Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk

Sea Acres National Park

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Overview

The Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is an easy 1.3km walk through the rainforest canopy. You’ll see rainforest birds and animals. It's a great walk for all ages.

Accessibility
Easy
Distance
1.3km loop
Time suggested
27min - 1hr 15min
Grade
Grade 1
Price

$9 adult, $5 school age child, $20 per family (2 adults, 3 children), $7 pension/seniors card, companion card/carer free of charge. See more entry fees and tour information.

Opening times

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is:

  • Open 9am-4.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
  • Closed on Christmas Day

Many wonders of the rainforest reside above ground level, so getting up into the canopy is the best way to explore it properly. Rising seven metres through the forest understorey to the canopy above, Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk provides the perfect platform from which to experience this busy habitat.

Setting out from Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, you’re likely to see rainforest birds, like the scarlet robin, feeding and nesting in tree branches. And keep an eye out for goannas and the slithering diamond python.

This rainforest was a rich resource for the Biripai people. They used the walking stick palm as a travel aid and made weapons from the python tree, which is the second hardest wood in the world.

Take a walk in the canopy along the boardwalk, enjoy the colourful sculptures, and learn about the threatened species living in the precious littoral rainforest at Sea Acres.

Take a virtual tour of Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk captured with Google Street View Trekker.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Also see:

  • A woman and child walk towards the boardwalk entrance of Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, Sea Acres National Park. Credit: Adam Hollingworth/DCCEEW © DCCEEW

    Sea Acres Rainforest Centre

    Close to Port Macquarie, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is the gateway to your rainforest experience. Friendly staff provide information and there is a café where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch.

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/walking-tracks/sea-acres-rainforest-boardwalk/local-alerts

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk.

Track grading

Features of this track

Distance

1.3km loop

Time

27min - 1hr 15min

Quality of markings

Clearly sign posted

Experience required

No experience required

Steps

No steps

Gradient

Flat: The walk is mostly flat along its length, but the last 300m of the walk back to the visitor centre has a gentle uphill slope. You can choose to take the walk in the opposite direction if you'd prefer to walk downhill in this section.

Quality of path

Well-formed track: The track is a 1.5m-wide fibre-reinforced polymer mesh boardwalk with a non-slip surface. There are handrails along the full length of the boardwalk on both sides.

Getting there and parking

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk starts at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre at the entry to Sea Acres National Park. To get there:

  • From Port Macquarie, head south along Pacific Drive.
  • Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is on the left just after Shelly Beach Road

Parking

There's parking in a bitumen carpark outside Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, where this walk begins, including 2 accessible parking spots.

Facilities

There are flush toilets at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre where this walk begins, including an accessible toilet with with a fold-down change table for parents and carers.

Seats and resting points

There are 5 bench seats, each with one armrest in the centre, that are regularly spaced around the boardwalk.

Maps and downloads

Fees and passes

Boardwalk entry: 

$9 adult, $5 school age child, $20 per family (2 adults, 3 children), $7 pension/seniors card, companion card/carer free of charge.

Sea Acres Yearly Access Pass

$30 single, $25 pension/seniors card, $60 family, $50 pension/seniors family card, $80 community service organisations (limit 15 clients and 2 carers per visit), additional clients and carers at child entry rate. Annual NSW Parks Passes are not valid for boardwalk entry.

School visit entry:

Please contact Sea Acres Rainforest Centre on (02) 6582 3355 for more details regarding school visits.

Safety messages

Beach safety

Beaches in this park are not patrolled, and can sometimes have strong rips and currents. These beach safety tips will help you and your family stay safe in the water.

Bushwalking safety

If you're keen to head out on a longer walk or a backpack camp, always be prepared. Read these bushwalking safety tips before you set off on a walking adventure in national parks.

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).

Accessibility

Disability access level - easy

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk starts and ends at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. It's accessible for wheelchairs, prams and people with reduced mobility:

  • The boardwalk is 1.5m-wide and fibre-reinforced polymer mesh along its length, with a non-slip surface.
  • There are handrails on both sides of the boardwalk
  • The walk is mostly flat, with a slight uphill slope in the last 300m back to the rainforest centre. You can choose to take the walk in the opposite direction if you'd prefer to go downhill instead of uphill. 
  • There are 5 seats at regular intervals along the boardwalk for you to rest and enjoy the coastal rainforest.
  • You'll find wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities and a fold-down change table for parents and carers at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre.

