Tilligerry Habitat Tanilba Bay NSW Australia
The original sand dunes in what is now the Tilligerry Habitat were subject to deep sand-dredge mining from the 1960s. Removal of the dunes resulted in a flat landscape with the original drainage system damaged and native vegetation cleared. A large section of the disused mine was used for housing and playing fields, but a section remained near the shore along with remnant vegetation.
This remaining section of land was proposed to be used as a caravan park which would have removed the remaining vegetation. However, lobbying by residents enabled its preservation as a reserve for public recreation and coastal environmental protection in 1996. Since then, local volunteers have spent numerous hours re-establishing drainage water flow and replanting trees and built a boardwalk. The result is an amazing area where birds and koalas thrive.
Getting There
We parked in the Peace Park carpark in Tanilba Bay which is only a 5-minute walk from the start of the boardwalk. Parking is also available along Peace Parade and at the Tilligerry Habitat Office.
Tilligerry Habitat Boardwalk
The disturbance caused by the sandmining has left the area generally flat which means that the boardwalk is also very easy to walk. Raised slightly above the forest floor so as to enable water drainage, the boardwalk is very well maintained and there are bench seats to stop at along the way. These give you a nice place to sit while enjoying views through the forest or over the bay.
Along the paths, information boards detail the vegetation growing nearby, with pictures pointing out individual species. The transformation from a sand mine to restored paperbark forest and swamp mahogany is amazing. The volunteers’ efforts have really paid off, resulting in several environmental awards.
Koalas inhabit the area, but we didn’t see any during our walk. However, we did hear the birds, which were very vocal as we walked through the trees giving us a great welcome to the area.
This was a great walk, with the boardwalk winding through the trees. Highly recommended if you are visiting the area.
Our photos are available for purchase on
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
