Where

Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve in South Coast

Accessibility

Hard

Distance

0.8km return

Time suggested

15 - 30min

Grade

Grade 3

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

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.

Leading to the entrance of Cullendulla Creek, this terrific short walk touches swamp oak and spotted gum forest before revealing a peaceful beach and rest spot in sight of Cullendulla Beach and the Batemans Bay township.

Expect a moderate-to-steep gradient, but it’s worth it. Pack a picnic lunch and bring the kids along, or bring a birding guide and watch white ibises and black swans drift across the creek. In the warmer months, this is an ideal place for a swim, too; the small estuary beach is protected from onshore winds by Square Head, and the bay, though unpatrolled, is calm enough for swimming. If you fancy a round of fishing, turn left at the carpark and follow the other Square Head track instead.

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.