Junior ranger: Shorebirds and mangroves
Hunter Wetlands National Park
Overview
Calling all junior rangers, join us on a birdwatching adventure these school holidays! Bring your camera and see if you can photograph the shorebirds at Hunter Wetlands National Park, near Newcastle.
- When
2025:
Sunday 6 April, 9am to 11am
Sunday 13 April, 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Monday 21 April, 8.30am to 10.30am
2026:
Monday 5 January, 4pm to 6pm
Sunday 11 January, 9am to 11am
Sunday 18 January, 3pm to 5pm
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Grade
- Easy. Suitable for children 5 years and over. We’ll walk 1 to 2km, and there are some uneven paths.
- Price
-
Child (5 to 16 years) $15 per person. Accompanying adults free.
- Meeting point
- Under Stockton Bridge.
- Bookings
- Bookings required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.
This experience at Stockton sandspit will fascinate, as you witness masses of shorebirds feeding and gathering along the mangrove-ringed mud flats of this Ramsar-listed site. Discover where these migratory birds start their massive journeys and their destination. See if you can spot a bar-tailed godwit, sandpipers, terns or maybe a curlew.
Come and join in some fun hands-on activities as well! It’s a good idea to wear a hat and sturdy enclosed shoes, and bring sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars (if you have them), drinking water and snacks.
This tour is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered for Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.
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-shorebirds-and-mangroves/local-alerts
Bookings
- 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
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Park info
- in Hunter Wetlands National Park in the North Coast region
Hunter Wetlands National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Junior ranger: Shorebirds and mangroves.
Getting there and parking
Stockton sandspit is in the Stockton precinct of Hunter Wetlands National Park. To get there:
- Cross over the Stockton Bridge heading towards Stockton and Fern Bay
- Turn right at the roundabout, still heading towards Stockton.
- Turn right at your first opportunity, and then follow the road under the bridge where you can park.
- Proceed on foot around the path for views of the mud flats
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available beneath the bridge, a short walk from Stockton sandspit.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Learn more
Junior ranger: Shorebirds and mangroves is in Hunter Wetlands National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
All-ages adventure
The action all starts at Riverside Park. Here, you'll find a picnic area and paths leading off around Ash Island. They're all flat and wide, so perfect for getting kids on their bikes for some fresh air. Take a walk through the wetlands and identify different species of birds. Head to the deepwater jetty and do some fishing. There's quite the underwater bounty around here and, whether your spot is the jetty or the river foreshores, you can haul in flathead, whiting, tailor and bream.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Riverside Park The family-friendly Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is the perfect base for cycling, walking, fishing and birdwatching on Ash Island.
- Scotts Point Way to Riverside Park trail Enjoy an easy walk or bike ride along the river on the Scott Point to Riverside Park trail, Ash Island, as it takes you past excellent spots for fishing and birdwatching.
Early evidence
Get a taste of some of the area's history. From the picnic area at Riverside Park, you can walk through the Kooragang City Farm precinct and find the ruins of the farmhouse and dairy built by William Milham, who ran a property here with the first European owner of Ash Island, AW Scott. Also on the island is a heritage-listed World War II radar 'igloo'.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Scotts Point Way to Riverside Park trail Enjoy an easy walk or bike ride along the river on the Scott Point to Riverside Park trail, Ash Island, as it takes you past excellent spots for fishing and birdwatching.
Feather bluster
The Hunter River and its estuaries are home to a number of habitats - freshwater wetlands, mangroves and coastal rainforest among them - making the area a haven for birdlife. More than 200 species of birds live here or pass through on their migration. Head to Stockton Sandspit, where shorebirds - plovers, oystercatchers and curlews, to name a few - roost and feed on the mud flats. Along the river foreshore, you'll also likely see pelicans, spoonbills, black swans and, sweeping over the water searching for fish, sea eagles and swamp harriers.
- Guided kayak adventures at Smiths Island Spend a day exploring mangrove forests and islands by kayak on this tour of Hunter Wetlands National Park with the friendly guides from the School of Yak. It’s a great way to reconnect with nature in this birdwatchers’ paradise around Smiths Island.
- Junior ranger: Shorebirds and mangroves Calling all junior rangers, join us on a birdwatching adventure these school holidays! Bring your camera and see if you can photograph the shorebirds at Hunter Wetlands National Park, near Newcastle.
- The Earth's environment Did you know that over 10 per cent of NSW is a national park? That’s over 7 million hectares. This Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion is delivered Hunter Wetlands National Park.
World-class wetlands
Hunter Wetlands National Park makes up part of the Hunter Estuary Wetlands Ramsar site (the Ramsar convention recognises wetlands of international importance). This peaceful area is important for many species of birds, including 45 that migrate internationally. The green and golden bell frogs, both threatened species, breed in the freshwater lagoons. The mangroves here also provide maternity roosts for tiny bats, including the eastern free-tail bat.
- Junior ranger: Shorebirds and mangroves Calling all junior rangers, join us on a birdwatching adventure these school holidays! Bring your camera and see if you can photograph the shorebirds at Hunter Wetlands National Park, near Newcastle.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Riverside Park The family-friendly Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is the perfect base for cycling, walking, fishing and birdwatching on Ash Island.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)
The grey-headed flying fox is Australia's largest native bat, with a wingspan up to 1m. This threatened species travels up and down south-eastern Australia and plays a vital role in pollinating plants and spreading seeds in our native forests.
-
Green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea)
The green and golden bell frog is an endangered Australian frog. Once common on the NSW coast and tablelands, populations have plummeted around 90 percent.
Plants
-
Grey mangrove (Avicennia marina)
Grey mangrove is the most common and widespread mangrove found within intertidal zones across Australia, and throughout the world. Growing to a height of 3-10m, they thrive best in estuaries with a mix of fresh and salt water. They excrete excess salt through their long thick leaves, and absorb oxygen through their aerial root system.