Where

Nadgee Nature Reserve in South Coast

Distance

55km one-way

Time suggested

3 - 4 days

Grade

Grade 5

Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

Personal Locator Beacon

Hire a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for free at the Merimbula office.

Price

Camping fees apply, please contact NPWS Merimbula on (02) 6495 5000 for more information.

Please note

• The maximum number of hikers taking the Nadgee wilderness walk is 30 at a time. Maximum group size is eight.
• Please be aware that tracks can be indistinct, difficult to follow, or unmarked in certain places. in heavy rain, Merrica River may flood, making it impassable until the river goes down.
• Record your arrival and departure at the registration station located at the track head facility.
• Clean boots using the boot-cleaning station at Merrica River trackhead before you enter the nature reserve.

If you’re looking for the ultimate coastal hike, Nadgee wilderness walk could possibly be the one. Not for the faint-hearted, it’s a four-day 55km hike along untouched pieces of southern NSW coastline from Merrica River to Mallacoota, and well worth experiencing.

In a truly isolated and spectacular environment, you’ll discover remote beaches, rugged coastline, tranquil lagoons and shifting sand dunes. As you walk, you’ll easily become a birdwatcher - hundreds of seabirds can be seen along the way, such as short-tailed shearwaters, sooty oystercatchers, hooded plovers and gannets.

Eastern water dragons are often seen sunning themselves on warm stones by creeks. And while pods of dolphins often mingle along the beaches, whales can be seen making their annual migration between September and November.

You’ll need to be an experienced backpack camper to explore the entirety of this walk. Little Creek Estuary, Bunyip Hole and Nadgee River campgrounds, to name a few, are great places to settle down for the evening. You’ll often hear the night-time calls of powerful and sooty owls.

With so many natural wonders to see on Nadgee wilderness walk, this multi-day hike along the south coast of NSW is the ideal antidote to modern life.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A spring treat

The vegetation in Nadgee has been almost undisturbed since European settlement. In the heath, you'll see the red and pink flowers of the common heath, masses of orange banksias, and the white blooms of the wedding bush. As summer approaches, breathe in the sweet aroma of the cream flowers of the giant honey myrtles that grow near Wonboyn Lake and the beach. With its combination of coastal heath, forest and shoreline, Nadgee is inhabited by many different species of birds. From catching glimpses of tiny wrens and ground parrots in the heathlands to staring awed at soaring white-bellied sea eagles along the coastline, you'll need your binoculars to make the most of bird watching opportunities.

Living treasure

Whatever part of Nadgee you explore, you'll be rewarded with pristine landscapes and stunning vistas. The reserve sits within Australia's Coastal Wilderness, which runs from the south coast of NSW to East Gippsland in Victoria, one of the 16 areas named as Australia's National Landscapes because of their natural, cultural or spiritual significance. It really is a special place.

People of the land

The area of the reserve is part of the lands of the Bidawal people and shared with the Dtharwa and Monaroo people. Aboriginal people have a long spiritual and cultural association with the area around Nadgee. Before settlement, they would travel from as far away as Wollongong, Mallacoota and Monaroo to places like Bay Cliff and Greenglade. Middens can be seen around Wonboyn Lake and along the shore.

Plants and animals protected in this park