Wyrrabalong bushcare Bateau Bay
Wyrrabalong National Park
Overview
If you’re interested in gardening and helping the environment, join this bushcare volunteer group at Bateau Bay, near The Entrance. They’ve made a real difference in the fight against bitou bush.
- Work
- Bush regeneration, weed and pest management
- When
One Thursday morning a month
- Grade
- Medium. You’ll be doing weeding and other physical activities, so medium level of fitness required.
Bateau Bay is a gorgeous area in the Wyrrabalong National Park south precinct. When you join this volunteer group, you’ll help improve the native vegetation along the beachfront and dunes at Bateau Bay. Over the years, volunteers have significantly reduced the presence of bitou bush at Bateau Bay, and new volunteers are always welcome.
It’s great if you have gardening experience, but you don’t need to be an expert take part, just willing to learn. You’ll receive full training from the group’s convenor or NSW National Parks staff.
The group works one Thursday morning a month, all year round, in an area near the Rushby Street intersection with Reserve Drive, Bateau Bay. It’s a great chance to engage with your local community, learn about your local environment and help protect it. You’ll also build your fitness and make new friends as you work along the beach.
Wear closed-in shoes, long-sleeved clothing, a hat and sunscreen. Bring along a raincoat, snacks, lunch, drinking water and your gardening gloves. Tools and hard hat supplied.
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/volunteer-activities/wyrrabalong-bushcare-bateau-bay/local-alerts
Park info
- in Wyrrabalong National Park in the Sydney and surrounds region
Wyrrabalong National Park is open from 5.30am to 8pm during daylight saving and 5.30am to 6pm rest of year.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Wyrrabalong bushcare Bateau Bay.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Details given when you join up.
Parking
Details given when you join up.
Maps and downloads
Learn more
Wyrrabalong bushcare Bateau Bay is in Wyrrabalong National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal culture
North Wyrrabalong forms part of traditional Country of the Awabakal People, with south Wyrrabalong (cut off from the north by The Entrance channel) being Darkinjung Country. The park has a rich Aboriginal history and protects many significant cultural sites, including an extensive midden at Pelican Point. You can take a guided tour with Nyanga Walang to find out more about local Darkinjung history.
Red gum forest
The northern section of Wyrrabalong National Park protects the largest stand of Sydney red gums, or Angophoras, on the Central Coast. Explore the red gum forest and enjoy the shade of these magnificent native trees along the Red Gum trail in north Wyrrabalong. See how the forest changes depending on the season – trunks change from orange in summer to pinkish-grey in winter. Visit around December to see the trees adorned with white flowers, and spot honeyeaters in the branches in wintertime. The park is also an important haven for a variety of wildlife, including a number of threatened migratory birds that visit the coastal strip between Forresters Beach and Blue Lagoon in the park’s southern section. There’s even a population of marine turtles in Tuggerah Lake – if you’re lucky, you might see a loggerhead turtle; they have a large head in proportion to the rest of its body.
- Lillypilly loop trail The easy Lillypilly loop trail is a lovely rainforest walk on the NSW Central Coast. Enjoy birdwatching and scenic views over Tuggerah Lakes.
- Pelican Beach Road lookout Pelican Beach Road lookout offers scenic views over The Entrance and Pelican Beach and is a great spot for whale watching. The beach is popular for fishing and surfing.
Whale watching
The park's spectacular coastal lookouts - both north and south - are ideal vantage points for whale watchers. Bring your binoculars to Crackneck Point lookout in whale watching season and prepare to be astounded. Whales are frequently seen breaching and tail-slapping nearby. And watch for the blow as they surface for air - there's really nothing like it.
- Tandem paragliding on the NSW Central Coast Take a tandem flight with Cloudbase Paragliding and be treated to a stunning bird’s eye view of Wyrrabalong National Park on the NSW Central Coast.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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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.
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Brown-striped frog (Lymnastes peronii)
One of the most common frogs found in Australia, the ground-dwelling brown-striped frog lives in ponds, dams and swamps along the east coast. Also known as the striped marsh frog, this amphibian grows to 6.5cm across and has a distinctive ‘tok’ call that can be heard all year round.
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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Old man banksia (Banksia serrata)
Hardy Australian native plants, old man banksias can be found along the coast, and in the dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone mountain ranges of NSW. With roughened bark and gnarled limbs, they produce a distinctive cylindrical yellow-green banksia flower which blossoms from summer to early autumn.