Junior ranger: Minnamurra Rainforest
Budderoo National Park
Overview
Become a ‘junior ranger’ these school holidays at Minnamurra Rainforest. You’ll learn hands-on bush survival and safety skills on this fun tour at Budderoo National Park.
- When
Tour dates: Tuesday 8 October 2024. Tuesday 7, Thursday 16 and Wednesday 22 January. Wednesday 16 April and 8 October 2025.
Tour time: 10.30am to 12pm.
- Where
- Budderoo National Park in South Coast, Country NSW
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Grade
- Medium. Suitable for children aged 5 years and over. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Price
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Child (5 to 15 years) $14 per person.
- Entry fees
- Park entry fees apply
- Meeting point
- Minnamurra Rainforest Centre
We’ll set out on an adventure along Lyrebird Loop walk, enjoying various bushcraft and creative games along the way.
As part of your duties, you’ll explore the natural environment around you and discover the plants and animals that live in Minnamurra Rainforest.
Depending on the day, you could enjoy one or more of the below activities:
- Learn the basics of navigation, map reading and using a compass.
- Learn how to identify animal tracks and figure out who’s living in the rainforest.
- Get crafty doing activities such as leaf printing or using clay to make an animal.
You’ll want to come prepared with a hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, snacks and drinking water. We’ll be walking 1.6km during this activity.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/junior-ranger-minnamurra-rainforest/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
![Image of: NSW National Parks logo](/-/media/npws/images/npws-logo.jpg?h=222&w=250&la=en&hash=26A9956CC8AEF391360DB8D9AE10A09A)
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Park info
- in Budderoo National Park in the South Coast and Country NSW regions
Budderoo National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger. The park gates at Minnamurra Rainforest Centre open at 9am and close at 5pm every day.
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Park entry fees:
$12 per vehicle per day only in the Minnamurra Rainforest area. Bus or taxi: $4.40 per adult and $2.20 per child.
Buy annual pass.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Junior ranger: Minnamurra Rainforest.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Minnamurra Rainforest Centre is located in the foothills of Jamberoo Valley, west of Kiama on the NSW South Coast. To get there from Jamberoo, drive west on Jamberoo Road and turn left onto Jamberoo Mountain Road. Take the first right onto Minnamurra Falls Road, and you’ll find Minnamurra Rainforest Centre about 3km along to the end of the road.
Parking
Car and bus parking is available at Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, including designated disabled spots. Coach bookings are essential prior to arrival.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Visitor centre
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Minnamurra Rainforest Centre
345 Minnamurra Falls Road, Jamberoo NSW 2533 - 9am to 4pm daily. Closed Christmas Day.
- 02 4236 0469
Learn more
Junior ranger: Minnamurra Rainforest is in Budderoo National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
A splash of relaxation
![Rainforest loop walk, Budderoo National Park. Photo: Andrew Richards](/-/media/npws/images/visit-a-park/budderoo-national-park/budderoo-visitor-experiences-01.jpg?h=450&w=767&la=en&hash=6350CFDD3A147EEC51DC470B7A187953)
Nurtured and conserved for over a century, the Minnamurra Rainforest is exceptionally precious. At this much-loved tourism destination, you can wander raised boardwalks and explore the rainforest that once blanketed much of the region. For the ultimate experience, combine the Lyrebird loop walk and Minnamurra Falls walk and discover exquisite plants and animals in breathtaking surroundings. If you’ve ever fallen asleep to the sounds of a relaxation CD, you’ll know the peaceful power of waterfalls. And with its own wonderful falls, Budderoo might just be one of the most relaxing places around. Walk to Minnamurra Falls, an amazing double-tiered waterfall, or Carrington Falls, with its fabulous 50m drop. Sit back, listen to the hypnotic sound of flowing water and let your cares drift away.
- Carrington Falls picnic area Be wowed by Carrington Falls from one of three lookouts with great views. You’ll find picnic and barbecue facilities close by along with some short walking tracks.
- Carrington Falls walking track Discover fantastic waterfall views on the short Carrington Falls walking track, in Budderoo National Park, near Robertson. It’s a great day trip for families and nature lovers in the Southern Highlands.
- Friends of Minnamurra Rainforest You don’t have to be a weeding specialist to get involved in volunteer work at Minnamurra Rainforest. Join local experts and like-minded volunteers for bush regeneration in Budderoo National Park.
- Jamberoo lookout Enjoy spectacular scenic views of Kiama and Lake Illawarra from Budderoo National Park’s Jamberoo lookout. On clear days, this lookout is fantastic for photography.
- Minnamurra Rainforest Centre Visit Minnamurra Rainforest Centre in Budderoo National Park and chat to the friendly staff before exploring the rainforest along raised boardwalks.
