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Beowa National Park

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Overview

Beowa National Park, formerly Ben Boyd National Park, is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 578 km (359 mi) south of Sydney. It was established in 1971 and officially renamed in 2022 owing to its previous namesake's connection with blackbirding. Beowa means "orca", an animal of significance to the traditional owners, the Thaua people.

The park forms part of the Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area.

Wikivoyage guide · 24 sections

▸Introduction275 chars

Beowa National Park (until 2022, Ben Boyd National Park) is a national park in the Sapphire Coast region of southeastern New South Wales, and is the state's southernmost national park. The park contains two separate sections, the Pambula-Haycock area and the Green Cape area.

▸History1,272 chars

The park was established in 1971 covering 8,900 hectares and was initially named after Benjamin Boyd but has since been expanded to cover 10,486 hectares. Boyd was a wealthy pastoralist and businessman in the 1840s, with interests in shipping (including whaling), based in the South Coast. At the time, the area was part of the District of Port Phillip and Boyd was elected to the NSW Legislative Council for the electoral district of Port Phillip.

Boyd was the first in Australia to engage in blackbirding, a practice akin to slavery, when a ship he had commissioned brought 65 Melanesian labourers to Boyd Town in 1847. In the wake of the George Floyd protests around the world and in Australia and the Black Lives Matter movement gaining pace in May-June 2020, calls for the park to be renamed were it to be renewed. It was commented by the NSW Environment Minister that "national parks are about connecting people, not dividing them". The park was eventually renamed in September 2022 to Beowa National Park, with beowa meaning orca or killer whale in the Thaua language.

Boyd commissioned the construction of a sandstone tower overlooking the entrance to the harbour of Twofold Bay to alert whaling crews of the approach of their prey. The tower was never completed.

Facts

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia739 words

WBP editorial3

Coastal walks with a cultural lens

Beyond the familiar cliff‑top views, the park’s network of low‑lying tracks weaves through sand dunes that have long been part of Thaua seasonal movements. Early morning walks give you a chance to spot the subtle plant markings used by the Indigenous custodians to navigate and locate fresh water. Bring a simple notebook to jot down the patterns – they often mirror the rhythmic lines of the ocean. If you’re willing to venture a few kilometres off the main coastal trail, you’ll reach a quiet inlet where the tide leaves a shallow pool perfect for observing native crustaceans, a habitat the Thaua traditionally harvested for food and medicine.

Birding beyond the checklist

The park sits within a recognised Important Bird Area, but the real pleasure comes from listening for the calls that define each micro‑habitat. In the mangrove fringe, the West Australian magpie‑whistler’s plaintive cry differs markedly from its inland cousins. Further inland, the eucalyptus open woodlands host the occasional fluted‑winged honeyeater, a species that tends to avoid the busier tourist spots. Bring a pair of binoculars with a wide field of view; the subtle shifts in feather colour are best appreciated when you pause at the edges of the grasslands rather than staying on the paved lookout paths.

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The park is fairly flat, with none of the northern section exceeding 100 metres in elevation, and the southern section not much higher, with the tallest peak being Haycock Hill at 252 metres. Regardless, the park is very windy and cold.

▸Flora and fauna698 chars

There have been 12 species of birds which have been recorded in the park, with the heathlands being home to the eastern ground parrot and endangered eastern bristlebird. The little tern breeds in the sand dunes and beaches but they are threatened by recreational four-wheel driving. The park forms part of the Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for swift parrots.

Fifty species of mammal have been recorded. Pests recorded include cats and foxes, both which have covered the park, occasional feral dogs, and rabbits in previously cleared areas and picnic areas. Bitou bush is a problem weed north of the Pambula River.

▸Climate230 chars

The climate of Beowa National Park is very similar to that of Gippsland, and is cold almost all year around. It's never warm here, as it rarely goes above 25° in Beowa National Park, but it also never goes to the negatives either.

▸Get in903 chars

Like most national parks in New South Wales, Beowa National Park can only be accessed via car. Since the northern and southern sections are not connected, they have different entry points. To the northern section it's a 6 hour drive via the A1 Princes Highway and Haycock Road from Sydney, from Melbourne, it's a 7 hour drive via the A1 and Haycock Road, and a 3 hour drive from Canberra via the M23, A23, B23, B72, A1 and Haycock Road.

