NSW declares its 800th park

A 2,800 hectare reserve in the spectacular Capertee Valley has become NSW's 800th reserve.

The creation of Capertee National Park means there are now more than 6.76 million hectares protected forever under the NSW National Parks system.

Located about 50km north of Lithgow, the park includes 15km of the Capertee River, and provides habitat for a number of threatened plant and animal species, including the nationally endangered regent honeyeater and spotted-tailed quoll. The park is also rich in Aboriginal and colonial heritage and will offer visitors a host of new opportunities for nature recreation and relaxation. For information on running commercial tours and activities in Capertee National Park, email the NPWS Parks Eco Pass team or call 02 9585 6082.

Find out more.

Conserving our river red gums

To celebrate the establishment of over 100,000 hectares of river red gum parks in the Riverina this month, NPWS has set up a new website for locals and visitors to the area.

Central to the reclassification of the land into national parks, regional parks and Indigenous Protected Areas are the magnificent river red gums and wetlands of the region. The forests provide habitat for an abundance of plants, animals and birds, and hold special significance for Aboriginal people while playing an important role in the local and regional communities that surround them.

To keep stakeholders informed, the new website will provide up-to-date information including planning and actions in relation to park management, conservation and current operations.

Planning for visitor management is underway in a process that recognises the longstanding history of recreation uses in these forests and supports the growth of nature-based tourism in the region. NPWS looks forward to building on visitor experiences in these new areas and working with the local community to achieve positive outcomes. For information on running commercial tours and activities in the new parks, email the NPWS Parks Eco Pass team or call 02 9585 6082.
 

We're going wild about whales

Coinciding with the beginning of the 2010 whale watching season, June 1 saw NPWS launch Wild About Whales, a website dedicated to getting the public involved with whale-watching in our national parks and marine parks.

Merging the abilities of social media tool twitter with Google Maps, the Wild About Whales site innovatively presents users with an engaging Whale Sightings Map, which has proven to be the most popular element of the portal. The site also highlights whale watching hotspots along the coast, along with news and events, and whale facts and conservation updates.

Just weeks in, the site has already drawn an impressive 8,000+ visitors, with 98% of users residing within Australia. Visit the website.

Legislation update

Last month, our Special Issue of Explore brought you news of the passing of the National Parks and Wildlife Amendment (Visitors and Tourists) Bill 2010, a series of amendments to the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

Due to come into effect on October 1, the new National Parks and Wildlife Amendment is aimed at encouraging sustainable visitor and tourist use and enjoyment of parks, and includes a requirement for proposals to be tested against new sustainability criteria. The draft criteria are available to view online.

Invitation to Parks Forum Conference

Parks Forum, the peak body for park management organisations, will hold its 4th International Biennial Parks Leadership Conference at Luna Park in Sydney from 24 - 26 August.

The Conference, this year co-hosted by DECCW and themed 'Common Ground', will bring together leaders and experts in protected area management and research from across Australia and the broader region to share values, approaches, management skills and knowledge for the preservation of our natural environment and biodiversity. The conference will also focus on opportunities to find common ground with the education, health and community sectors to build community capacity and support for parks into the future.

Find out more or register to attend.

Picnicking most popular activity in parks

An oldie but a goodie. Picnicking is still the most popular nature-based activity by New South Welshman, a study by NPWS has discovered, with 85% of us taking a picnic at least once a year.

Other popular activities include walking on roads and footpaths for recreation (the activity we do most often, with each of us participating more than 400 times a year), visiting landmarks, lookouts and scenery, and scenic driving with a car or motorbike.

More information on the research can be found on the DECCW website, including the results of the study's telephone interviews and focus groups.

Suspension bridge for Dorrigo National Park

A new suspension bridge is now open to visitors at Dorrigo National Park, offering a fresh perspective and more direct access along the stunning Wonga Walk.

The 50-metre Crystal Shower Falls Bridge is expected to be a major tourism drawcard, allowing visitors to see the Falls in a brand new light, and even walk behind the curtain of the waterfall.

In addition to the bridge, Dorrigo Rainforest Centre - home to the Dorrigo Skywalk and the award-winning Canopy Café - has expanded its interpretation and information about the magnificent World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests, and has also recently launched the new guidebook 'Discovering Gondwana - A guide to Dorrigo National Park', available for purchase at the Centre.

Kiandra courthouse restored to former glory

Set high in the alps of Kosciuszko National Park, the town of Kiandra has celebrated completion of the first stage of its historical courthouse restoration.

Originally built in 1890 as a courthouse and police quarters, the building went through major changes in the 1960's, becoming a thriving ski lodge and recreation centre for the community and Snowy Hydro workers. Over time, the courthouse lost its original appearance and its historical significance was in danger of becoming a distant memory.

Following a year's work by NPWS, the courthouse and veranda are now back to their original condition. The town marked the completion of Stage 1 with an open day at the courthouse. Final restoration plans will reconcile building styles from the 1890's and 1960's to create a comfortable and versatile building that will be used as the Kiandra interpretation and education centre. Read more.

Greater Blue Mountains gears up for World Heritage anniversary

Festivities are well underway in Sydney’s Blue Mountains as the famous region celebrates ten years of World Heritage, culminating in a special anniversary event on November 29 at Govetts Leap, Blackheath.

At Mount Tomah Botanic Garden , the recently opened Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Exhibition Centre is taking visitors on a self-guided virtual journey across the one million hectares of the Greater Blue Mountains, over half of which is declared wilderness, through hands-on interactive displays. The dramatic Grand Canyon Track at Blackheath has also recently reopened, following refurbishment that includes some 1,000 new stone steps, safety railing and bridges, and a steel and wood staircase into 'The Rotunda'. 

At various community events over the coming months, visitors and locals are invited to 'Make a Wish for World Heritage' on recycled paper 'wishes' postcards. So far, over 35,000 postcards have been distributed to Blue Mountains residents. 'Wishes' will be collected, recorded, placed in a ceremonial campfire and symbolically released at the Listing Day celebration on November 29. Visit the Blue Mountains event calendar for upcoming events.

NSW businesses awarded for sustainability

To mark World Environment Day, over 50 NSW businesses were awarded for improving their sustainability practices at a special ceremony in early June.

The businesses were recognised for strengthening environmental performance over the past year through the DECCW Sustainability Advantage Program. The program has more than 420 members, each contributing to total savings of 31,000 tonnes of carbon pollution, more than 240 million litres of water, 2,400 tonnes of raw materials, and diverting 6,000 tonnes of waste from landfill since the program began in 2007.

Find out more about DECCW's programs to help businesses cut energy use, lower power bills, improve sustainability and reduce their impact on the environment.

Digitally vital

Australians travelling domestically are nearly three times more likely to be getting their information online than through a guide book or brochure, research has found.

In the STCRC: Understanding Tourist 'Experience' and 'Behaviour' in Cities  (6.9MB) report, researchers have revealed that 82% of domestic travellers to Sydney are sourcing their information from the internet. This is compared to 28% who are sourcing from books and brochures, and 20% who source from tourist offices or visitor information centres. Read the full report.

Smooth operator

Each edition, we profile one of our fantastic Parks Eco Pass tour operators and find out a little about what makes them tick!

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Cronulla Cruises holds a 10-year Premium Parks Eco Pass and offers eco-certified, award-winning eco cruises and Indigenous sight seeing tours on the Port Hacking River from Cronulla through to Royal National Park. Find out more about Parks Eco Pass and running a commercial activity in a national park.

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