Where

Seven Mile Beach National Park in South Coast

Distance

2km one-way

Time suggested

1hr 30min - 2hrs 30min

Grade

Grade 4

Please note

• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch or whale watch.

The Sand track walk (south) starts from the southern end of the Beach Road picnic area, and takes you through forested hind dunes running parallel to the beach.

Easy enough for the whole family, this level walk wanders among the forest of majestic tall blackbutt trees, a reminder of the forests that were widespread along the coast until 200 years ago. There are also patches of rare bangalay sand forest and littoral rainforest along the way.

After a short time, you’ll emerge at the middle of Seven Mile Beach, halfway between Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads. Here, you can admire the golden stretch of beach stretching out in both directions. Enjoy a swim here before retracing your step or and wander back along the beach, enjoying the sea breeze before sitting down for a picnic at Beach Road picnic area.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Aboriginal culture

The park’s beach, forest and wetland environments near Coomonderry Swamp were once important sources of food and materials for Aboriginal people. Part of the Dharawal language group, they had strong associations with other groups north to Sydney, inland to the southern highlands and south as far as Gippsland in Victoria. Today, you can see shell middens along the length of the foredune and in the forest. There are also several important ceremonial and culturally significant sites for Aboriginal people within the park.

Aviation history

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith started his historic 1933 trans-Tasman flight to New Plymouth in New Zealand from Seven Mile Beach. This flight led to the inauguration of the trans-Tasman airmail service, making Seven Mile Beach a significant place in aviation history. In November 1933, Kingsford Smith ran passenger flights from the beach and in 1934, he used it for an emergency landing.

It's a wild world

For animal-lovers, Seven Mile Beach National Park has lots to offer. There are great birdwatching opportunities in the tall forests and at Coomonderry Swamp. Rainbow lorikeets, king parrots, and rosellas can all be seen, whilst thornbills, wrens, New Holland honeyeaters and brown cuckoo doves are also in abundance. There are also plenty of small mammals to see, such as antechinus and a range of tree-dwelling mammal species. As you wander through the forests, keep your eyes out for the greater gliders found in the park. Gliders are best seen at night, so be sure to enquire about a spotlight walk with NPWS Discovery Ranger.

Unique landscape

This park supports several significant and endangered natural habitats. The forests are one of the last intact areas of Bangalay and blackbutt sand dune forest on the south coast. Coomonderry Swamp is also the only large semi-permanent freshwater wetland on the south coast. The area is significant as it shows a relatively intact example of a large scale dune barrier formed during the end of the last ice age, approximately 6000 years ago.