To the southern section, it's a:

7 hour drive from Sydney via the A1 Princes Highway and Edrom Road

6 hour drive from Melbourne via the A1 Princes Highway and Edrom Road

4 hour drive from Canberra via the M23, A23, B23, B72, A1 and Edrom Road

To make things more complicated, parts of the northern section, north of the Pambula River, can only be accessed by the town Pambula Beach, however, access here is very easy, and much much easier than the rest of the park.

▸Fees and permits129 chars

The northern section (Pambula-Haycock) is free to access, however, the southern section (Green Cape) has a fee of $8 per vehicle.

▸Get around475 chars

There are two sections to this park and these are not connected. The only convenient way of getting between these sections is via car, which takes approx 30 minutes between the two sections.

Getting within the same section, generally, it's best to take the car out here, as walking will take you a long time, although do be aware that the roads in the northern section are not paved. In the southern section, only Edrom Road is paved, with all the other roads being unpaved.

▸Pambula-Haycock area (northern section)784 chars

1 Barmouth Beach, Barmouth Beach Rd, Eden. This beach is not only popular for swimming, but it's also more popular for whale watching too. Barmouth Beach is also where George Bass first landed in December 18 1797. Picnic areas nearby. Parking available at Barmouth Beach Carpark. (updated Oct 2021)

2 Severs Beach, Severs Beach Track, Eden. Another untouched typical Sapphire Coast beach, also popular for the typical whale watching, but this beach also holds Aboriginal shell middens which have been carbon dated to 3,500 years old. (updated Oct 2021)

3 Terrace Beach and Lennards Island. This beach is only accessible via a 4WD. However, this means that it's much less crowded, and as far away as you can get from the city by the beach. Scuba diving spots nearby. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Green Cape area (southern section)1,977 chars

4 Boyd's Tower, Boyd's Tower Track, Edrom. This tower was built by Ben Boyd, although it was never commissioned as a lighthouse. (updated Oct 2021)

5 Bittangabee Bay ruins, Light to Light Walk, Green Cape. These ruins are mainly some unfinished stone works that were built in the 1840s giving you a look at European history in the park. (updated Oct 2021)

6 Disaster Bay lookout, Green Cape Lighthouse Rd, Green Cape. If you're into nature and wildlife, there can never be a comparable lookout to this one. From this lookout, the first thing you'll notice from looking down, is the pristine white sand, on beaches that get about no more than 10 visitors a day during normal seasons (it may be slightly higher during holiday season) of Disaster Bay and the Pacific Ocean. And then not to forget there's the lush green forest you'll be seeing. Bring your binoculars here as there's lots of birdwatching opportunities here, and if you happen to come here during whale migration season (May to November), there's a good high chance you'll see a whale here. (updated Oct 2021)

7 Green Cape Lighthouse, Green Cape Lighthouse Rd, Green Cape, npws.sapphirecoast@environment.nsw.gov.au. 7AM-7PM. This lighthouse is the southern most lighthouse anywhere in New South Wales. Bookings required, and you will need a 4WD getting here after rain. You can also learn about some disasters and survivals here, such as the passenger ship Ly-ee-Moon, which unusually wrecked below the lighthouse in 1886. (updated Oct 2021)

8 Green Cape lookout, 2086 Green Cape Lighthouse Road, Green Cape. Similar to Disaster Bay lookout, this lookout is also plentiful when it comes to wildlife watching opportunities. Not only is this lookout popular for birdwatching or even whale watching, you can even see a resident population of fur seals, dolphins, albatross, gannets and sea eagles. If you're lucky enough to go here in October, then you may also see the muttonbird migration as well. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Davidson Whaling Station Historical Site508 chars

This section is not actually part of the Beowa National Park, however, since park fees for the southern section of Beowa National Park apply to go to Davidson Whaling Station Historical Reserve, for merely practical purposes, it has been included in this page.

9 Davidson Whaling Station, 447 Boyd Road, Edrom. This whaling section explains how killer whales had helped the Davidson family. The ones that owned this whaling station. Apart from that, it is a historical site as well. Free. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Pambula-Haycock area (northern section)1,121 chars

1 Pinnacles loop walking track. 20-40 min trail, and is rated a Grade 3 by the AWGTS. 1.1 km (0.68 mi) loop. This walking track gives you some stunning views of the ocean, and not to forget the Pinnacles with views south to Lennards Island. When using this walk, there's also two lookouts along the way. Bring your binoculars if you'd like to go birdwatching along the way, and if you go here between May to November, you might see a whale or two. (updated Oct 2021)

