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Naturescapes - NSW National Parks e-Newsletter

Summer's arrived! 'Tis the season to enjoy the great outdoors with friends and family, and we've got some great experiences taking place in NSW's national parks!

WilderQuest is back this school holidays with a wide range of park tours for the kids; or for something really special, why not book a spot for you and the family right on Sydney Harbour for New Year's Eve?

If you like to plan ahead, pop Parks Week 2014 in your diary - we'll be celebrating with a bunch of activities in parks around the state next March.

We’ve also got some important news to share on long-range bookings for park campsites and accommodation, an exciting traineeship program for NSW National Parks Field Officers, and information on how you can participate in the public consultation around Worimi Conservation Lands.

Park stays now bookable online 12 months ahead

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If you’re planning a holiday in a NSW national park, you can now book your stay 12 months prior to the date of arrival, instead of having to wait for an ‘opening day’ for peak period reservations.

Around 70 of our campgrounds and accommodations are currently available to book online, including popular sites such as The Basin in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Bonnie Vale in Royal National Park, as well as our cottages and heritage stays at Byron Bay, Montague Island and Yarrangobilly Caves.

If online is not your preferred method of booking, the NSW National Parks Call Centre also takes bookings at 13000 PARKS (1300 072 757) between the hours of 9am and 5pm, 7 days a week. Phone reservations are also available 12 months in advance. Parks that have previously taken reservations will continue to do so for their own park (during local office operating hours) for walk up purchases.

Find out more at our website.


Get in quick and book your harbourside NYE spot

Fireworks at Bradleys Head

Still trying to decide what to do for New Year's Eve? Sydney always puts on a spectacular and memorable show, and Bradley's Head in Sydney Harbour National Park offers prime viewing of the world-famous fireworks, with unrivalled panoramas of the city skyline and the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the spectacular.

New Year’s Eve Delight at Bradleys Head, on the north side of the Harbour at Mosman, is the perfect spot to spread a rug and enjoy uninterrupted views of the Bridge and Opera House. Great for the whole family, there’s an entertaining circus workshop as well as popular children’s band The Dodadums. Adults will also be able to enjoy a range of live music and bands.

Tickets for Bradleys Head are selling fast - to find out more or secure your spot now, visit our website.


WilderQuest is back with more natural fun for the kids this school holidays

WilderQuest kits

The school holidays are upon us and now is the perfect time to think about activities to keep the kids busy and active. NSW National Parks' WilderQuest tours and activities are specially designed for 5 to 12 year olds, extending the journey started on the WilderQuest website and app into real nature with a WilderQuest Discovery ranger.

Over the school holidays, there are WilderQuest activities running around the state: for example, head to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in Sydney's north and join our rangers at Bobbin Head, where your kids will explore the mangroves, look out for baby fish and meet the crabs that appear when the tide goes down. Or take the family to Munmorah State Conservation Area on the Central Coast for a special sea creature treasure hunt to discover the amazing wildlife living in the rock pools. If you're near to Port Macquarie, why not visit Sea Acres National Park, where the popular Rainforest Boardwalk now offers a special WilderQuest kid's quest to explore the boardwalk, and find and identify various animal and plant species.

Have you ever been camping? If not, or if it's been a while, the WilderQuest First Time Camping experience at Lane Cove River Tourist Park offers families an easy, relaxing, fun introduction to this popular pastime!

For those rainy days though, there’s always the WilderQuest website, where your children can have fun with ranger Sam and explore our fascinating natural environments; or download the award-winning, free WilderQuest iPad app and watch your kids become expert wildlife photographers!

Don’t forget to share your stories and great images in our WilderQuest facebook page.


Your chance to become a NSW National Parks Field Officer

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Up to 100 new traineeships for Field Officer positions are being created under a new traineeship program with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. These are varied, hands-on outdoor career opportunities for people to work in iconic locations around the state.

Field Officers carry out practical field work for NPWS, ensuring the public have access to high quality, safe recreational facilities. The Field Officer Traineeship program will cover a range of duties, from fighting fires and supervising pest programs, to maintaining walking tracks and overseeing bush regeneration.

There will be four rounds of recruitment over a two year period, with the first round of recruitment to take place in early 2014 when the positions are to be advertised. The positions will be located across the state, based on demand and NPWS need. The exact locations of the positions will be advised at the commencement of each stage of recruitment.

For more information or to register your interest, please visit our website.


Have your say on Worimi Conservation Lands

Worimi Conservation Lands

Want a chance to guide future conservation, recreation and tourism opportunities for the Worimi Conservation Lands? Now’s your chance. The draft Plan of Management has been released by the Worimi Board of Management covering use of the 4,000 hectares of iconic coastal landscape.

Key elements of the Plan of Management include improving awareness, restoration and protection of the frontal dunes and beach vegetation, a 350-hectare area for recreational vehicles and four-wheel driving, camping to be re-introduced at up to 30 designated camp sites, and safe and sustainable access roads.

Located between Port Stephens and Newcastle, the Worimi Conservation Lands includes part of the area known as Stockton Bight dunes and is highly significant to the Worimi people. Owned by the Worimi people, the park has been leased to the NSW Government so the area can be jointly managed as a national park.

The draft Plan of Management will be on public exhibition until 17 February 2014 and can be viewed online at www.worimiconservationlands.com, and at libraries and council offices in Port Stephens and Newcastle, and at the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council.


Connect with Nature’s Playgrounds at Parks Week 2014

Royal National Park

Parks Week is once again set to delight friends and families as the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service rolls out a series of great activities over the weekend of 8-9 March 2014.

This annual event, celebrated in Australia and New Zealand, highlights the important role that parks play for people, communities and the natural environment. With this year’s theme of Connect with Nature, we celebrate the amazing work of our conservation programs and encourage you to connect with nature by visiting your local national parks to relax and explore the opportunities for improving your overall health and wellbeing.

NPWS will be hosting a wide variety of events in parks across NSW, including ranger guided tours. A full program of events will be available early next year on our website. In the meantime, why not boost your nature dose now and enjoy summertime in our national parks.


Australia's first multi-day Trailfest

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Sydney is set to host Australia's first multi-day trekking festival, Trailfest, to be held within our national parks on Sydney's north shore and northern beaches, kicking off on 24 April 2014.

A total of 100km, Trailfest Sydney will take place across the Anzac Day long weekend, and take runners through national parks trails in Manly, St Ives, Roseville, Belrose, Duffys Forest and Bobbin Head.

Registrations have already opened and spots are strictly limited, so book online at www.trailfest.com.au.


What's on

21 Dec

Carols in the Domain

22 Dec

Carols in the Gaol

25-26 Dec

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

31 Dec

NYE in Sydney Harbour

26 Jan

Australia Day

2 Feb

World Wetlands Day

2 Mar

Clean Up Australia Day

8-9 Mar

Parks Week

4-10 Mar

National Seaweek

10-23 Mar

Royal Easter Show