Broadwater National Park
Overview
Situated between the villages of Evans Head and Broadwater, Broadwater National Park is a great place for hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, surfing and whale watching.
Read more about Broadwater National Park
Broadwater National Park is a great place to visit with friends and family, especially if you enjoy birdwatching. The swamps and marshlands of Broadwater are home to many waders such as ibis, herons and brolgas. The rare jabiru, which is a large stork originally from the Americas, is occasionally sighted around Salty Lagoon.
There’s also a great diversity of animals in Broadwater so keep an eye out for swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies, echidnas, bandicoots, bush rats, blossom bats and ringtail possums. Early mornings and early evenings are the times when you’re most likely to see these creatures when they’re feeding or hunting.
There are some short walking tracks in Broadwater that lead to beaches where you’ll be able to see examples of the large sand dunes and swale gullies that were formed between the ice ages some 60,000 years ago. In spring and winter, take a look out to sea while you have a picnic and enjoy some whale watching.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/broadwater-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast region
Broadwater National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
-
-
Alstonville office
02 6627 0200
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm - Russelton Industrial Estate, 7 Northcott Crescent, Alstonville NSW 2477
-
Email: npws.richmondriver@environment.nsw.gov.au
-
Alstonville office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Broadwater National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Ballina:
- Follow Pacific Highway south
- Turn left onto Macdonald Street where there will be signs for Evans Head
- Continue onto Evans Head-Broadwater Road
- Park entrance is on the left
Parking
- Broadwater Beach picnic area See on map
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
Evans Head is accessible by bus from Ballina. For information about public transport options, visit NSW country transport info website.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Broadwater National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Enjoy a beach walk in the milder weather, birdwatching as you go.
Spring
Wildflowers at this time of year will just about knock your walking socks off with their vivid and varied colours This is the peak season for seeing migrating whales swimming closer to shore with their new calves .
Summer
When the weather's hot, the best thing to do is go swimming or have a surf.
Winter
This is the peak season for northern migration of whales.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
19.1°C and 27°C
Highest recorded
41.7°C
Winter temperature
Average
10.4°C and 19.2°C
Lowest recorded
2.7°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
449mm
Facilities
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Nearby towns
Evans Head (11 km)
Evans Head is a peaceful, coastal fishing village located on the banks of the Evans River.
Ballina (28 km)
Ballina is a bustling holiday town and service centre and home of the Big Prawn. It's situated at the mouth of the Richmond River, close to superb beaches.
Lismore (35 km)
Lismore is a major North Coast commercial, cultural and administrative centre. It's set in undulating country on the north arm of the Richmond River.
Learn more
Broadwater National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Winged things
Broadwater is a refuge for migratory shorebirds, a hunting ground for birds of prey and habitat for a broad range of birds that inhabit the park's various plant communities. These include threatened species such as pied oystercatchers, little terns and beach stone curlews. White-bellied sea eagles can also often be seen trawling the coastline. This raptor is widely revered by Aboriginal people in many parts of Australia. An opportunistic carnivore, you may be lucky enough to see one of these birds seizing waterborne prey in its talons as it flies low over the water. Its honking call could easily be mistaken for that of a goose.
- Broadwater Beach picnic area Broadwater Beach picnic area is a great picnic area with birdwatching opportunities and the beach just nearby for swimming, surfing and fishing.
- Broadwater inland lookout It’s just a short walk to Broadwater inland lookout for superb scenic views from Broadwater Headland out to the Pacific Ocean with opportunities for birdwatching and whale watching.
Wartime stories
Airforce Beach seems like an unlikely name for a pristine stretch of sand near a national park, but during World War II, the airfield at Evans Head was used as a training ground. No. 1 Air Observers School was stationed there until it disbanded in 1943.
Memorable landscapes
There's a surprisingly wide variety of vegetation landscapes in this park including coastal heathland, coastal swamp, open eucalypt forest, wetlands and littoral rainforest. Banksia is particularly prevalent as is paperbark. There's also a healthy display of wildflowers during spring, which include swamp lilies, sun orchids, Christmas bells and golden bush peas.
- Broadwater inland lookout It’s just a short walk to Broadwater inland lookout for superb scenic views from Broadwater Headland out to the Pacific Ocean with opportunities for birdwatching and whale watching.
Bandjalung People
The traditional custodians of this northern coastal area of NSW, of which Broadwater National Park is now a part, are the Bandjalung People. Bundjalung National Park lies just south of Broadwater. These people continue, today, to actively celebrate their rich culture and heritage. Notable Bandjalung People include musician Troy Cassar-Daley, boxer Anthony Mundine, Australian Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine and chef Mark Olive. This park is one of a group where the Bandjalang People's native title rights have been recognised in only the third determination of native title rights in New South Wales. Native title rights come from the Bandjalang People's traditional laws and customs and legally recognise the Bandjalang People's connection to Country. This means that these lands will continue to be places of ceremony, learning and inspiration for generations to come. Find out more.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus)
The eastern ground parrot is a beautiful, ground-dwelling native bird that lives in low heathland habitat along the NSW North and South coasts and escarpments. It’s listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Broadwater National Park has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.