2 Pambula River walking track. This trail is only a 1 km (0.62 mi) return trail and takes about 20 to 40 minutes to do, but it's rated as a Grade 4 trail by the AWGTS. This track is more for those who'd want to do a short walk by the unspoiled beaches. There are also chances you might see whales during the winter months, so bring some binoculars. (updated Oct 2021)

3 Haycock Point to Barmouth Beach walking track. This 3 km (1.9 mi) trail one way takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours to do. Starting from the Pambula River estuary, this trail goes all the way down to Barmouth Beach, passing Haycock Point, and some other unspoiled beaches. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Green Cape area (southern section)1,168 chars

4 Light to Light walk. A 30 km (19 mi) walk, and should take about two to three days to do. Rated a Grade 4 by the AWGTS. The walk starts at the Boyd's Tower, and ends at Green Cape Lighthouse between two towers as the name of the walk suggests. It mostly goes beside the coast, so there's always a beach nearby if you want to go for a swim (although the waters are really cold). (updated Oct 2021)

5 Boyds Tower walking track. This is a 0.8 km (0.50 mi) walk which only takes about 15 minutes to 45 minutes to do. The walk includes a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk which continues behind Boyd's tower to a lookout over Twofold Bay with typical Sapphire Coast views – unimaginable. (updated Oct 2021)

6 Bittangabee Bay to Green Cape walking track. This is a 7 km (4.3 mi) trail, one-way and takes about 2-3 hours to do. This trail is a bit hard to do though, and prior hiking experience is needed before doing this trail. (updated Oct 2021)

7 Boyds Tower to Saltwater Creek walking track. This is a 13.2 km (8.2 mi) trail, one way, and takes 4.5 to 5.5 hours to do. The trail is quite difficult for beginners, and prior hiking experience is needed. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Diving512 chars

Beowa National Park is quite known for its dive sites, and particularly for its shipwrecks nearby. Some notable shipwrecks include the 135-m Empire Gladstone which got wrecked in the 1950s at Haycock Point. Twofold Bay also has some diving spots as well, which is more focused on the local fauna that live in the nearby waters. There's also nearby caves as well. Other shipwrecks include he Tasman Hauler and the Henry Bolte near Eden.

The only guided diving tours can be found with DiveEden. Bookings required.

▸Buy20 chars

Nothing to buy here.

▸Eat135 chars

There are no places to eat, and the nearest places where you can get your food is at Eden or Merimbula. Otherwise, bring your own food.

▸Drink31 chars

And... yep, no places to drink.

▸Sleep107 chars

The only places where you can rest your head is on the south side of the park. The north does not have any.

▸Lodging677 chars

1 Telegraph Station bunkhouse, 2086 Green Cape Lighthouse Road, Green Cape, ☏ +61 1300 072 757. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. 1 bedroom, max four guests allowed. But Telegraph Station bunkhouse was basically a former 19th century telegraph station which was later converted into accommodation. (updated Oct 2021)

2 Green Cape Lightstation Keepers' Cottages, 2086 Green Cape Lighthouse Road, Green Cape, ☏ +61 1300 072 757. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. These heritage cottages provide stunning views of the ocean, and something that one can get never tired of. On top of that, guests that choose to rest their head here get a free tour of the lighthouse. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Camping582 chars

3 Saltwater Creek campground, Light to Light Walk, Green Cape. Check-in: noon, check-out: 10AM. 14 campsites. Bookings required on ☏ +61 1300 072 757. This campsite is far from any crowds, so for those who like the quietness, this is the place. (updated Oct 2021)

4 Bittangabee campground, Bittangabee Road, Green Cape. Check-in: noon, check-out: 10AM. The waters here are basically surrounded by recreation activities such as swimming, snorkelling and diving. If you're an avid photographer, there's some photographing opportunities here to take photos of birds. (updated Oct 2021)

▸Backcountry66 chars

There aren't any backcountry camping sites in Beowa National Park.

▸Stay safe225 chars

Wildlife is generally not a concern, but do be aware though that driving in the northern section after the rainy months of February to March may be difficult, so much, that it may be harder to go faster than 25 km/h (16 mph).

▸Connect293 chars

Only Telstra has coverage in Ben Boyd National Park and its quite sketchy in the northern areas. The southern areas are worse than the northern areas, and large parts of the southern section don't have coverage at all. Optus and Vodafone don't have coverage at all outside of Eden and Pambula.

▸Go next183 chars

Either head down south to Mallacoota or head north to Merimbula.

SE Forest National Park is to the west, home to one of the last few patches of pristine wet rainforests in the region.

