Deua National Park

Deua National Park is a national park primarily in the Eurobodalla region of New South Wales. The 1220 km2 park contains many important rainforests of regional significance, including pinkwood and eucalyptus.

Visitor information

 * NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website

Get in
Use Araluen Road up from Moruya until you reach the park. From there, follow the various trail markings.

Fees and permits
Deua National Park is free to access, but you will need to pay a $6 booking fee if you're staying at a campground.

The Big Hole
The Big Hole Track is perhaps the most important thing in Deua NP and sets the fineline between choosing to visit this park or not. The 4-km return bushwalk passes through, the location of what could have been one of southeastern NSW's most humorising 19th-century stories.

During 1862, reckless explorer Boxall used saplings, rope, and a candle – little did he know that he would eventually fall into a 96 m. What he'd landed in was thought to be over 400 million years old – such open-air caves are in fact rare to find, and who knew reckless behaviour could've lead to a geological marvel?

Try and allow between one and two hours for the trek. Although it is only a mere four kilometers, you will need to cross the Shoalhaven River (be prepared to get your gumboots wet!), and if you're that kind of person who loves to have picnics along the way, there are various spots to do so.

Buy, eat, and drink
The park has no stores, cafes, kiosks, restaurants, bars – you name it! You will need to bring all supplies with you.

Sleep
You can generally visit Deua on a day-trip from the various seaside towns in Eurobodalla. However, for elegant campers, not to worry, there are six campgrounds within the park. All of them are free, but a booking fee of $6 applies.

Go next
Although Deua NP is very close to the Snowy Mountains, it is only as the crow flies – a drive to the Snowies will take over two hours, which is not long from a general New South Wales perspective, but it's only a two-hour drive to the very edge of the region, meaning you'll need to drive another extra hour or two in order to actually visit the region's main tourist attractions. Either way, it's likely not your first destination to go next.

However, a more reasonable destination to go next is the many coastal beachside towns in the Eurobodalla region. Moruya is just at the base of the park, whilst Tuross Head, Mogo, and Batemans Bay aren't too far away either.