Coastal wetlands are the kidneys of the planet, filtering pollutants from our waterways. Their extraordinary ability to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it away for millennia makes them a weapon in the fight against climate change. Coastal wetlands also support a wide range of biodiversity, providing critical feeding grounds for migratory birds and nursery habitats for fish.
The neglected cousin of coral reefs, coastal wetlands hide in quiet estuaries and are not always sought out by travellers. Waiting at the frontier between land and sea is a symphony of birds warbling, insects chirping, crab claws clicking, water rushing, and mud bubbling with life below the surface. From forest walks to snorkelling, there are many ways to experience coastal wetlands, and Australia has some of the best in the world! Reconnect with nature by adding these wondrous and enthralling places to your road trip.
1. Darwin Harbour (NT)
Access: Boat
Time Needed: 1 hour
Darwin Harbour is a cornucopia of life! With 36 species of mangroves covering 26,000 hectares, you will be overwhelmed by the complex beauty of this dense tropical forest. Keep an eye out for endemic and migratory birds like snipe, godwits, curlews, and sandpipers on the mudflats. You can also see crocodiles, dugongs, dolphins, and six species of marine turtles.
To get there, you can hire your own boat from one of the many providers in town. Alternatively, there are multiple companies offering boat tours up the mangrove-lined creeks including Sea Darwin, Wild Territory, and Darwin Adventure Boats. If boating is not for you, you can still experience Darwin’s mangroves at East Point Reserve Mangrove Walk, which is a 30-minute loop from the reserve carpark about 10 minutes from the CBD.
2. Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk, Cairns (QLD)
Access: Walking track commencing from carpark off Airport Ave
Time Needed: 15 minutes
Just a 10-minute drive from Cairns CBD, the Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk is a magical and accessible journey through two sections of mangrove forest including an open stand of wrangled grey mangroves and a towering canopy of mature yellow mangroves up to 30m tall! The boardwalk was opened in 1988 to commemorate the Queensland Bicentennial and was refurbished in 2022. There is interpretative signage along the way so you can learn about the amazing adaptations of mangrove trees for survival in the intertidal zone. At low tide, keep an eye out for the bright red claws of fiddler crabs emerging from their burrows. At high tide, look out for charismatic Queensland fish species like mangrove jack, barramundi, and bream in the clear waters.
A great spot to visit with kids, this walk is a brilliant introduction to the majesty and quiet wonder of mangrove forests.
3. Moreton Bay (QLD)
Access: Walk, Kayak, Paddle Board or Boat
Time Needed: Day trip or overnight
Moreton Bay is a Ramsar site of international importance. Covering over 12,000 hectares, it boasts large expanses of seagrass meadows, mudflats, saltmarshes, mangrove forests, and coral reefs. Just a stone’s throw from Brisbane, Moreton Bay is also home to three of the largest sand islands in the world (North Stradbroke Island, Bribie Island and Moreton Island), each of which have their own dazzling wetlands to explore. Here are some of the highlights!
The vast saltmarshes and fringing mangroves of Hays Inlet are a top birdwatching destination. Keep an eye out for migratory shorebirds visiting from North America like the bar-tailed godwit. There are meandering trails through the conservation park, but best access is by boat or kayak. Take a paddle board or kayak to GJ Walter Park in Toondah Harbour and weave through the mangroves and tidal flats. You can also catch the ferry to North Stradbroke Island, keeping an eye out for dolphins and dugongs along the way! Put on your reef shoes for a walk on the seagrass beds of Bradburys Beach at low tide. A great and accessible introduction to seagrass, it is possible to see corals, anemones, cone shells, hammer oysters, and juvenile fish hiding amongst the leaves. The boardwalk at Myora Springs is also a short but stunning mangrove experience.
4. Anna Bay, Port Stephens (NSW)
Access: Enter from rocks at Iris Moore Reserve.
