Where

Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve in South Coast

Accessibility

Medium

Distance

2km return

Time suggested

30min - 1hr

Grade

Grade 3

What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen

Please note

• Shore birds are best seen on low tide. It’s a good idea to check the tides charts beforehand.
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch
• Recreational fishing is allowed in the bay. However, Cullendulla Creek is a sanctuary zone, so it’s a good idea to check the recreational fishing maps for permitted activities.

Just an easy walk along a beautiful boardwalk, Cullendulla Beach has pride of place in the nature reserve, right at the mouth of the creek where it enters the bay. Superb views to Snapper Island and the Tollgate Islands are paired with plenty of things to do, including picnicking.

In low tide, this is a great spot for birding, with local and migratory species such as curlews and oystercatchers feeding on the sandy flats near the beach. Sometimes large flocks of swans collect nearby, offering dramatic displays when they take off or land on the bay. Though unpatrolled, the water’s relative calmness means Cullendulla Beach also offers an opportunity to swim. Or for something a little more adventurous, drag out the canoe and drift up the creek for a leisurely afternoon.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Aboriginal culture

Cullendulla Creek holds several ancient Aboriginal midden sites, including rarely recorded mounded midden sites. The Mangrove walk is a great way to engage with the past lives of people here, weaving through areas where mud oysters, mussels and shellfish were once collected.

Birdwatchers' haven

Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve is home to mangrove estuary (and two mangrove species, the grey and river mangroves), forest red gums, littoral rainforest, and sea grass beds. The reserve is also a fish nursery for the Clyde River. Unsurprisingly then, a substantial mix of forest and shorebirds visit the area annually, including white ibises, curlews, two species of spoonbill and several of duck. Migratory birds come from as far away as Russia, taking refuge in the warm weather.

Remarkable dune formations

The nature reserve contains important and unusual dune formations called cheniers. Roughly parallel to the shoreline, these long, low (3-6m) and narrow ridges overlay estuarine mud and are of great scientific interest for the information they provide about the evolving landscape - some 7000 years worth of changes. There are nine beach ridges at Cullendulla; the most northerly two are cheniers. Though they're not directly visible to visitors, a fascinating boardwalk tracks through the mangrove estuary, accompanied by signs which offer a keen insight into the local ecosystem. For the best overview, visit in both high and low tide and compare the differences.