Palms picnic area
Munmorah State Conservation Area
Overview
Hidden away in a grove of shady palms with free barbecues and picnic tables, Palms picnic area is a little haven you might want to keep under wraps.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Accessibility
- Medium
- Entry fees
- Park entry fees apply
- Opening times
- Munmorah State Conservation Area is open between 5.30am and 9pm (daylight savings time) and 5.30am to 6pm (other times).
While away a couple of hours in this shady, secluded Munmorah haven. With cabbage tree palms enclosing the area, it’s a peaceful and intimate setting for a barbecue or picnic.
Before you settle in, or after you’ve lunched, why not explore the surrounding rainforest with an amble along the pretty Palms circuit track? The short loop walk starts and finishes right here at the picnic area.
Free gas barbecues and several picnic tables add to the appeal of this delightfully positioned picnic spot.
Map
Map legend
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/picnic-areas/palms-picnic-area/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Munmorah State Conservation Area in the Sydney and surrounds and North Coast regions
Spring/summer open hours
Munmorah State Conservation Area is open 5.30am–9pm, from the start of the NSW school holiday period in September (Friday) until 1 May.
Autumn/winter open hours
Munmorah State Conservation Area is open 5.30am–7pm, from 1 May until the day before the start of the NSW September school holidays (Friday).
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Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. The park has pay machines that accept both card and coins, or you can pay via the Park’nPay app.
Buy annual pass.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about the Palms picnic area.
Getting there and parking
From the northern entry of Munmorah State Conservation Area:
- Follow Blue Wren Drive and turn left onto Campbell Drive
- Turn right onto Frazer Beach Road, after about 300m you’ll see a small carpark on the left
From the southern entry of Munmorah State Conservation Area:
- Follow Birdie Beach Road and turn left onto Blue Wren Drive
- Turn right onto Campbell Drive, then right onto Frazer Beach Road follow for 300m
- There is a small carpark on the left
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There's a small gravel carpark at the picnic area. It can be a busy place on the weekend, so parking might be limited.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Munmorah State Conservation Area. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Make the most the of the lovely temperature at this time of year and pitch the tent for a camping break by the beach.
Spring
Head out along Moonee Beach trail in late winter or early spring and you'll be rewarded with spectacular wildflower displays in the coastal heath areas.
Summer
Escape the summer heat with a walk along the Palms circuit track through the rainforest, or cool off with a swim at Frazer beach – it's patrolled during the Christmas and Easter school holidays.
Winter
The winter months are the best time to whalewatch at Munmorah – you can even follow the whales' journey and record your sightings.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
18°C and 25°C
Highest recorded
42.4°C
Winter temperature
Average
9°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
3.4°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
246mm
Facilities
Drinking water is not available so you’ll need to bring your own supply.
Picnic tables
There are accessible picnic tables set on concrete slabs at the picnic area.
The stone pathway from the carpark doesn't go to the picnic tables. You'll need to leave the pathway and cross over hard-packed ground and grass to reach them.
Barbecue facilities
There's a covered barbecue shelter set on a concrete slab at the picnic area.
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
Carpark
Step-free access
The picnic area is mostly flat and step-free, with a stone-paved path that goes from the carpark to the barbecue shelter.
Before reaching the shelter, the pathway leads to a small arched wood bridge with a handrail on one side. You'll need to cross over the bridge to get back onto the stone-paved path.
- Step-free outdoor pathways
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
- The picnic area is step-free and mostly flat.
- There's a stone-paved pathway from the small gravel carpark to the barbecue shelter.
- There are no pathways to the picnic tables. You'll need to cross over hard-packed ground and grass to reach them
- The picnic tables are accessible and set on concrete slabs.
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
Palms picnic area is in Munmorah State Conservation Area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Action packed
You’ll never be short of something to see or do at Munmorah. The Palms circuit track and the Moonee Beach trail are enjoyable walks that take you through very different but equally impressive vegetation and scenery. The park is an anglers with myriad places to drop a line. Keen surfers and hang gliders in the know also head to Munmorah. When it’s warm you can snorkel, swim and explore rockpools at the idyllic Birdie and Frazer beaches, and in the winter months go whale watching at Wybung Head or the Tea Tree lookout.
