Restoring the northward Boat Harbour entrance to the Tomaree Coastal Walk
By Sue Olsson, Coordinator
Friends of Tomaree National Park
December 2025
Along the Tomaree Coastal Walk (TCW), from Boat Harbour northward, houses line the landward (western) side and vegetation on the seaward (eastern) side is degraded.
With support from Bupa Landcare and National Parks and Wildlife Service, Friends of Tomaree National Park are embarking on an ambitious project and we will be inviting community, schools and corporate groups to help.
This page will be updated as the project proceeds. Read an overview of the broader project and what’s happening on the southward Boat Harbour entrance.
Northward entrance
The TCW’s northern entrance extends from Ocean Parade northward to the first little bridge.
The project is mostly seaward of the TCW, where there is
- a corridor of degraded littoral scrub-forest, and
- a remnant endangered littoral rainforest (the more northern section closer to the bridge)..
Our initial focus will be removing invasive weeds, predominately seaward of the walk.
This includes an initial contract spraying of extensive Turkey Rhubarb and Black-eyed Susan. Both invade and smother our ground covers and shrubs, and prevent natural regeneration. In the more northern section which once supported an endangered littoral rainforest, there is extensive Turkey Rhubarb both sides of the walk track. Here, seaward of the walk track, we’ve previously cleared a large patch of Giant Reed (see Giant Reed laid to rest ~ below March 2024) which obliterated the vegetation and also invaded the creek. Friends of Tomaree NP will continue to monitor and eradicate.
Turkey Rhubarb, Rumex saggitatus (below), seed heads, leaves and tubers which can extend for some distance underground and often break during removal.
Our aim is to replace weed species with native bushes and retain some view lines.
Lantana smothers native bushes.
Winter Cassia (yellow flowers) and Black-eyed Susan (orange flowers) prevent native growth.
To restore habitat we will plant native coastal species
We will plant about 700 trees, shrubs and ground covers between late Autumn and July 2026. Where Giant Reed has been removed, we’ll plant to re-establish the endangered littoral rainforest. Vines and shrubs will cover the reed piles – which will slowly degrade over years to come – and appropriate trees will be planted.
Nearer Ocean Parade we’ll reestablish the coastal littoral scrub with local natives trees and shrubs, establish a vegetation border along the walk, and remove many spider plants near and beyond the casuarina patch.
Involving community
We will offer planting days, citizen-science monitoring, corporate engagement and school planting days. If you would like to become involved, please contact us at tomaree-np-friends@npansw.org.au
An added benefit of regenerating a habitat with more diversity, is a better experience for locals and tourists using this section of the Tomaree Coastal Walk ~ but this will take time to develop.
Friends of Tomaree National Park gratefully acknowledge the contribution of our partners in this project.
With many thanks for funding us to plant 1,500 plants over the whole project in early 2026
Ongoing support for the broader project
with many thanks for ongoing support and a significant assitance in preparation for this 2026 project
March 2024
Giant Reed laid to rest ~ a mammoth effort!
When walking the Tomaree Coastal Walk (TCW) from Boat Harbour’s Ocean Parade northward, the walk leaves the open corridor and houses, to pass an area with a little patch of remnant littoral rainforest around a little gully bridge.
A wall of Bitou and Lantana almost impeded the track before exiting to Boat Harbour’s urban fringe. National Parks and Wildlife Service sprayed track-side here around 2023. Then in early 2024, two of our keen Friends of Tomaree National Park, both Boat Harbour residents, wanted to improve the experience for visitors around this site.
First they cleared the extensive remaining Bitou and Lantana.
Gradually they worked down the slope to the invasive Giant Reed where canes stood over 8m tall, even out competing the Lantana
While the piles of reeds are a work in progress to eventually disintegrate, battling the regrowth from the extensive underground tubers required vigilance and dedication, a labour of love. Our vision is to replant the area to extend the existing littoral rainforest and reinstate the gully’s riparian vegetation.
Lilly Pilly, Acmena smithii, is part of the littoral rainforest at the gully bridge
Bruce and Robert are still smiling!
Contact: tomaree-np-friends@npansw.org.au
Web: www.ecops.au/fotnp