Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour

Booti Booti National Park

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Overview

Join us for a Junior ranger adventure, as we traverse the shores of Seven Mile Beach. Walk alongside a Discovery Ranger to find out what plants and animals live here, and how they survive in this magical environment.

When

Tour dates: Wednesday 10 January, Friday 19 January, Friday 19 April, Friday 12 July and Thursday 10 October 2024.

Tour time: 10am to 12pm.

Accessibility
No wheelchair access
Grade
Easy. Suitable for adults and children 5 years and over.
Price

Child $15 per person (5 to 16 years). Accompanying adults free.

Entry fees

$8 per vehicle per day. Day passes are available from the Manning Great Lakes area office, Bulahdelah Visitor Information Centre and the Hawks Nest Newsagency.

Meeting point
The Ruins campground and picnic area
Bookings
Bookings required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.
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Walk to the beach and learn about Booti Booti National Park and all its beauty. You’ll gain an understanding of the important role of workers in a national park, and how you can help to conserve and protect these special places.

Understand the important role of workers in a national park, and how you can help to conserve and protect these special places.

Discover what role our future environmental leaders or Junior rangers can play in preserving these important places into the future. Wear enclosed non-slip shoes and be prepared to get them a little wet.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

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/guided-tours/junior-ranger-booti-booti-coastal-adventure-tour/local-alerts

Operated by

Image of: NSW National Parks logo
  • NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour.

Getting there and parking

The Ruins campground and picnic area is located in Booti Booti National Park.

From Forster:

  • Head south along the Lakes Way
  • It's 20km to Ruins campground and the Great Lakes Park Office
  • From Newcastle:

  • Head north on the Pacific Highway
  • Just past Bulahdelah, turn right onto The Lakes Way (signposted ‘Seal Rocks’).
  • Follow The Lakes Way for approximately 55km to Pacific Palms
  • Continue along The Lakes Way until you see Ruins campground and the Great Lakes Park Office on your right

    Road quality

    • Sealed roads

    Vehicle access

    • 2WD vehicles

    Weather restrictions

    • All weather

    Parking

    Parking is available for $8 per vehicle per day.

    Maps and downloads

    Accessibility

    Disability access level - no wheelchair access

    Learn more

    Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour is in Booti Booti National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    A haven for birds and birdwatchers alike

    Elizabeth Beach picnic area, Booti Booti National Park. Photo: John Spencer

    Booti Booti National Park features a substantial number of amphibians and reptiles, including red-bellied black snakes, brown snakes, rose-crowned snakes and blue-bellied swamp snakes. Goannas are regular visitors to The Ruins campground and picnic areas, and you may even be lucky enough to see a land mullet or water dragon. The unusual peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Wallis Lake also provides an outstanding habitat for over 210 species of birds, including rainbow and scaly-breasted lorikeets, yellow-faced honeyeaters and silvereyes, as well as a number of waterbirds, including pelicans and the endangered little tern.

    • Cape Hawke lookout Just five minutes from Forster, the Cape Hawke lookout offers spectacular views along the coast from the top of a dedicated tower, perfect for whale watching.
    • Elizabeth Beach picnic area A short drive from Forster, Elizabeth Beach picnic area offers a great spot to relax near a beach popular for swimming in summer and whale watching in winter.
    • Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour Join us for a Junior ranger adventure, as we traverse the shores of Seven Mile Beach. Walk alongside a Discovery Ranger to find out what plants and animals live here, and how they survive in this magical environment.
    • Sailing Club picnic area An alternative to the ocean-front options of Booti Booti National Park, Sailing Club picnic area offers a shady rest spot on the shore of Wallis Lake.

    Aye, Captain

    Cape Hawke lookout, Booti Booti National Park. Photo: John Spencer

    Captain Cook first sighted Cape Hawke on May 12, 1770, and named it in honour of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Edward Hawke. The famous explorer and surveyor John Oxley later passed through the area in 1818. The first European inhabitant was Captain J. Gogerly, who sailed between Forster and Sydney ferrying timber, oyster shells, and sandstone. Today you can pay respects to Captain Gogerly and some of his relatives at their gravemarkers, across the road from the Ruins campground.

    • Booti walking track Just 20km from Forster, Booti walking track is a loop walk which beautifully captures the park's scenic features and offers family-friendly opportunities for swimming and picnicking.
    • Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour Join us for a Junior ranger adventure, as we traverse the shores of Seven Mile Beach. Walk alongside a Discovery Ranger to find out what plants and animals live here, and how they survive in this magical environment.

    Spirituality, identity and lifestyle

    Boomerang Beach, Booti Booti National Park. Photo: Ian Charles

    Booti Booti National Park holds important cultural significance for the Worimi Aboriginal people, who have lived on and used the land and waters for many thousands of years. Dozens of Aboringal sites exist within the park, including artefact scatters, stone quarries, tool sites, and shell middens. These are important markers of Aboriginal history in the region, demonstrating how land, water, plants and animals contributed to and continue to have significance for Aboriginal identity, spirituality, and lifestyle.

    • Aboriginal culture Bring your students to this unique excursion in Booti Booti National Park, near Forster. They’ll experience the park through the eyes of an Aboriginal person on this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Aboriginal culture Geography excursion.
    • Junior ranger: Booti Booti coastal adventure tour Join us for a Junior ranger adventure, as we traverse the shores of Seven Mile Beach. Walk alongside a Discovery Ranger to find out what plants and animals live here, and how they survive in this magical environment.

    Plants and animals protected in this park

    Animals

    • 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.

    • Five pelicans stand at the beach shore in Bundjalung National Park as the sun rises. Photo: Nick Cubbin © DPE

      Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

      The curious pelican is Australia’s largest flying bird and has the longest bill of any bird in the world. These Australian birds are found throughout Australian waterways and the pelican uses its throat pouch to trawl for fish. Pelicans breed all year round, congregating in large colonies on secluded beaches and islands.

    • Profile view of a grey-headed flying-fox flying past eucalupt trees. Photo: Shane Ruming © Shane Ruming

      Grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

      The grey-headed flying fox is Australia's largest native bat, with a wingspan up to 1m. This threatened species travels up and down south-eastern Australia and plays a vital role in pollinating plants and spreading seeds in our native forests.

    • Lace monitor, Daleys Point walking track, Bouddi National Park. Photo: John Yurasek

      Lace monitor (Varanus varius)

      One of Australia’s largest lizards, the carnivorous tree-dwelling lace monitor, or tree goanna, can grow to 2m in length and is found in forests and coastal tablelands across eastern Australia. These Australian animals are typically dark blue in colour with whitish spots or blotches.

    • Tawny frogmouth. Photo: Rosie Nicolai

      Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

      Found throughout Australia, the tawny frogmouth is often mistaken for an owl due to its wide, powerful beak, large head and nocturnal hunting habits. The ‘oom oom oom’ call of this native bird can be heard echoing throughout a range of habitats including heath, woodlands and urban areas.

    Education resources (1)

    School excursions (4)

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    Operated by

    Image of: NSW National Parks logo
    • NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service

    Park info

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

    • Park entry fees:

      $8 per vehicle per day. Day passes are available from the Manning Great Lakes Area Office, Bulahdelah Visitor Information Centre and the Hawks Nest Newsagency.

      Buy annual pass
    See more visitor info