Time Needed: 1 hour
Do yourself a favour and head to Port Stephens! The white sandy beaches and azure blue sea will leave you breathless, especially if you open your eyes under the water. On a calm day, venture to the lush seagrass meadows in the shelter of Iris Moore Reserve. Here, you can spot stingrays, urchins, and lobsters as well as shoals of bream and other juvenile fish taking shelter in the seagrass. You can also poke around in the rock pools.
If you want more, Fly Point also offers great seagrass snorkeling and scuba diving. Enter from the rocks next to the carpark on Victoria parade. When snorkeling, try for 1-2 hours before the high tide for best visibility.
5. Huskisson Mangrove Boardwalk, Jervis Bay (NSW)
Access: Walking track commencing at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum
Time Needed: 30 minutes
From Hyams to Callala, the fine white sandy beaches of Jervis Bay are definitely worth the drive! After a swim, try the 1.4km boardwalk that extends over the crystal-clear waters of Currambene Creek from the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum. The walk takes about 20 minutes and was newly refurbished with interpretative signage in late 2023. A gorgeous reflective walk, wander through the tangle of mangroves listening for movement in the leaves. You can spot pelicans, shorebirds, crabs, and fish as you stroll towards the end viewing platform, where there are benches to sit and watch the world go by.
Currambene Creek is also an idyllic spot for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. You can hire gear or book a tour with a local provider such as Jervis Bay Kayak Hire or Jervis Bay Kayak and Paddlesports Co. If you’ve got your own gear, you can enter the water from the boat ramp on Dent Street. A snorkel mask makes an excellent addition to your vessel!
6. Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve, Batemans Bay (NSW)
Access: Walking track commencing at the carpark on Myamba Pde
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Keep heading south and you’ll find Batemans Bay, a beach-lover’s haven and tourism hotspot on the South Coast. Away from the buzzing retail precinct, Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve is a serene network of mangrove-lined creeks and sandy flats. Take off down the 1km elevated boardwalk through endangered supratidal swamp oak forest and explore the marine park sanctuary zone. If you can manage a stroll at low tide, pack some binoculars and a picnic, then park at one of the many bench seats and watch the bustle of activity on the mudflats. You will see white ibises foraging and soldier crabs charging across the sand. You should also keep an eye on the sky for kites, sea eagles, and other roaming seabirds.
The Cullendulla mangrove walk also passes ancient dune ridges that track over 7000 years of shoreline history! You can learn more about these from the informative signage along the way.
7. Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve & Jawbone Marine Sanctuary (VIC)
Access: Walking tracks to various parts of the Reserve and Sanctuary accessible from the Bay Trail (Williamstown Beach to Altona Beach).
Time Needed: 2 hours
Jawbone Marine Sanctuary and the nearby Flora and Fauna Reserve is located just 10 kilometres outside of Melbourne’s CBD. From 1877 – 1990, the area was closed to the public as an active rifle range but with the help of the local community, it has since been transformed into an amazing wildlife haven nestled on the edge of suburban streets (and accessible through public transport, so you can enjoy the myriad blue carbon ecosystems while lowering your own carbon emissions).
You’re spoiled for choice in terms of activities in this unique place. While snorkelling in the marine sanctuary you can spot rays and pipefish amidst the lush seagrass meadows and search the shallow rocky reefs for all manner of colourful marine life. Go for a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk that extends through beautiful saltmarsh or take a walk along the western side of the reserve to see grey mangroves – unusual for the fact that they are the only mangroves in Victoria that grow among the basalt rocks typical of this area’s volcanic plains. Whether you’re a budding birdwatcher or seasoned twitcher you can observe shorebirds and waders at low tide or in one of the reserve’s bird hides. While you’re there, it’s worth checking out some of the stunning wildflowers on display at the native plant arboretum.