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.

Visitor centre

Learn more

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is in Sea Acres National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Ancient connections

Rocky coastline with a distant lighthouse, Sea Acres  National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

Sea Acres National Park is the traditional country of the Birpai People. The park's landscape has provided a rich source of food, medicines and shelter for thousands of years. Evidence of Aboriginal inhabitants has been found in Sea Acres National Park, and it's likely that the Birpai used the area for fishing, hunting and gathering.

  • Bush tucker in Sea Acres National Park Discover bushtucker secrets with our Aboriginal guide on this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion in Sea Acres National Park. An easy stroll along a boardwalk will reveal this area’s naturally occurring ‘supermarket’, and ‘hardware store’.
  • Sea Acres Aboriginal coastal tour Take a walk to Shelly Beach in Sea Acres National Park on this Aboriginal ranger-guided activity. Discover bush tucker and medicine in the rainforest as you learn about Birpai culture.
  • Sea Acres Aboriginal culture tour Join this ranger-guided Aboriginal cultural tour along the rainforest boardwalk in Sea Acres National Park. You’ll go on a unique journey of discovery and learning.

Find out more about this special place

Rainforest boardwalk, Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

If you are looking for an educational experience within Sea Acres National Park then take some time out to have a look at The Spirit of the Land exhibition. This multimedia exhibition takes you on a virtual tour of Birpai Country and introduces you to key Birpai stories.

  • Port Macquarie coastal walk You'll pass historic sites, stunning coastal scenery, beaches, and rainforest along the Port Macquarie coastal walk. It can be enjoyed as a full day walk or broken up into several short walks.
  • Sea Acres Rainforest Centre Close to Port Macquarie, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is the gateway to your rainforest experience. Friendly staff provide information and there is a café where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch.

Midnight feast

Brush tail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Ken Stepnell/OEH

In the evening, when all the visitors have left, the rainforest of Sea Acres comes alive as bats, possums and bush rats start their day. Rats forage for food in the forest undergrowth, possums hang from trees to munch on berries and leaves, and flying foxes swoop from one tree to another. The park is also the occasional home to koalas which feed on the eucalypts along the western boundary. The park is an important habitat for koalas in the Port Macquarie area as it is one of the largest naturally-vegetated areas remaining and contains some of their favourite food.

  • Sea Acres Aboriginal coastal tour Take a walk to Shelly Beach in Sea Acres National Park on this Aboriginal ranger-guided activity. Discover bush tucker and medicine in the rainforest as you learn about Birpai culture.
  • Sea Acres rainforest boardwalk tour If you’re near Port Macquarie, come along to this unique ranger-guided tour in Sea Acres National Park. You’ll enjoy a walk under the lush canopy of this rare and spectacular coastal rainforest.
  • Sensing the rainforest Join us and explore the rainforest in this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion at Sea Acres National Park. Students will experience the wonders of this coastal environment through sensory activities.

Worlds away

Rocky coastine in Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

When you venture out on the boardwalk, immersed in the still beauty of the rainforest, you’ll really believe you've travelled back in time. And you're right. The environment here has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Engage your senses and let the rainforest and its residents take you away to another place. The rainforest is a haven for myriad birds, so look out for the colourful wompoo fruit dove and rose crowned fruit dove and listen for the distinctive yowl of the green catbird. You're bound to see a brush turkey or two foraging on the forest floor.

  • Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk The Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is an easy 1.3km walk through the rainforest canopy. You’ll see rainforest birds and animals. It's a great walk for all ages.

Plants and animals protected in this park

Animals

  • Koala. Photo: Lucy Morrell

    Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

    One of the most renowned Australian animals, the tree-dwelling marsupial koala can be found in gum tree forests and woodlands across eastern NSW, Victoria and Queensland, as well as in isolated regions in South Australia. With a vice-like grip, this perhaps most iconic but endangered Australian animal lives in tall eucalypts within a home range of several hectares.

  • 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.

  • Australian brush turkey, Dorrigo National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    Australian brush turkey (Alectura lathami)

    The Australian brush turkey, also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests along eastern NSW. With a striking red head, blue-black plumage and booming call, these distinctive Australian birds are easy to spot while bird watching in several NSW national parks.

Environments in this park

Education resources (1)

School excursions (2)