NEW SOUTH WALES: OTHER PARKS TO VISIT
PARK INFORMATION
NSWNPWS 1300 361 967 Coffs Harbour (02) 6652 0900
SIZE
4233 ha
VISITOR INFORMATION
Mylestom/Sawtell 1300 369 070 www.coffscoast.com.au
LOCATION AND ACCESS
560 km north of Sydney; 10 km south of Coffs Harbour; turn off Pacific Hwy at Sawtell or Repton
CAMPING
No camping
Just south of Coffs Harbour, Bongil Bongil National Park’s magnificent unspoiled beaches sweep down the coast. Behind sandy dunes lies a rich tapestry of vegetation types including lush, tangled littoral rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest and melaleuca forest. Numerous streams flow from the steep foothills west of Bongil Bongil, joining Bonville and Pine creeks or flowing into swamp and wetland areas of mangrove and salt marsh.
Birdlife is prolific with more than 165 species recorded, including migratory birds from the Northern Hemisphere. Of note are the jabiru or black-necked stork, the osprey and, along the water’s edge, the threatened little tern, pied oystercatcher and other waterbirds. In the rainforest watch for the fruit-loving grey-and-green wompoo pigeon. You might also spot koalas, red-necked wallabies and lace monitors. This food-rich area was used by the local Gumbaynggir people until the 1960s as a source of bush tucker and seafood and there are sites of significance for Aboriginal people.
Walking, picnicking, birdwatching, fishing and boating are the main activities. There are various tracks and fire trails suitable for bushwalkers, and some for cyclists. Bundagen Rainforest Walk (6 km return, 2 hours, easy) meanders along the park’s coastal fringe to Bundagen Headland; or there is the more remote Bonville Beach Walk (6 km return, 2 hours). The Bluff Loop (2-km circuit, 1 hour, easy) is a stroll to a picnic spot. Canoeing on the tranquil estuary waters is popular (launching pontoon just north of Bonville Creek), and anglers will find good rock, beach and estuary fishing. The beaches are lovely but not patrolled. Vehicles are not permitted on the beach north of Bundagen Headland.