Where

Cudgen Nature Reserve in North Coast

Accessibility

Medium

What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen

Please note

Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch.

Just near the coastal villages of Cabarita Beach and Bogangar on the Tweed Coast, Cudgen Lake is a hidden wetland treasure surrounded by floodplain forest and rainforests. Look out over the calm waters and you’ll see majestic Round Mountain in the south and striking views to the west of Wollumbin Mount Warning in the World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park.

Great for a family day out, head to Cudgen picnic area and enjoy lunch by the water. The kids will love swimming in the shallow waters of the lake. Launch your canoe or kayak from the boat ramp and head off to explore the nearby creeks. You can also enjoy a day of windsurfing on the lake. Cudgen Lake is occasionally suitable for sailing if there has been a lot of rain for a long time. You can also try your luck fishing, or just sit back and enjoy the tranquility.

The lake and surrounding wetlands is also a fantastic spot for birdwatching. Look out for waterbirds like the Australasian grebe or the white-faced heron.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

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A birdwatcher's paradise

Cudgen is home to plenty of birdlife, making it a great spot for bird watching. The lake and surrounding wetlands are a great place to see black swan and waterbirds like the Australian white ibis or the white-faced heron. You'll also see shorebirds including pied oystercatcher, osprey and sea eagles.

Good things come in small packages

For a modest reserve, there is certainly an enormous variety of vegetation, ranging from coastal dunes to heath, swamp forests to rainforests, and the beautiful wetlands on Cudgen Lake and surrounding estuaries. Much of the reserve is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community (EEC), including swamp oak, swamp melaleuca forest, littoral and lowland subtropical rainforest, and freshwater wetlands. Cudgen Nature Reserve also provides a great viewing point and stopover point en route to the magnificent rainforest in the World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park.

Water sport playground

With the great expanse of Cudgen Lake, nearby creeks and Cabarita Beach all included in Cudgen Nature Reserve, you'll find loads of water sports to enjoy. Go sailing on the lake, or explore by kayak, canoe or paddleboard. Enjoy swimming on the lake or head to Cabarita Beach for swimming, surfing and fishing in the ocean.