Displays. To find out more, visit the website or contact Sea Acres Rainforest Centre on 02 6582 3355.


New fitness track for Cape Byron SCA

Palm Valley, Cape Byron SCA

A new fitness trail and disabled friendly walking track recently opened offers new opportunities for visitors to enjoy Cape Byron State Conservation Area. The 270m Palm Valley walking track has been upgraded to a disabled friendly track winding from The Pass day use area through a Cabbage Palm littoral rainforest.

Nine new fitness stations have been installed to create a fitness trail between Captain Cook car park, Palm Valley and Wategos Beach, where visitors can exercise mind and body. The new fitness stations were designed to provide an additional experience for visitors and locals who use the popular trail as a part of their fitness regime.

The new fitness trail provides heart check info and stations offering a fun, self guided way to exercise and work out combined with jogging or walking between the fitness stations to provide a complete fitness training workout for all levels.


Congratulations to all our regional winners

Blue Mountains walks

Several of our national parks have taken out top honours at the state's regional tourism awards, which took place across NSW in August.

At the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Awards, Blue Mountains National Park won gold in the Major Attractions category; while in the Ecotourism category NSW National Parks won gold for Blue Mountains Discovery Walks Talks and Tours; and the Blue Mountains Walking Tracks won gold in the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category.

At the North Coast Tourism Awards, the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk won gold for best New Tourism Development, and in the Hunter Central Coast Tourism Awards, our recent tour Convict Footprints on the Great North Road was recognised with gold in the Excellence in Tourism category.

Up in the far north of the state, the Byron Coast took a swag of awards associated with Cape Byron State Conservation Area (SCA), including a silver award in the Tourist Attraction category for its array of visitor experiences, and silver in the Unique Accommodation category for the park's Byron Bay cottages. In the Indigenous Tourism category, NPWS' partners Arakwal Dolphin Dreaming took out a gold award for their creative education and tourism programs.


What's On

5 Sep

Walk to Work Day

7 Sep

Threatened Species Day

21 Sep

World Parks Day

22 Sep

Family Fun Day at Q Station, Manly

3-11 Oct

RAN International Fleet Review

16 Oct

Ride to Work Day

9 Nov

Crooked Mountain Concert

11-17 Nov

National Recycling Week

 5 Dec

International Volunteer Day