Wyrrabalong National Park

Wyrrabalong National Park is in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, and holds one of the last remaining coastal rainforests in the Central Coast. The area of the park is only 6.2km² making it one of the smallest national parks in New South Wales.

Understand

History

The land now occupied by Wyrrabalong National Park was first inhabited by the indigenous Darkinjung and Awabakal peoples. The Darkinjung occupied the southern section and The Awabakal occupied the northern section. It is believed Europeans first discovered the Tuggerah Lakes in 1796. It was found by Governor of Tasmania, Colonel David Collins, who had arrived on the First Fleet, during the search for an escaped convict, Mary Morgan, who was said to be living with the Aboriginals to the north of the Hawkesbury River.

Landscape

The 620 ha national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately 480 ha and covers a substantial area of the peninsula between The Entrance and Norah Head as well as Terilbah and Pelican Islands within Tuggerah Lake. The southern section consists of about 120 ha of the coast, from Shelly Beach south to Forresters Beach.

Flora and fauna

The park is known for containing the last significant coastal (littoral) rainforest on the Central Coast. And since most of the park lies in the Tuggerah Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for a variety of water and woodland birds

Climate

The climate in Wyrrabalong National Park is generally similar to that off the Central Coast.

Visitor information

• Park website

Get in

Main section

Given that the two sides (east and west) of the park is by the water, it leaves only the north and south of the park accessible via land. And thus, to access the northern end of the park, use A49 Wilfred Barrett Drive from the Pacific Highway (takes about half an hour), and the southern entry point is just north from The Entrance and takes about 10 minutes via car.

Southern section

There is also a small tiny patch of the park halfway between the towns of Terrigal and the Entrance. This section can also only be accessed via car, at a turnoff from A49.

Fees and permits

There are no fees in the park, but the park is only open from 5:30AM-6PM when there's no daylight savings, and 5:30AM-8PM during daylight savings.

Get around

• Within the same section, walk
• Within different sections, you have no choice but to take the car

See

• 1 Crackneck Point lookout, Wyrrabalong Coastal Walk, Bateau Bay. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Pelican Beach Road lookout, Pelican Beach Rd, Magenta. A lookout overlooking the sea. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

• 1 The Coast walking track. 3km one-way, from the southern areas of the southern section to the northern areas of the park, passing clifftops, blackbutts and spotted gums. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Lillypilly loop trail (Lilly Pilly loop trail), Magenta. 3.5km loop which should take about 1.25-1.75 hours to do. But this trail passes more through the coastal rainforests than other trails in the park. (updated Oct 2021)
• 3 Red Gum trail. (updated Oct 2021)

Buy, eat, drink and sleep

There are no places to eat, drink, sleep or buy items. Nearest town in the northern section is in Noraville where you can do just that and it's either Erina or The Entrance in the southern section.

Stay safe

Despite, crime being quite high in the northern areas of the Central Coast, it should generally not be a concern in the park. Just do the normal precautions you do anywhere.

Go next

• Bouddi National Park