Tabourie Lake

Meroo National Park

Open, check current alerts 

Overview

Tabourie Lake is a beautiful coastal lake ideal for fishing, paddling, windsurfing, swimming, walking and birdwatching.

Accessibility
Medium
What to
bring
Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
Please note
Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go bird watching.

Just a short drive from Ulladulla, Tabourie Lake is a beautiful coastal lake offering visitors a myriad of things to do.  Throw down a picnic rug and relax on the shores of the lake with a good book or the weekend newspapers.  Go walking along the foreshore and find yourself a place to set up and try your luck fishing.  The kids will love wading and swimming in the shallow waters. Or admire the scenery from the water itself by sailing, paddling or windsurfing into the distance. 

Tabourie Lake is also haven for waterbirds so if you enjoy birdwatching, make sure to bring your binoculars.  You’ll see swans, ducks, birds of prey, egrets and many more.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Map


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Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/fishing-spots/tabourie-lake/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

  • in Meroo National Park in the South Coast region
  • Meroo National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Tabourie Lake.

Getting there and parking

Get driving directions

Get directions

    Tabourie Lake is in the northern part of Meroo National Park. To get there:

    • Travel south on Princes Highway from Ulladulla
    • Approximately 11km south of Ulladulla, just before the Lake Tabourie bridge, turn left towards Lake Tabourie Tourist Park.
    • Access to the lake is along the tourist park road

    Road quality

    • Sealed roads

    Vehicle access

    • 2WD vehicles

    Weather restrictions

    • All weather

    Parking

    Parking is available near the boat ramp.

    Best times to visit

    There are lots of great things waiting for you in Meroo National Park. Here are some of the highlights.

    Autumn

    Enjoy the serenity on the water while paddling a canoe or kayak in one of the park's coastal lakes.

    Spring

    Escape your busy city life and spend a night at one of the beachside camping areas.

    Summer

    Head to Termeil Beach or Pot Holes Beach for a day of swimming, surfing and beach fishing.

    Winter

    Rug up and take in spectacular coastal views from Nuggan Point walking track.

    Weather, temperature and rainfall

    Summer temperature

    Average

    9°C and 27°C

    Highest recorded

    39.8°C

    Winter temperature

    Average

    0°C and 13°C

    Lowest recorded

    -9°C

    Rainfall

    Wettest month

    March

    Driest month

    September

    The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day

    489.6mm

    Facilities

    Drinking water is not available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.

    Boat ramp

    Carpark

    Maps and downloads

    Safety messages

    Boating safety

    If you're out on your boat fishing, waterskiing or just cruising the waterways, read these paddling and boating safety tips.

    Fishing safety

    Fishing from a boat, the beach or by the river is a popular activity for many national park visitors. If you’re planning a day out fishing, check out these fishing safety tips.

    Mobile safety

    Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

    Paddling safety

    To make your paddling or kayaking adventure safer and more enjoyable, check out these paddling safety tips.

    River and lake safety

    The aquatic environment around rivers, lakes and lagoons can be unpredictable. If you're visiting these areas, take note of these river and lake safety tips.

    Accessibility

    Disability access level - medium

    Assistance may be required to access this area.

    Permitted

    Fishing

    Fishing from a boat, the beach or by the river is a popular activity for many national park visitors. If you’re planning a day out fishing, check out these fishing safety tips.

    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.

    Learn more

    Tabourie Lake is in Meroo National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    Amazing wildlife haven

    Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus), Meroo National Park. Photo: M Makeham

    Meroo and Termeil Lakes are listed in the National Directory of Important Australian Wetlands and stand out for their abundance and diversity of mammals and frogs. The park also has at least 12 threatened wildlife species, including significant populations of the nationally endangered green and golden bell frog. As you explore the coastline keep a lookout to spot dolphins and whales off the coast. Thee's also excellent opportunities for birdwatching at Meroo. You'll see ducks, swans, pelicans, honeyeaters, superb blue wrens and pied oystercatchers. You might also spot sea eagles or an osprey soaring overhead. And if you're really lucky, you might even see a pair of hooded plover. There are less than 25 pairs known to occur in NSW, and the Meroo, Termeil and Willinga Lake entrances are prime breeding habitats for this vulnerable species.

    • Meroo Lake walking track Wrap yourself in the tranquillity of calm coastal waters at Meroo Lake walking track. Enjoy paddling, swimming, fishing, birdwatching and walking in a pristine natural landscape.
    • Tabourie Lake Tabourie Lake is a beautiful coastal lake ideal for fishing, paddling, windsurfing, swimming, walking and birdwatching.

    Pristine natural landscapes

    Meroo Lake, Meroo Lake National Park. Photo: Michael van Ewijk

    The coastal lakes, foreshores and wetlands you'll find in Meroo are outstanding examples of pristine natural environments. Only 10% of NSW estuaries remain in such a natural condition. This unspoilt landscape supports endangered ecological communities like the swamp oak floodplain forest and bangalay-banksia dry forest and helps to protect vulnerable plant species such as the tangled bedstraw and leafless tongue orchid.

    • Meroo Head lookout walking track You can’t miss the spectacular coastal views from Meroo Head lookout walking track. It’s an easy walking track and a great place for birdwatching and whale watching.
    • Nuggan Point walking track Go walking or mountain biking on this easy trail. Enjoy breathtaking coastal views, fishing, whale watching and birdwatching at Nuggan Point, then stop at Meroo Beach for a swim.

    Rich Aboriginal culture

    Meroo Lake, Meroo National Park. Photo: M Jarman

    Meroo National Park forms part of the traditional lands of the Budawang and Murramarang tribes, who are part of the Dhurga language group. Meroo Lake has important spiritual significance for local Aboriginal groups because, along with other lakes in the region, it is connected to the Pigeon House Didthul creation stories that connect them with their country and ancestor spirits. The park is rich with archaeological sites including shell middens, open campsites, artefact scatters, stone arrangements, rock shelters and a burial site.

    • Giriwa walking track Discover Aboriginal cultural heritage along Giriwa walking track, in Meroo National Park. Enjoy the natural beauty of Burrill Lake, near Ulladulla, then stop for a picnic, swim or kayak.

    Plants and animals protected in this park

    Animals

    • A tiny green and golden bell frog sits on a green strawberry plant leaf. Photo: Stuart Cohen © Stuart Cohen and DCCEEW

      Green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea)

      The green and golden bell frog is an endangered Australian frog. Once common on the NSW coast and tablelands, populations have plummeted around 90 percent.

    • Humpback whale breaching. Photo: Dan Burns

      Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

      The humpback whale has the longest migratory path of any mammal, travelling over 5000km from its summer feeding grounds in Antarctica to its breeding grounds in the subtropics. Its playful antics, such as body-rolling, breaching and pectoral slapping, are a spectacular sight for whale watchers in NSW national parks.

    • White-bellied sea eagle. Photo: John Turbill

      White-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

      White-bellied sea eagles can be easily identified by their white tail and dark grey wings. These raptors are often spotted cruising the coastal breezes throughout Australia, and make for some scenic bird watching. Powerful Australian birds of prey, they are known to mate for life, and return each year to the same nest to breed.

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