8. Raymond Island Boardwalk, Gippsland (VIC)
Access: Track commencing at shorefront near Fourth Ave
Time Needed: 2 hours
Raymond Island is a hidden gem! Access the island by foot or bike via short ferry ride from Paynesville, a quaint lakeside town in Victoria’s Gippsland region. Make your first stop the boardwalk with newly installed informational signage from the Blue Carbon Lab. Follow along the water’s edge through stunning temperate saltmarsh and supratidal paperbark forests, which are critical for the survival of over 38 bird species. The diversity and abundance of birds here is extraordinary. On a good day, you will see hundreds of chestnut teals, black swans, pelicans, and other waterbirds bobbing between moored yachts as the sun glints on the lake.
Before you leave, make sure you complete the aptly named Koala Trail, which continues from the boardwalk for 1.3 kilometres through prime koala habitat. This may be one of the best destinations in Australia to get up close and personal with our furry mascots in their natural habitat, with a booming local population of over 200 koalas!
9. Millers Landing, Wilsons Promontory (VIC)
Access: Walking track commencing at Five Mile Carpark
Time Needed: Day trip or stay overnight
Welcome to Millers Landing, home of the southernmost mangroves in the world! Nestled in the stunning surrounds of Corner Inlet Marine and Coastal Park, access the mangrove stand on a 4km or 1.5-hour return walk meandering through banksia and stringybark woodlands. Observe the exceptionally short stature of the white mangroves that dot the coastline and watch for migratory birds wading on the mudflats.
While you’re visiting, make sure to explore Wilson’s Promontory National Park, which is bursting with Australian wildlife including little penguins! Explore Squeaky beach with its granite boulders, and snorkel in the clear waters of the marine park. With so much to see, you might like to stay overnight. Catch some zs at Tidal River or hike to one of the more secluded campsites to extend your trip.
10. Wool Bay Jetty, Yorke Peninsula (SA)
Access: Enter from staircase on the south side of the jetty
Time Needed: 1 hour
The Wool Bay Jetty is a popular destination for local fishers, but it also provides a stairway to acres of pristine seagrass meadows. For snorkellers, the star attraction is the leafy sea dragon, a gorgeous but elusive species of fish closely related to seahorses. Leafy sea dragons are only found in southern Australia, which is why it is special that so many have been sighted here! The superb colouration and leafy appendages of the leafy sea dragon make them hard to see, so be prepared for a search. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a male with eggs attached to the underside of his tail. You should also keep an eye out for fiddler rays, anglerfish, and schools of bream.
This site is rather exposed and can be blown out by high winds, so make sure you pick a calm day. If Wool Bay is too rough, you can also try the jetties at Moonta Bay, Port Victoria, and Point Turton.
11. Port Gawler Mangroves (SA)
Access: Enter from the Port Gawler pontoon
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Nothing beats a sunset kayak through the mangroves! Try the Gawler River Paddle, a well-travelled 4.8km return trail that takes you through Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park to Gulf St Vincent. Be mindful of seabirds landing on the water and wrens flitting through the trees as you float peacefully to the mouth of the river. Birdwatchers should also visit the tidal channel and salt ponds adjoining Port Gawler Road as these are frequented by sharp-tailed sandpipers, common greenshanks, and black-winged stilts.
Port Gawler pontoon is also a great spot for a mangrove snorkel, especially at low tide. Hang close to the mangroves and watch for schools of fish darting between the roots. If you don’t want to get wet, explore the mangroves on foot with a 1.4 km boardwalk through dense mangrove forest near St Kilda only a 30-minute drive to the south.
12. Mangrove Bay, Exmouth (WA)
Access: Elevated boardwalk from the Mangrove Bay Carpark
Time Needed: 1 hour
Exmouth Gulf is a wetland system of exceptional environmental, social, and cultural importance. Set against a vast, dry hinterland, it’s the largest intact arid zone estuary in Australia, covering an area of 2600 m2. The estuary hosts a variety of mangroves, threatened samphire wetlands, seagrass meadows and other intertidal habitats, supporting a huge diversity of life that provides for the Jinigudira and Baijungu peoples, who have relied on the estuary for food, water, and shelter for at least 40,000 years.
