MYALL LAKES

With idyllic waterfront campsites and white sand beaches spread the length of an extensive network of interconnected lakes and rivers, Myall Lakes National Park is a perfect destination for multi-day kayaking and canoeing adventures. Just a few hours’ drive north of Sydney, the park protects the largest, natural, fresh-brackish water system on the NSW coast. It is listed as a wetland of international importance and contains more than 10,000 hectares of waterways.

The park also protects an astonishing variety of coastal ecosystems. Giant sand dunes can be found at Dark Point. At Mungo Brush, stands of lush rainforest are thick with beautiful cabbage tree palms. And on the park’s western edge towers NSW’s tallest tree: the Grandis, a giant flooded gum. Overlay this with the scenic beauty of the lakes—where waterways are surrounded by dense forest, where ancient paper barks lean far out over clear water while flocks of black swans shelter in every bay—and you have a park that is a truly special destination. This trip describes a leisurely, one-way, 3-day paddling journey through the heart of this extraordinary water world.

HISTORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

This is the traditional land of the Worimi Aboriginal People. Occupation dates back many thousands of years. Dark Point Aboriginal Place, a rocky headland on the coast, has been used as a meeting and ceremony site for at least four millennia. The abundant resources of Myall