Narawntapu National Park

Wildlife meets wild coast in this national park on Tasmania's central north coast.

Stretching from Greens Beach at the mouth of kanamaluka / River Tamar to Bakers Beach in the west, Narawntapu has often been called the Serengeti of Tasmania, with the grassy clearings around the visitor centre at Springlawn filling with animals each dawn and dusk.

The park’s coast is bookended by a pair of long beaches – Badger Beach and Bakers Beach – backed by coastal heathlands and grasslands, wetlands and dry sclerophyll woodlands. Walks range from short strolls to a 21km coastal traverse of the entire park, and the park offers some of Tasmania’s best coastal camping.

Highlights

Wildlife

Wander the former farmland at Springlawn at dusk to find mobs of Forester kangaroos, wallabies and pademelons.

Beaches

Bakers Beach runs behind the main visitor area at Springlawn. At the park’s eastern end, the Badger Beach Lookout peers down onto its namesake beach from atop the cliffs of West Head.

Walks

Springlawn Nature Walk

This walk loops around the Springlawn Lagoon, passing a bird hide and offering plenty of wildlife-spotting opportunities (2hr, 4.8km). 

Archers Knob

Begin walking along Bakers Beach and then turn up onto Archers Knob, a 114m-high summit with great views over the park and surrounding area (3-3.5hr, 9km). One of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks.

Coastal Traverse

Cover the park’s length as you walk between Springlawn and Greens Beach, covering Narawntapu’s two long beaches and the Badger Head and West Head headlands. This 21km walk takes a full day, and requires a car at each end.

Other activities

Horse riding

The park has horse holding yards and two horse trails: beach and bush. A permit is required for horse riding in the park, and must be booked at least four days in advance.

Need to know

Facilities

The park visitor centre is at Springlawn, behind Bakers Beach.

Camping

Narawntapu has four campgrounds strung behind Bakers Beach: Springlawn, Bakers Point, Koybaa and The Horse Yards. Beyond the park, there’s accommodation at Devonport, Port Sorell and Greens Beach.

Tide times

If walking on the beaches, check tide times. Aim to avoid high tide when some sections of beach may not be passable.

Entry

A parks pass is required for entry to Tasmania’s national parks. 

Where

There are two entrances to the park. Springlawn is a 1hr drive (75km) north-west of Launceston. The Greens Beach entrance is a 55min (60km) drive north of Launceston.

More detail

https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/narawntapu-national-park