Practical tips for a low‑impact visit

To preserve the park’s delicate dunes, stick to the boardwalks even when the sand looks invitingly soft. Pack a reusable water bottle and refill at the designated ranger‑run stations – the water is filtered on‑site, reducing the need for plastic. If you plan to camp, opt for the designated sites that are positioned away from nesting grounds; the park’s management provides a simple map highlighting these zones. Finally, consider timing your visit for the shoulder months of October or April: the weather is mild, the crowds thin, and you’ll witness the seasonal wildflower bloom that paints the sand with muted golds.

Introduction

National park in New South Wales, Australia Beowa National ParkIUCN category II (national park)Ben Boyd's towerBeowa National ParkLocationNew South WalesCoordinates37°10′43″S 149°58′56″E / 37.17861°S 149.98222°E / -37.17861; 149.98222Area104.86 km2 (40.49 sq mi)Established1971Governing bodyNSW National Parks & Wildlife ServiceWebsitehttps://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/ben-boyd-national-park Beowa National Park, formerly Ben Boyd National Park, is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 578 km (359 mi) south of Sydney. It was established in 1971 and officially renamed in 2022 owing to its previous namesake's connection with blackbirding. Beowa means "orca", an animal of significance to the traditional owners, the Thaua people. The park forms part of the Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area.

History

[edit] The park was established in 1971 covering 8,900 ha (22,000 acres) and was originally named after Benjamin Boyd. Boyd was a wealthy pastoralist and businessman in the 1840s, with interests in shipping (including whaling), based on the South Coast of NSW. At the time, the area was part of the District of Port Phillip and Boyd was elected to the NSW Legislative Council for the electoral district of Port Phillip. He was the first in Australia to engage in blackbirding, a practice akin to slavery, when a ship he had commissioned brought 65 Melanesian labourers to Boyd Town in 1847.: 382  The Pinnacles, with white sand overlain by red clay Boyd commissioned the construction of a sandstone tower overlooking the entrance to the harbour of Twofold Bay to alert whaling crews of the approach of their prey. The tower was never completed. In the wake of the George Floyd protests around the world and in Australia and the Black Lives Matter movement gaining pace in mid-2020, calls for the national park to be renamed were renewed. Matt Kean, the NSW Environment Minister, promised to seek a briefing about renaming the park and then to consult with local elders and the community. In November 2021, Kean announced Ben Boyd National Park would be renamed Beowa Natural Park, after consultations with more than 60 representatives from Aboriginal and South Sea Islander communities. In September 2022 it was officially renamed, under new environment minister James Griffin. On 11 November 2023, Thaua and South Sea Islander elders conducted a ceremony together to mark the park's name change. The name Beowa had been selected in honour of the orca, which is significant to the Thaua people. According to their mythology, their ancestors are orcas, and when one of them dies they are reincarnated as an orca. The park has been expanded from its original 8,900 ha (22,000 acres) to cover 10,486 ha (25,910 acres) over time.

Description

[edit] The park consists of two sections, on either side of Twofold Bay and the town of Eden. The smaller northern section is bounded on its western border by the Princes Highway. The geology of this section is mainly sedimentary rock (ironstone and clay) laid down in the Paleogene, with some quartzite outcrops. The main attraction for tourists is the Pinnacles, a multicoloured erosion gully with white sands overlaid by rusty red clay. The southern section coastline is metamorphic and Devonian in age, with some heavily folded sections at Red Point, near Boyd's tower. The park is fairly flat, with none of the northern section exceeding 100 metres (300 ft) in elevation, and the southern section not much higher; the tallest peak is Haycock Hill at 252 metres (827 ft). The region is particularly windy, dry and cold, and the headlands are covered in a low ground-hugging heathland community of plants. Further inland, the heath is replaced by open eucalypt woodland, which makes up most of the park's habitat. The two dominant tree species are silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi) and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera). There are also scattered pockets of rainforest in gullies and protected areas, with species such as the scentless rosewood (Synoum glandulosum) and smooth mock-olive (Notelaea venosa).

Flora and fauna

[edit] The park forms part of the Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for swift parrots. It was recorded in 1996 that 212 species of bird had been recorded in the park, with the heathlands being home to the eastern ground parrot and endangered eastern bristlebird, while the little tern breeds in the sand dunes and beaches. At the time, the tern was threatened by recreational four-wheel driving.[needs update] Fifty species of mammal had been recorded by 2010. Pests recorded include cats and foxes, occasional feral dogs, and rabbits. Bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) was a problem weed north of the Pambula River.