Mungo National Park, MungoCredit: Tyson Mayr
The night sky over the Walls of China in Mungo National Park, Mungo.
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One of the ultimate ways to switch off, unwind, and relax is by immersing yourself in nature - mobile phones not welcome!
You may have heard of Kosciuszko and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Parks, but did you know New South Wales is home to more than 870 national parks and reserves? If you venture beyond the big-hitters you’ll find an array of lesser-known parks that offer incredible bushwalking, swimming, Aboriginal history, and more. Here are five under-the-radar national parks that call NSW home.
Mungo National Park
The landscapes of Mungo National Park in Outback NSW, 1,000km west of Sydney, are so otherworldly that arriving here feels like stepping onto another planet. In contrast to the green trees and flowing waterfalls of many other NSW national parks, Mungo is full of red earth, sand dunes, wild emus and unusual rock formations. It’s unlike anything else in Australia.
Don’t miss the Walls of China and Red Top lookouts, which can be explored on walking tours and offer magnificent views of the park below, particularly at sunrise and sunset. You can also tackle one of the park’s cycle loops, taking in the desertscapes around you as you pedal. Another must-see is the dry bed of Lake Mungo, which is now filled with photogenic layers of sand and clay called ‘lunettes’. Here, you can also learn more about the Aboriginal history and culture of the Paakantji, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people. The park is home to Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, which date back 42,000 years and are considered to be the oldest human remains found outside of Africa.
Where to stay: There are two campgrounds in the park (the Main Campground has more facilities), or you can opt for a basic but comfortable stay inside at the Mungo Shearers’ Quarters. Consider breaking up the drive here with a night in Wagga Wagga.
Bungonia National Park
You don’t have to go remote to discover a new national park. Just 2.5 hours’ drive southwest from Sydney, you’ll find Bungonia National Park, which is known as the adventure capital of the NSW Southern Tablelands. You can abseil, rock climb, hike and go canyoning or caving here. But for a slower pace, bushwalks are a great way to explore the scenery. A popular walk is the 6.7km Green Track (allow 2.5 to 3.5 hours to complete the loop). Multi-day guided adventure treks are also possible.
Where to stay: Pitch a tent in the national park campground (which has toilets, showers, barbecue facilities and drinking water) or choose from the many accommodation options in Goulburn, just 30 minutes’ drive to the west.
Mungo National Park, Mungo Credit: Tyson Mayr
Man watching the sunset at the Walls of China in Mungo National Park, Mungo.
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Mungo National Park, Mungo Credit: Tyson Mayr
Man watching the sunset at the Walls of China in Mungo National Park, Mungo.
Bungonia National Park Credit: Sara Fife; Capital Country Tourism
Lookout at Bungonia National Park, Capital Country
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Bungonia National Park Credit: Sara Fife; Capital Country Tourism
Lookout at Bungonia National Park, Capital Country
Boonoo Boonoo National Park
It’s in Boonoo Boonoo National Park that famed poet Banjo Paterson proposed to his sweetheart Alice Walker back in 1903. Patterson popped the question at Boonoo Boonoo Falls Lookout, where you can still see the mighty, 210-metre tall waterfall cascade down into the rainforest gorge below.
The national park, 30 minutes north of Tenterfield, is perfect for soaking up northern NSW’s natural beauty with bushwalking trails, secluded rock pools, and more to discover. Pack your swimsuit and tackle the 6.1km River Walk, which takes you through eucalypt forest and past the river, where you may see wallabies and kangaroos grazing; allow 3.5 to 4.5 hours each way.
Where to stay: By the river, Cypress Pine Campground has toilets and barbecue facilities. Just inside the park, there’s also Robinsons Cabin, or get a room in Tenterfield, just 27 kilometres from the park.
Paroo-Darling National Park
An hour north of Wilcannia in far western NSW, Paroo-Darling National Park’s position on the Murray-Darling Basin means you can kayak, canoe and fish here. The rugged park is home to the serene Peery Lake, which draws kangaroos, emus and an incredible array of birds to the shore when full; look out for pink cockatoos! Just keep in mind that this is a remote part of NSW, so you must bring everything you’ll need with you.
Where to stay: Camp at the park’s Coach and Horses Campground, perhaps breaking up the journey in Dubbo if you’re headed here from Sydney.
Mutawintji National Park
Another ruggedly beautiful national park in the Central Darling Shire, 2.5 hours drive northeast of Broken Hill, is Mutawintji National Park, where you can see the crimson red Bynguano Ranges and immerse yourself in Aboriginal history.
The ancestral home of the Malyankapa and Pandjikali people, Mutawintji National Park is NSW’s first Aboriginal-owned national park. Discover Aboriginal rock engravings and spot emus on trails that lace this wild outback landscape such as the 7.5km-return Homestead Gorge Walking Track. You can also explore the park on a tour with Tri State Safaris based in Broken Hill.
Where to stay: The well-equipped Homestead Creek Campground is a great base for exploring the park. It has showers and barbecue facilities, but you’ll need to bring your own drinking water.
Paroo River, Wanaaring Credit: Destination NSW
Paroo River, Wanaaring, near Paroo-Darling National Park.
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Paroo River, Wanaaring Credit: Destination NSW
Paroo River, Wanaaring, near Paroo-Darling National Park.
Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide Keanu Bates showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
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Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide Keanu Bates showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
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Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald BeachCredit: Destination NSW
See wildlife in a whole new way in New South Wales.
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NSW’s animals are as welcoming as its locals. From kangaroos to snoozing koalas — and everything furry or finned in between — Australia’s wild animals are as unforgettable as the land they call home. Here’s where to find these incredible creatures in their natural habitat across New South Wales.