Park life
![Eastern water dragon (Physignathus lesueurii), Budderoo National Park. Photo: Rosie Nicolai](/-/media/npws/images/visit-a-park/budderoo-national-park/budderoo-biodiversity-01.jpg?h=450&w=767&la=en&hash=4706E324216D399D5340BA6D394A0764)
You're almost guaranteed to see wildlife in the park, particularly if you visit Minnamurra Rainforest Centre. Look for bowerbirds and king parrots, and visit between June and August for the spectacular image of a male lyrebird displaying his tail. You've a good chance of spotting a swamp wallaby at dawn or dusk, and keep an eye out for an eastern water dragon or perhaps even a diamond python soaking up the sunshine.
- Birds of Minnamurra self-guided audio tour Take an self-guided audio tour along Lyrebird loop walk with fauna ecologist David Bain and discover some of the fascinating birds that live in Minnamurra Rainforest. See if you can spot the ones that David points out as you explore the incredible subtropical rainforest of Budderoo National Park.
- Junior ranger: Minnamurra Rainforest Become a ‘junior ranger’ these school holidays at Minnamurra Rainforest. You’ll learn hands-on bush survival and safety skills on this fun tour at Budderoo National Park.
- Lyrebird loop walk Ideal for walking with children, the beautiful Lyrebird loop walk takes an hour to complete. It’s located within Minnamurra Rainforest Centre in Budderoo National Park.
- Minnamurra Falls walk Starting at the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, enjoy spectacular rainforest, waterfall and canyon views from several viewing platforms along Minnamurra Falls walk.
- Minnamurra Rainforest by torchlight Go on a family-friendly after-hours guided tour in Budderoo National Park these school holidays. See Minnamurra Rainforest by night on this unforgettable adventure, inland from Kiama on the South Coast.
Walk through history
![Illawarra Tourist Drive, Budderoo National Park. Photo: Michael Van Ewijk](/-/media/npws/images/visit-a-park/budderoo-national-park/budderoo-historic-heritage-01.jpg?h=450&w=767&la=en&hash=14A92DB7A4A441EE4B5C146FD14EE4A5)
A walk around the park reveals its many uses over the years. Spot remaining cedar trees, so prized by foresters in the 1800s. Head downstream from the Minnamurra Rainforest to see the 1853 Kelly's Cottage and its camellia tree, believed to be one of the southern hemisphere's oldest. The land's rich soil and water supply make it ideal for dairy farming, and you can still see the monument to Australia's first butter factory in nearby Jamberoo Valley.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
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Eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus)
The eastern ground parrot is a beautiful, ground-dwelling native bird that lives in low heathland habitat along the NSW North and South coasts and escarpments. It’s listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.
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Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
One of the most fascinating and unusual Australian animals, the duck-billed platypus, along with the echidna, are the only known monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, in existence. The platypus is generally found in permanent river systems and lakes in southern and eastern NSW and east and west of the Great Dividing Range.
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Superb fairy wren (Malurus cyaneus)
The striking blue and black plumage of the adult male superb fairy wren makes for colourful bird watching across south-eastern Australia. The sociable superb fairy wrens, or blue wrens, are Australian birds living in groups consisting of a dominant male, mouse-brown female ‘jenny wrens’ and several tawny-brown juveniles.
Plants
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Cabbage palm (Livistona australis)
With glossy green leaves spanning 3-4m in length and a trunk reaching a height of up to 30m, the cabbage tree palm, or fan palm, is one of the tallest Australian native plants. Thriving in rainforest margins along the east coast of NSW, in summer this giant palm produces striking spikes of cream flowers which resemble cabbages.
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Old man banksia (Banksia serrata)
Hardy Australian native plants, old man banksias can be found along the coast, and in the dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone mountain ranges of NSW. With roughened bark and gnarled limbs, they produce a distinctive cylindrical yellow-green banksia flower which blossoms from summer to early autumn.
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Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)
Coachwood trees are Australian native plants that grow in warm temperate rainforests along coastal NSW. Also known as scented satinwood, the mottled grey bark of the coachwood has horizontal markings and a delicate fragrance.
Environments in this park
Education resources (1)
School excursions (9)
- Factors that shape places at Minnamurra Rainforest, Stage 3 (Years 5-6), Geography
- Landscapes and landforms at Minnamurra Rainforest, Stage 4 (Years 7-8), Geography
- Rainforest interactions, Stage 6 (Years 11-12), Geography
- A dynamic ecosystem: Minnamurra Rainforest, Stage 6 (Years 11-12), Biology
- Environmental change and management at Minnamurra, Stage 5 (Years 9-10), Geography
- Exploring the rainforest: Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, Stage 1 (Years 1-2), Geography
- Rainforest ecosystems - Minnamurra , Stage 5 (Years 9-10), Science
- Ecosystems at risk: Minnamurra Rainforest, Stage 6 (Years 11-12), Geography
- Protecting a rainforest environment: Minnamurra, Stage 2 (Years 3-4), Geography