Everlasting Swamp National Park is located along NSW Tourist Drive 22. To get there from Grafton:

• Drive 20km north-east on Lawrence Road. Veer left on the Sportsmans Creek bridge at the blue national park sign (with a paddle symbol).
• Continue on Weir Road for 4.5km to the park entrance
• Continue south along the side of the creek until you see the Everlasting Swamp National Park entrance sign

Please keeps gates as they were when you arrived. If gates are open, leave them open. If gates are closed, be sure to shut them after you pass through.

Parking

• Sportsmans Creek canoe trail See on map
• Woody Creek walking track See on map

Road quality

The final 1km is high quality unpaved road. This and other roads in the area close during major Clarence River floods. There’s a high potential for vehicle bogging in this park.

Parking

Parking is available on the gravel area just inside the park entrance—after the end of the sealed road and past the historic weir.

In Everlasting Swamp National Park there are always new things and places to explore as the wetland changes with the seasons. Here are some highlights.

Autumn

This is high season for twitchers. Bring your binoculars for a good look at black-necked storks in their nests and other wading birds. See large migrating flocks pass through, especially in wetter years. It’s your last chance to fish for bass as the season ends on 30 April.

Spring

It’s a great time to see black swans with their cygnets and if you’re lucky, pairs of brolgas or jabiru guiding their young. If you’re coming for a paddle, bring your rod and reel because bass season opens on 1 September.

Summer

As summer rains fill the wetland, it truly comes alive and frogs begin to breed. Now's the time to fish and explore new areas of the park by kayak or canoe. Come prepared because there’s not a lot of shade in this park.

Winter

The wetland dries and birdlife retreats to patches of still-deep water. Come in mid-August to witness brolgas bob and leap in flamboyant courtship dances—a must-see. Cool, sunny days are perfect to explore Everlasting Swamp by bike and canoe down Sportsmans Creek.

There are no facilities or drinking water in this national park.

• Everlasting Swamp National Park factsheet
• Everlasting Swamp National Park map (1.8MB pdf)

Animals

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  Eastern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

  Found across most of NSW, the eastern snake-necked turtle, also known as the eastern long-necked turtle, can be found in swamps, lakes and inland waterways. This freshwater turtle is carnivorous and lives most of its life submerged on the water’s edge, searching for worms and snails.

• 

  Eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii)

  The eastern water dragon is a subaquatic lizard found in healthy waterways along eastern NSW, from Nowra to halfway up the Cape York Pensinsula. It’s believed to be one of the oldest of Australian reptiles, remaining virtually unchanged for over 20 million years.

• 

  Brown-striped frog (Lymnastes peronii)

  One of the most common frogs found in Australia, the ground-dwelling brown-striped frog lives in ponds, dams and swamps along the east coast. Also known as the striped marsh frog, this amphibian grows to 6.5cm across and has a distinctive ‘tok’ call that can be heard all year round.

• 

  Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)

  The swamp wallaby, also known as the black wallaby or black pademelon, lives in the dense understorey of rainforests, woodlands and dry sclerophyll forest along eastern Australia. This unique Australian macropod has a dark black-grey coat with a distinctive light-coloured cheek stripe.

• 

  Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

  Found throughout Australia, the tawny frogmouth is often mistaken for an owl due to its wide, powerful beak, large head and nocturnal hunting habits. The ‘oom oom oom’ call of this native bird can be heard echoing throughout a range of habitats including heath, woodlands and urban areas.

• 

  Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)

  With a wingspan of up to 2.5m, the wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey. These Australian animals are found in woodlands across NSW, and have the ability to soar to heights of over 2km. If you’re bird watching, look out for the distinctive diamond-shaped tail of the eagle.

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  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.

Plants

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  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.