"Budawang National Park" Budawang Range by M0B1US

Budawang Range Travel Guide: 3 reviews and 22 photos

View out to Pigeon House Mountain in the distance

Highlights (i.e. best things to do)

Situated 3-4 hours south of Sydney along the NSW coast are the twin national parks of Budawang and Morton, which encompass the eastern ranges of Australia's Great Dividing Range as they tumble down towards the sea. In fact Pigeon House Mountain was named by Captain Cook and used as a landmark on his journey of discovery!

The nearest major town is Nowra and the turn off for the parks is at Ulladulla, where there is also a good camping shop. A bit further south are Bateman's Bay and the lesser known but incredibly beautiful Jervis Bay.

These rugged, proud peaks and dominating cliff lines are protected by Morton and Budawang National Parks. Drive to Nowra on the New South Wales southern coast and be bathed in wilderness!

It is a stunning country of lush rainforests and rugged peaks with dizzying cliffsides - a true hikers paradise!

One of the things that immediately strikes you after driving about 20km into the wilderness to the edge of the parks is the amazing solitude - on our first full day, we encountered no signs of anyone else in the park! This truly is Bushwalking at its finest!

Read my travelogue : for a full account of the highs and lows of my journey...

Quick tips/suggestions

6/7ths of the Magnificent Seven!

Remember to think ahead and write a list of everything you need - if you forget things there is a great camping gear shop in Ulladulla.

Also, it is an hard walk with the potential for much to go wrong. It is therefore recommended that you are experienced walkers before embarking on this walk. In our party there were only two of us that weren't very experienced and one of our party had already made this hike a few years earlier. If in doubt there are a number of companies that arrange treks and canoeing expeditions into the Budawangs.

Check out the website below, not that I know much about them as such, it is an example...

http://www.parktours.com.au/news/August2002/budawangs.htm

Best Way to Get Around

The map we used - yes, it could have been better!

You need your own transport to reach the insertion and extraction point and then it's walking all the way, baby!

Being very fit would help as well because we're talking a lot of uphill walking, some climbing and the fact you have to carry everything you need into the camp...

An alternative would be to leave things up to the professionals and go with a tour.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Amazing commune with nature and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
Cons:Very hard, I was in pain for two weeks after this!
In a nutshell:Fantastic Boy Scout Adventure!

Last visit to Budawang Range: May 2002
Intro Updated Mar 1, 2003
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (3)

The Difference Between Life and Death! What to Pack (1)

A decent sized backpack with a comfortable frame (check!) Multilayered clothing to wear as the weather dictates,... more travel advice

Wildlife of the Budawang National Park Things to Do (1)

These parks are awash with wildlife and its tell-tale signs... Upon our arrival at the parking area, we were greeted by... more travel advice

Difficult and dangerous terrain Warnings and Dangers (1)

This hike is officially rated as 'Hard' in professional bush walking books! There are some ropes and chains hammered... more travel advice

Have you been to Budawang Range? Share your travels with the world!

Travelogues (2)

1 - 2 of 2

Comments (13)

Reply
- Report abuse
Pixiekatten Nov 6, 2006 at 6:51 AM

Wow!! Amazing pictures! :)
Reply
- Report abuse
iandsmith Jun 26, 2005 at 4:37 PM

Great pics, great story. Great to see an overseas tourist avoiding the Golden Triangle (Sydney, Cairns, Uluru). I saw Pigeon House from the other side at the Blue Mountains recently!
Reply
- Report abuse
zrim Jun 2, 2004 at 12:56 PM

Zowie! What an opening photo. And I'm a sucker for bird pics, glad you included the Kookaburra.
Reply
- Report abuse
bugalugs Jul 4, 2003 at 1:49 PM

an amazing journey, thanks for the info.
Reply
- Report abuse
Bwana_Brown Jun 9, 2003 at 4:54 PM

An amazingly good account of your very interesting sounding trip! Loved the photos, especially your page opener!
Reply
- Report abuse
caffeine_induced78 Mar 12, 2003 at 8:14 PM

Very detailed tips! Looks like a wonderful hike.
Reply
- Report abuse
sandysmith Mar 11, 2003 at 2:53 PM

really great travelogues - they deserve a wider audience
Reply
- Report abuse
diamonddog Mar 1, 2003 at 5:46 AM

Great page and amazing bushwalk travelogues !!
Reply
- Report abuse
matcrazy1 Feb 28, 2003 at 6:08 AM

Great adventure! Excellent tips and amazing travelogues!
Reply
- Report abuse
unravelau Feb 16, 2003 at 8:46 PM

You've definitely had some adventures here in Oz.............Currarong is another beautiful area south of Nowra when you come next time. Are the Dr and Nurse hire -able?