Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk

Sea Acres National Park

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Overview

The Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is an easy 1.3km walk through the rainforest canopy. You’ll see rainforest birds and animals. It's a great walk for all ages.

Where
Sea Acres National Park in North Coast
Accessibility
Easy
Distance
1.3km loop
Time suggested
27min - 1hr 15min
Grade
Grade 1
Price

$9 adult, $5 school age child, $20 per family (2 adults, 3 children), $7 pension/seniors card, companion card/carer free of charge. See more entry fees and tour information.

Opening times

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is:

  • Open 9am-4.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
  • Closed on Christmas Day

Many wonders of the rainforest reside above ground level, so getting up into the canopy is the best way to explore it properly. Rising seven metres through the forest understorey to the canopy above, Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk provides the perfect platform from which to experience this busy habitat.

Setting out from Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, you’re likely to see rainforest birds, like the scarlet robin, feeding and nesting in tree branches. And keep an eye out for goannas and the slithering diamond python.

This rainforest was a rich resource for the Biripai people. They used the walking stick palm as a travel aid and made weapons from the python tree, which is the second hardest wood in the world.

Take a walk in the canopy along the boardwalk, enjoy the colourful sculptures, and learn about the threatened species living in the precious littoral rainforest at Sea Acres.

Take a virtual tour of Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk captured with Google Street View Trekker.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Also see:

  • A woman and child walk towards the boardwalk entrance of Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, Sea Acres National Park. Credit: Adam Hollingworth/DCCEEW © DCCEEW

    Sea Acres Rainforest Centre

    Close to Port Macquarie, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is the gateway to your rainforest experience. Friendly staff provide information and there is a café where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch.

Map


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Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://uat.nswparks.cloud/things-to-do/walking-tracks/sea-acres-rainforest-boardwalk/local-alerts

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk.

Maps and downloads

Visitor centre

Learn more

Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is in Sea Acres National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    Ancient connections

    Rocky coastline with a distant lighthouse, Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    Sea Acres National Park is the traditional country of the Birpai People. The park's landscape has provided a rich source of food, medicines and shelter for thousands of years. Evidence of Aboriginal inhabitants has been found in Sea Acres National Park, and it's likely that the Birpai used the area for fishing, hunting and gathering.

    • Bush tucker in Sea Acres National Park Discover bushtucker secrets with our Aboriginal guide on this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion in Sea Acres National Park. An easy stroll along a boardwalk will reveal this area’s naturally occurring ‘supermarket’, and ‘hardware store’.
    • Sea Acres Aboriginal coastal tour Take a walk to Shelly Beach in Sea Acres National Park on this Aboriginal ranger-guided activity. Discover bush tucker and other useful plants in the rainforest as you learn about Aboriginal culture.
    • Sea Acres Aboriginal culture tour Join this ranger-guided Aboriginal cultural tour along the rainforest boardwalk in Sea Acres National Park. You’ll go on a journey of discovery. Great for adults and children aged 5 years and over.

    Find out more about this special place

    Rainforest boardwalk, Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    If you are looking for an educational experience within Sea Acres National Park then take some time out to have a look at The Spirit of the Land exhibition. This multimedia exhibition takes you on a virtual tour of Birpai Country and introduces you to key Birpai stories.

    • Port Macquarie coastal walk You'll pass historic sites, stunning coastal scenery, beaches, and rainforest along the Port Macquarie coastal walk. It can be enjoyed as a full day walk or broken up into several short walks.
    • Sea Acres Rainforest Centre Close to Port Macquarie, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is the gateway to your rainforest experience. Friendly staff provide information and there is a café where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch.

    Midnight feast

    Brush tail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Ken Stepnell/OEH

    In the evening, when all the visitors have left, the rainforest of Sea Acres comes alive as bats, possums and bush rats start their day. Rats forage for food in the forest undergrowth, possums hang from trees to munch on berries and leaves, and flying foxes swoop from one tree to another. The park is also the occasional home to koalas which feed on the eucalypts along the western boundary. The park is an important habitat for koalas in the Port Macquarie area as it is one of the largest naturally-vegetated areas remaining and contains some of their favourite food.

    • Sea Acres Aboriginal coastal tour Take a walk to Shelly Beach in Sea Acres National Park on this Aboriginal ranger-guided activity. Discover bush tucker and other useful plants in the rainforest as you learn about Aboriginal culture.
    • Sensing the rainforest Join us and explore the rainforest in this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion at Sea Acres National Park. Students will experience the wonders of this coastal environment through sensory activities.

    Worlds away

    Rocky coastine in Sea Acres National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    When you venture out on the boardwalk, immersed in the still beauty of the rainforest, you’ll really believe you've travelled back in time. And you're right. The environment here has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Engage your senses and let the rainforest and its residents take you away to another place. The rainforest is a haven for myriad birds, so look out for the colourful wompoo fruit dove and rose crowned fruit dove and listen for the distinctive yowl of the green catbird. You're bound to see a brush turkey or two foraging on the forest floor.

    • Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk The Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk is an easy 1.3km walk through the rainforest canopy. You’ll see rainforest birds and animals. It's a great walk for all ages.

    Plants and animals protected in this park

    Animals

    • Koala. Photo: Lucy Morrell

      Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

      One of the most renowned Australian animals, the tree-dwelling marsupial koala can be found in gum tree forests and woodlands across eastern NSW, Victoria and Queensland, as well as in isolated regions in South Australia. With a vice-like grip, this perhaps most iconic but endangered Australian animal lives in tall eucalypts within a home range of several hectares.

    • White-bellied sea eagle. Photo: John Turbill

      White-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

      White-bellied sea eagles can be easily identified by their white tail and dark grey wings. These raptors are often spotted cruising the coastal breezes throughout Australia, and make for some scenic bird watching. Powerful Australian birds of prey, they are known to mate for life, and return each year to the same nest to breed.

    • Australian brush turkey, Dorrigo National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

      Australian brush turkey (Alectura lathami)

      The Australian brush turkey, also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests along eastern NSW. With a striking red head, blue-black plumage and booming call, these distinctive Australian birds are easy to spot while bird watching in several NSW national parks.

    Environments in this park

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