A wilderness-dominated coastal reserve on New South Wales' far south coast, anchored by heathland, eucalyptus forest, and Aboriginal heritage.
Nadgee Nature Reserve
Nadgee Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve on the far south coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. Covering roughly 20,671 hectares, it sits immediately south of Beowa National Park and is bordered to the south by the Black-Allan Line, where it meets Croajingolong National Park in Victoria. The reserve is dominated by a large declared wilderness area of about 18,800 hectares, giving it a strongly remote and undeveloped character.
The landscape is a mix of dry eucalyptus forest, coastal heathland, and saltwater wetlands, shaped by significant bushfires in 1972 and 1980 that reset much of the vegetation. Its coastline carries deep Aboriginal heritage, with shell middens, burial sites, and historic encounters with the Bidawal people dating to the earliest years of European contact in the region.
The reserve is notable for its biodiversity values, particularly birdlife, and is recognized as part of the Nadgee to Mallacoota Inlet Important Bird Area. It supports species such as the eastern bristlebird and pilotbird, alongside a wide range of mammals and habitat types, making it an ecologically important bridge between protected areas in New South Wales and Victoria.
