Birds in Paradise
Bicentennial Park is home to an impressive waterbird refuge, a beautiful peaceful environment for the birds to congregate. Surrounded by the Badu Mangrove forest it is somewhat hidden and protected from most visitors to the park.
Waterbird Refuge
Our main reason for visiting the area was to see the Shipwrecks of Homebush Bay, however the waterbird refuge was definitely another highlight of our outing… an excellent location for bird watching in Sydney.
We started our walk from the Badu Mangroves in Bicentennial Park at Homebush Bay. Best access to the Badu Mangroves is adjacent to the last parking area in Bicentennial Park (P10f).
After following the Badu Mangroves track for 10 or so minutes we came across the first bird hide, where we were able to view large flocks of birds resting and feeding around the lake.
The lake was heavily carpeted in what appeared to be a bright yellow algae. With the lake edge covered in brilliant gold and pink grasses it really was a beautiful site in the late afternoon light, especially with the water reflecting a silvery blue. It was hard to believe we were in the heart of Sydney!
The Badu Mangroves
As well as providing a resting place for some of the old shipwrecks, the Badu Mangroves form a protective layer around the waterbird refuge. The walking-cycle track through the mangroves is very peaceful… there were only a handful of cyclists and walkers when we visited.
We didn’t have time to explore the zigzag boardwalk through the mangroves, however we did venture far enough to recognize that we wanted to return to do this walk – maybe at high tide when the water is lapping below the boardwalk.
Eat & Drink
There are plenty of picnic shelters, BBQ and shade areas within Bicentennial Park. We visited on a Sunday and noted how popular it was… I recommend arriving early to stake out your picnic spot!
There’s also a number of cafés in the area. Our outing was a little too late in the day for lunch so we didn’t actually visit any of the cafés… next time 🙂
Information
Where: Bicentennial Park Homebush Bay – 20min West of the CBD
Website: Bicentennial Park
Allow: 1/2 day
Getting there: Drive & park at the last parking area P10f (adjacent Badu Mangroves). Alternatively take the train or bus.
Visit: Shipwrecks Homebush Bay and Visit Inner West
Map Bicentennial Park & Shipwrecks
Shipwrecks Homebush Bay and parking locations are marked in orange.
Great photos particularly loved the golden silver lake with the afternoon sun and also the boardwalk. Both drawing you into the serenity of the area.
Thank you Jan, the colours were particularly beautiful😊🙏🌸🦢🕊🦩🦜