See kangaroos by the sea
Thrill to the sight of kangaroos, one of Australia’s most iconic native animals, in the wild all across Country NSW. Keep an eye out for eastern grey kangaroos at beautiful Diamond Head Beach in Crowdy Bay National Park on the Barrington Coast, a 3.5-hour drive north of Sydney. Let the unforgettable sight of a mob of ’roos backdropped by the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean put a spring in your step as you stroll along the 1.6km loop trail at the Look At Me Now Headland in the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, at Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast. And refresh with a dip in the ocean as curious eastern greys look on from grassy clearings at Depot Beach and Pebbly Beach in Murramarang National Park, a four-hour drive from Sydney on the spectacular NSW South Coast.
Gaze up at koalas
Discover the eucalypt forests around eastern NSW and you may well spot a koala snoozing among the gum-trees. Marvel at these tree-dwelling marsupials from viewing platforms in the stunning bushland at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, less than an hour’s drive from Newcastle, or three hours north of Sydney. Then settle into your four-star glamping tent, studio room or deluxe suite at the sanctuary for a night among these iconic creatures. Head to Guula Ngurra National Park, an easy two-hour drive south of Sydney in the Southern Highlands, to hike through some of the 3,358 hectares of protected koala habitat in the recently created park (Guula Ngurra means “Koala Country” in the local Gundungurra Aboriginal language). Or hone your spotting skills at Narrandera Koala Reserve, around an hour’s drive from the regional town of Griffith in the Riverina region in the state’s southwest, where more than 200 koalas live among river red gums.
Dive in with wild dolphins
Come fin to fin with wild dolphins with Dolphin Swim Australia in Port Stephens, just an hour’s drive north of Newcastle or three hours from Sydney. Feel a surge of adrenaline as a catamaran tows you through the ocean among these playful creatures. Prefer to stay dry? See Port Stephens’s resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, many of them so friendly that the locals know them by name, on an outing with Imagine Cruises. Or head south for close encounters with dolphins in sheltered Jervis Bay, on the NSW South Coast, with Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay and Jervis Bay Wild.
Shoal Bay, Port Stephens Credit: Destination NSW
Dolphins swimming in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens.
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Shoal Bay, Port Stephens Credit: Destination NSW
Dolphins swimming in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens.
Whale watching, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
A whale breaches out of the water off Sydney waters.
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Whale watching, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
A whale breaches out of the water off Sydney waters.
Let whales stir your spirit
Marvel at the majesty of humpback whales as they travel along the New South Wales coastline from May to November each year. Embrace the sublime as you witness some of the 40,000 humpback and southern right whales that make their way along on the ‘Humpback Highway’ from Antarctica to the warm waters of their breeding grounds in the north. Clamber aboard a boat for an unforgettable day of whale watching in Sydney, join a cruise from seaside towns or find the perfect vantage point on land to see these magnificent creatures leap from the water all along the NSW coastline.
Meet a Tasmanian devil
Get up close with free-roaming Tasmanian devils without leaving mainland Australia at Aussie Ark’s wildlife sanctuary in the rugged Barrington Tops, a five-hour drive northeast of Sydney. Feel yourself moved by the stories you’ll hear on Aussie Ark’s 2.5-hour guided Devils in the Wild tour — the team behind this conservation initiative is breeding a wild population of the endangered carnivores to ensure their survival. And be astonished as you see Tasmanian devils thriving in the wild and, if you visit in breeding season, dote on super-cute devil joeys exploring their surroundings.
Play with seals
Come alive with a sense of joy at Montague Island Nature Reserve, a revered wildlife destination that’s home to little penguins, a huge colony of Australian fur seals and 90 types of birds just 9km off the town of Narooma, in the South Coast’s Eurobodalla region. Be delighted by their playfulness as you discover why friendly fur seals are called the puppies of the sea on a seal snorkel with Narooma Charters. Or delight to the sight of penguins waddling back to their nests after a day of fishing on a sunset tour with Montague Island Discovery Tours.
Montague Island Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
Be immersed in wildlife experiences off Montague Island.
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Montague Island Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
Be immersed in wildlife experiences off Montague Island.
Be captivated by a platypus
Be rewarded for your patience when you spot a platypus in the wild: while platypus inhabit a number of regions in NSW, these shy little icons can be very tricky to find. Increase your chances by visiting Bombala, about an hour’s drive from Cooma in the Snowy Mountains — it’s known as ‘Platypus Country’ because a large number of these mysterious monotremes (egg-laying mammals) live there. Practise mindfulness at the Bombala Platypus Reserve, 4.5km outside of town, where a viewing platform over the river makes spotting them easier. Or try a guided Platypus Walk with Vision Walks Eco-Tours near Byron Bay, on the far North Coast.
Bliss out with turtles
Discover the underwater wonderlands of the North Coast at Cook Island, less than 1km offshore from Fingal Head, just south of Tweed Heads on the far North Coast of New South Wales, to encounter astonishing numbers of green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. Deepen your respect for the incredible beauty of the underwater world on a memorable snorkelling tour with local operators such as Watersports Guru or Cooly Eco Adventures.
Take off to an island of seabirds
Look at the skies with awe as hundreds of thousands of seabirds wheel above you on Lord Howe Island, 700km northeast of Sydney in the Pacific Ocean. Fill your diary with sightings of the 130-odd permanent and migratory bird species found on the country’s premier bird-watching destination. Come in winter to see providence petrels circle in spectacular courtship rituals during their breeding season, while shearwaters return in awe-inspiring flocks at dusk each day from spring to late autumn (September to May).