Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park
The Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park is a narrow coastal reserve covering 17,600 hectares along a portion of the Ninety Mile Beach, from Seaspray to Lakes Entrance. This unique and picturesque park consists of lakes, wetlands, marine and terrestrial environments and offers visitors a wide range of recreational opportunities. The park also includes the internationally significant Lake Reeve and Bunga Arm, several islands and the Boole Poole Peninsula.
Camping
Designated campsites are situated between Paradise Beach and The Honeysuckles along Shoreline Drive at Golden Beach. Boat based bush campsites are available at Bunga Arm east of Steamer Landing. Bush campsites areavailable at Red Bluff and Spoon Bay.
Bookings are required year-round and fees apply to Paradise Beach and Bunga Arm.
Picnicking
There are many picnic areas throughout the park. Toilets, water, picnic tables and fireplaces are provided at some sites, with BBQs available at Nyerimilang Heritage Park. Drinking water and firewood are NOT always available - we advise you to carry your own supply.
Swimming
There are swimming sites along the sheltered lake shores. Take great care when swimming along the Ninety Mile Beach. It is recommended that swimming be contained within flagged areas patrolled by surf life saving clubs.
Fishing
Surf fishing along Ninety Mile Beach, or lake fishing from a boat, bank or jetty is popular throughout the park. Bream, Flathead, Skip Jack, Luderick and Mullet are the main fish caught. Please note that a recreational fishing licence is required for all coastal and inland waters.
Boating
The Lakes offer excellent opportunities for boating and water skiing in designated areas. Boat ramps are situated at Seacombe, Wattle Point, Paynesville, Metung, Nungurner, Loch Sport and Lakes Entrance. Jetties for access to the park are provided at Barrier Landing, Drews Jetty, Ocean Grange, Silver Shot Landing and Steamer Landing.
Horse riding
Horse riding is permitted along formed tracks within the park west of Loch Sport. Horse riding is not permitted elsewhere in the park including the Ninety Mile Beach. Beach riding is permitted nearby the Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park west of Seaspray.
Hunting
Licensed hunting of game duck, Stubble Quail and Hog Deer is only permitted in accordance with hunting regulations during the designated game seasons and in the nominated areas for each of these species. Hunting is not permitted on private property without permission from the landowner. Firearms are not permitted within the park outside of the nominated game seasons.
Walking
Management tracks are closed to private vehicles, enabling easy access for walkers to explore the more secluded areas of the park.
Nyerimilang Heritage Park
Nyerimilang Heritage Park boasts magnificent views and a rich variety of plant and birdlife. The highlight is Nyerimilang Homestead, in a delightful garden setting on a cliff top above the beautiful Gippsland Lakes. Perfect picnic spots are surrounded by gardens with plants from different environments, historic farm buildings and pastoral surrounds. Scenic walks meander along bush and farm tracks, past Kurrajong trees, wetland areas and through the East Gippsland Indigenous Plant Garden.
The land that is now Nyerimilang Heritage Park was a homestead, holiday home, Boys Training Farm and cattle stud before being purchased by the Victorian Government in 1976. A display featuring the history of Nyerimilang and the natural resources and history of the Gippsland Lakes is located inside the homestead.
Finding your way at Nyerimilang
Access to Nyerimilang Heritage Park is from the Princes Highway via the Kalimna West Road 10km north-west of Lakes Entrance.
The park is open daily from 8:30am until sunset and the homestead is usually open from 10:30am to 3pm on weekends and 9:30am to 4pm on weekdays.
Walks around Nyerimilang
Whistling Kite Track: 750 metres, 10 minutes one way
This short walk passes through grasslands and a variety of forest types. The Whistling Kite, a large brown bird of prey with a distinctive underwing pattern and long tail, nests in the tall Blue Gums nearby.
Homestead Track: 1.1 km, 25 minutes one way
The original entrance to Nyerimilang Homestead was via this track from the Maringa Creek crossing. The track gently descends through gully vegetation to swamplands and a salt marsh area.
Cliff Top Walk: 1.7 km, 30 minutes one way
Panoramic views of the nearby lake system and Bass Strait beyond can be enjoyed on this walk.
Kurrajong Track: 750 metres, 10 minutes one way.
This track links Cliff Top and Homestead Tracks. Kurrajongs and other native trees can be seen at the northern end of this track.
Salt Marsh Track: 1.2 km, 25 minutes one way
From Kalimna West Road to Reeve Channel; the salt marsh environment surrounding Maringa Creek gives way to the sandy shorelines of the lakes system.
History
The Gippsland Lakes fall within the boundaries of the Tatungaloong clan of the Gunaikurnai people. There is much evidence of their traditional life in numerous midden sites containing shellfish remains, charcoal and burnt pebbles, some dating back 3000 years.
The first European records of the Gippsland Lakes were by Angus McMillan in 1840 and of the seaward entrance to the lakes by John Reeve in 1842. The wreck of the ship, The Trinculo, which was beached in 1858 is still evident today west of Delray Beach.
