Booderee National Park

Description

Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens are located in the Jervis Bay Territory of Australia. The reserve is composed of two sections:

What is now the national park was declared as a nature reserve in 1971. In 1992, Jervis Bay National Park was declared. Although the local Aboriginal community was offered two seats on the park's Board of Management, the offer was declined as part of a protest over land rights issues.

In 1995, the park was transferred to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community, which leases the area back to the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage. At this time, the name of the park was changed to "Booderee". The name, meaning 'bay of plenty' or 'plenty of fish' in the Dhurga language, was chosen by the local Aboriginal community.

With its unspoiled beaches and abundant flora and fauna, the park, located just three hours from the cities of Sydney and Canberra, is extremely popular with tourists.

The Cape St George Lighthouse ruin is considered the most significant European heritage site in the park and was listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1981.

The beach at Greenpatch is a popular destination, and is said to have the whitest sand in the world. In addition there are abundant surf breaks on the ocean sides of the Park, most notably South Coast Pipe.

Although not accessible to the public, a Little Penguin rookery exists on Bowen Island.

Murrays beach lies just to the west of the southern headland, facing Bowen Island and is one of the most beautiful in the park.