One of the highlights of Exmouth Gulf is Mangrove Bay. Just a 35-minute drive from Exmouth, there is a 100m boardwalk that takes you into the heart of the mangroves. Don’t forget your binoculars as there is a bird hide where you can sit and quietly observe shorebirds like the Eastern Curlew and Curlew Sandpiper picking through the mud. At high tide, take a kayak and watch for rays and baby sharks cruising through the water. While you’re visiting Exmouth, don’t miss the incredible Ningaloo Reef offshore!
13. Roebuck Bay, Broome (WA)
Access: Walking Trails or Explore by Boat
Time Needed: Day trip or stay overnight in Broome
This amazing Ramsar-listed wetland is located in the Kimberley region of WA. The tidal creeks, mangrove areas, and saltmarshes are important breeding grounds for nationally endangered sawfish and flatback turtles. It is possible that the tropical mudflats support over 300,000 waterbirds each year, providing important transit areas in the migration of shorebirds like bar-tailed godwits and great knots. The enormous 10m tidal range leads to mud flat exposure over a massive area, making Roebuck Bay one of the most important sites for migratory birds in Australia. The Broome Bird Observatory is open to the public and offers brilliant birdwatching facilities. Birdos should also seek out the 3km Malurus Trail and Crab Creek Mangroves. There are multiple companies offering birdwatching tours across the Kimberley region including Bellbird Birding Tours, NT Bird Specialists, and Experience the Wild. If walking is not for you, arrange a cruise with one of the many local providers.
In Summer, visit Town Beach, which is a gorgeous swimming beach with pink sands overlooking Roebuck Bay. Take a dip at high tide but be croc-aware! In Winter, you can witness the ‘Staircase to the Moon’, a breathtaking trick of light caused by the reflection of a full moon on the tidal flats.
14. Lauderdale Saltmarsh Reserve, Ralphs Bay (TAS)
Access: Walking trail commencing at carpark for the old tip off South Arm Road
Time Needed: 30 minutes
In the bosom of Ralph’s Bay Conservation Area is Lauderdale Saltmarsh Reserve, which is an 87-hectare expanse of temperate saltmarsh that is protected and managed by the Clarence City Council. The site is in the process of being restored through reintroduction of tidal flow to the eastern reaches of the site. It is the most accessible saltmarsh site in Tasmania and one of the most fascinating! Starting at the carpark for the old rubbish tip off South Arm Road, there is a Saltmarsh Discovery Trail that will take you on a 1.6km loop through sedgeland, samphire wetlands, and shrublands. You may be lucky to spot pied oystercatchers and double-banded plovers foraging on the salt flats. The saltmarsh also supports endangered animals like the spotted hand fish and chequered blue butterfly.
Download the guide from the Derwent Estuary Program before you go to maximise your experience! Through nine discovery points, it will teach you about the amazing plant communities you pass through and the adaptations they have developed to cope with salt and exposure.
15. Posidonia Meadows, Flinders Island (TAS)
Access: Enter the water from Trousers Point Beach
Time Needed: 1 hour
Flinders Island is an Aussie bucket list destination and a must-see while visiting Tasmania! With 3,400 hectares of conservation area, there are plenty of ways to get lost in the wilderness. We recommend taking a snorkel and mask down to Trousers Point Beach, a white sandy paradise set against the majestic Mount Strzelecki. If you can brave the cool waters, wade out and sink down. You’ll be struck by how clear the water is. You won’t have to swim far to find expansive seagrass meadows and another chance to uncover leafy sea dragons. You can hire snorkel gear from Flinders Island Dive on the island’s west coast.
For the scuba divers, there are also some amazing wreck dives in the Furneaux Group of Islands. Check out Sydney Cove, which is the oldest wreck in Australian waters, sinking at Preservation Island in 1797 en route to Calcutta.