Barrier Landing & Entrance Bay - The entrance to the Gippsland Lakes was constructed in the 1880s. Before that time, the lakes were generally closed to the sea, with the barrier being breached only on rare occasions.
The original construction involved wooden breakwaters extending a short distance out to sea, and some of the old construction equipment can still be seen.
Take a walk across the ocean beach to The Entrance for some fishing, watch the boats come in or spot some seals or dolphins searching for food. Water skiing is also permitted between Entrance Bay and the Barrier Landing. Please observe the regulation signs.
Barrier Landing and Entrance Bay feature a number of rare shorebirds including the Little Tern, Fairy Tern and Hooded Plover which breed on Rigby Island and on the Ninety Mile Beach. You can enjoy these birds from a distance, but please keep well clear of them during the warmer months, and where possible walk on the wet sand to avoid accidentally stepping on their nests.
Bunga Arm Section
The Bunga Arm section of Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park was formed over many thousands of years when sand, deposited by the sea, built up by a barrier between the original bay (now Lake Victoria) and the ocean. Abundant opportunities for recreational activities exist in the waterways, and along the many kilometres of sandy beach of the Ninety Mile Beach.
Finding your way at Bunga Arm
Access to Bunga Arm is only by boat. Jetties are located at Ocean Grange and Steamer Landing. Boats can be landed on the beach along the length of the arm. Please use the mooring posts provided or anchor boats to the sand, rather than tying boats to the trees.
Picnicking
Picnic facilities and toilets for day visitors and boat based campers are provided at Ocean Grange, Steamer Landing and the First Blowhole.
Walking
A walk along this stunning stretch of coastline can be most rewarding.
Swimming
There are safe swimming sites along the sheltered shores of Bunga Arm. The ocean beach is only suitable for experienced swimmers who need to take great care because of the strong rips and currents.
Fishing
Surf fishing is popular on the Ninety Mile Beach, where you can catch salmon and snapper. Bream, flathead, skipjack and mullet can be caught in the Bunga Arm.
Boating
Bunga Arm offers excellent boating, yachting and water skiing opportunities. Water skiing is permitted between Steamer Landing and the First Blowhole. Boats can traverse the entire length of the arm. From Steamer Landing it is 14 km to the end. Boating in Bunga Arm is regulated under the Marine Act 1992. A 5 knot speed limit applies to the section of Bunga Arm east of the First Blowhole.
Camping
Camping is permitted on marked campsites, advance bookings are required. There are seven camping areas located in the Bunga Arm, each containing ten to twelve marked sites. Toilet facilities are provided at each camp area.
Birdwatching
The Bunga Arm abounds with birdlife. Many shorebirds, including the Little Tern, Fairy Tern and Hooded Plover breed and roost in the area.
Water supplies
No matter what activities you intend to enjoy during your stay on Bunga Arm, make sure you bring plenty of water as there is no fresh water available on the arm.
The Sand Dunes
Approximately 250 metres divides the tranquil waters of Bunga Arm from the pounding surf of Bass Strait. The sand barrier between these waters varies from only a few metres to some ten metres high. The actions of the lakes system, wind, and the tides along Ninety Mile Beach erode and deposit sand, constantly changing the size and shape of the dunes.
The first dunes were formed as a sand barrier after the last ice age. The first plants to colonise the area - Hairy Spinifex (Spinifex hirsutus) and Coast Groundsel (Senecio spathulatus) - trapped sand in their leaves and roots. As the dunes grew, other vegetation established including the low spreading shrubs of Cushion Bush (Leucophyta brownii) and Coast Wattle (Acacia sophorae). These assisted in the formation of more soil which enabled larger trees such as Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and Coast Teatree (Leptospermum laevigatum) to thrive.
Access for Dogs:
In the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park dogs are only permitted (on a leash at all times) at the following locations: Barrier Landing (300m east of the jetty), Ocean Grange (within 100m of the residential zone), Paradise Beach, Loch Sport Causeway, Flamingo Beach, The Honeysuckles and Golden Beach (between campsites one to six on Shoreline Drive) and the Nyerimilang Heritage Park homestead precinct.
Dogs are NOT permitted in other areas of the park nor between campsites seven to twenty along Shoreline Drive, Golden Beach. Dogs are also NOT permitted on boats or on land in Bunga Arm.
Owners are required to clean up their dog's litter. Dogs used for the flushing or retrieval of game birds are permitted in the hunting zones of the park, during and 24 hours prior to the commencement of the open season.
Location and Access to Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park
Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park is located in East Gippsland. The western section of the park is accessible by road via Seaspray and Golden Beach. The eastern section of the park is accessible only by boat.
Note: Photos from Parks Victoria
Location
3909/3920 Cliff Road, Nyerimilang 3909 Map
Web Links
→ Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park (Parks Victoria)
→ Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park - Visitor Guide (PDF)
→ Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park - Bunga Arm Visitor Guide (PDF)