- Elizabeth Bay picnic area Enjoy a day out at this perfect picnic spot on the shores of tranquil Elizabeth Bay. Bring your boat and fishing rod, and don’t forget your swimmers.
- Tea Tree picnic area and lookout Check the surf and keep a keen eye out for whales from the lookout at Tea Tree picnic area. A short walk to Birdie Beach, it’s a great spot to stop for lunch and a swim.
Animal magic
A huge number of bird and animal species call Munmorah State Conservation Area home. You might even spot the commonly found ringtail possum and sugar glider, and if you're really lucky, you might see the vulnerable squirrel glider, which lives in the eucalypt woodlands and rainforest in the northern part of the park. Scores of birds also come to rest at Munmorah as part of their long migratory journey - some flying from as far away as China and Japan. Look for gulls, terns, migratory waders and herons roosting on Munmorah's rocky platforms and feeding at the lake foreshore. If you're patient you might even spot the endangered little tern, or the vulnerable osprey and sooty oystercatcher.
- Moonee Beach trail This delightful walk through scenic coastal heath leads to the white sands of Moonee beach where you can relax, swim or fish before heading back along the walk.
- Palms circuit track After a tasty picnic lunch, escape to the cool rainforest of the Palms circuit track for an short loop walk beneath a canopy of cabbage tree palms.
Bushtucker wonderland
The original inhabitants of Munmorah, the Awabakal people, settled in an area abundant with food like the plentiful cabbage palm, lilly pilly, acacia seed, yams and flower nectars. They supplemented their diet with shellfish collected from rocks and fish caught with lines and spears in the rivers and lakes then cooked on small hearths onboard their canoes. The Awabakal people were also known to have visited Moon Island to gather muttonbird chicks and eggs, and hunted various mammals and reptiles on land.
Coast and beaches to crow about
Whether you’re having lunch at the Elizabeth Bay picnic area or exploring the rock pools at the stunning Moonee Beach, Munmorah has some of the best coastline in the state. Frazer beach boasts a lagoon perfect to laze in when the weather's scorching, and the sandy beach is patrolled during the Christmas and Easter holidays. The 4km stretch of sand at Birdie beach is also a favourite, while to the far north there’s a nude bathing area. Dramatic panoramic views of the coastal cliffs and heath are another popular feature, especially from Wybung Head and on the walk down to Moonee Beach.
- Moonee Beach trail This delightful walk through scenic coastal heath leads to the white sands of Moonee beach where you can relax, swim or fish before heading back along the walk.
- Palms circuit track After a tasty picnic lunch, escape to the cool rainforest of the Palms circuit track for an short loop walk beneath a canopy of cabbage tree palms.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Superb fairy wren (Malurus cyaneus)
The striking blue and black plumage of the adult male superb fairy wren makes for colourful bird watching across south-eastern Australia. The sociable superb fairy wrens, or blue wrens, are Australian birds living in groups consisting of a dominant male, mouse-brown female ‘jenny wrens’ and several tawny-brown juveniles.
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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.
Plants
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Cabbage palm (Livistona australis)
With glossy green leaves spanning 3-4m in length and a trunk reaching a height of up to 30m, the cabbage tree palm, or fan palm, is one of the tallest Australian native plants. Thriving in rainforest margins along the east coast of NSW, in summer this giant palm produces striking spikes of cream flowers which resemble cabbages.
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Grass tree (Xanthorrea spp.)
An iconic part of the Australian landscape, the grass tree is widespread across eastern NSW. These Australian native plants have a thick fire-blackened trunk and long spiked leaves. They are found in heath and open forests across eastern NSW. The grass tree grows 1-5m in height and produces striking white-flowered spikes which grow up to 1m long.
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Smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata)
Smooth-barked apple gums, also known as Sydney red gum or rusty gum trees, are Australian native plants found along the NSW coast, and in the Sydney basin and parts of Queensland. Growing to heights of 15-30m, the russet-coloured angophoras shed their bark in spring to reveal spectacular new salmon-coloured bark.