Queens Lake Nature Reserve
Overview
A lakeside haven for koalas and wildlife, Queens Lake Nature Reserve is ideal for swimming, fishing, birdwatching, picnicking and boating, south of Port Macquarie.
Read more about Queens Lake Nature Reserve
A little off the beaten track, discover the tranquil charms of Queens Lake Nature Reserve, just south of Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast. With a variety of lush vegetation, including stands of magnificent old growth gums and dense rainforest, you’ll see why it’s not only a haven for wildlife but nature-lovers too.
The pristine lake is an ideal destination for a day of picnicking, swimming, fishing and boating. It’s also a popular spot for windsurfing, and families will love the tranquil waters where the kids can play. There’s even a small wharf where you can launch a kayak or boat for an afternoon of peaceful paddling.
The surrounding forests are home to over 200 species of animals, making this reserve perfect for wildlife and birdwatching. While looking to the tree-tops, you might even spot a koala dozing in the branches.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/queens-lake-nature-reserve/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast region
Queens Lake Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Port Macquarie office
02 6588 5555 for general enquiries only, no bookings.
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm. - 22 Blackbutt Road, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
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Email: npws.hastingsmacleay@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Port Macquarie office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Queens Lake Nature Reserve.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Port Macquarie:
- Head south on Ocean Drive for approximately 20km
- Turn right onto Bonny View Drive, then left onto Jolley Nose Drive and drive for 1km.
- Turn right onto Corama Place
- Turn left onto the dirt road at the ‘T’ intersection and continue into Queens Lake Nature Reserve
Parking
- Queens Lake picnic area See on map
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
For information about public transport options, visit the NSW country transport info website.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Queens Lake Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
Take advantage of the milder weather and go windsurfing on the lake. Or, if you prefer to stay on land, explore the reserve on foot and enjoy a spot of birdwatching along the way.
Summer
It's an ideal time to use the reserve's riverside location to enjoy swimming, fishing, paddling and boating.
Winter
Use the cooler months as an opportunity to get yourself active and go cycling through the reserve. You might even spot some wildlife as you're riding along.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15°C and 29°C
Highest recorded
43°C
Winter temperature
Average
7°C and 20°C
Lowest recorded
-3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
165mm
Facilities
Maps and downloads
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.
Nearby towns
Laurieton (12 km)
Located at the base of North Brother Mountain in Dooragan National Park, Laurieton is one of the villages that make up the Camden Haven area on the North Coast of NSW. Laurieton is 30km south of Port Macquarie and offers an idyllic holiday spot for families, nature-lovers and anyone who enjoys a holiday by the beach.
Port Macquarie (24 km)
Vibrant Port Macquarie is surrounded by beautiful waterways - the Hastings River, canals, creeks, bays and the Pacific Ocean. The city also has a five-star collection of golden-sand beaches stretching from Port Macquarie Beach to Town Beach and north along the 16-km swathe of North Beach.
Wauchope (26 km)
Wauchope is great base for exploring nearby national parks that are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Follow the Hastings Forest Way to Werrikimbe National Park, a rugged wilderness of outstanding beauty spread with short and long walks. Willi Willi National Park is a rainforest mountain park with three beautiful walking tracks that follow the river and lead to a sparkling waterfall.
Learn more
Queens Lake Nature Reserve is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Towering giants
This reserve protects several significant ‘old growth’ areas and ‘old tree’ hotspots where you can see some of the forest giants that used to inhabit the region. With diverse eco-systems ranging from coastal, lakeside, rainforest and swamplands; it’s a haven for a huge range of tree-dwelling animals, frogs and birds, including a number of threatened species.
- Queens Lake picnic area Perfect for swimming, boating and fishing, Queens Lake picnic area, in Queens Lake Nature Reserve, is an ideal family day out on the Mid North Coast, near Port Macquarie.
Local wildlife
With such an array of vegetation, there’s a staggering 200 species of bats, possums and gliders that have been recorded in the reserve, and probably dozens that haven’t yet been identified. At night, the bush comes alive with yellow-bellied gliders, grey-headed flying foxes and the smaller insect-eating micro-bats. Old growth forests provide an important habitat for the magnificent large forest owls. If you’re still around in the evening, you might hear the powerful, masked and sooty owls as their haunting calls echo through the forest. Queens Lake Nature Reserve is also an important refuge for the koala, as development encroaches further on its habitat. The reserve is home to a number of koalas that have been rehabilitated and released by Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
- Queens Lake picnic area Perfect for swimming, boating and fishing, Queens Lake picnic area, in Queens Lake Nature Reserve, is an ideal family day out on the Mid North Coast, near Port Macquarie.
Flocks and feathers
The lake and coastal region attracts not only wildlife, but makes for some the best bird watching in the region. Bring your binoculars for a feast of feathered beauties. You’ll see nectar-loving birds such as the honey-eaters and threatened swift parrot feast in the spring on native blossoms.
- Queens Lake picnic area Perfect for swimming, boating and fishing, Queens Lake picnic area, in Queens Lake Nature Reserve, is an ideal family day out on the Mid North Coast, near Port Macquarie.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Queens Lake Nature Reserve has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.