National Parks of Australia

General Information

Director of Australian National Parks — Since the government of Australia is in charge of the entire continent, there is obviously a great need for a department dedicated solely to the protection of the country’s national parks. This website is the home to information on the director of National Parks, a position within the government’s Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

New South Wales and Environmental Issues — Run by the Australian government, this site highlights the national parks in the New South Wales territory. Focus is on environmental issues facing the nation, conservation tips, and information needed to visit a park in NSW.

Australian National Parks — Another very comprehensive guide to all of Australia’s national parks.

National Parks of Australia — A list of many, but not all of the national parks Down Under.

New South Wales National Parks — New South Wales is the most populous state on the continent of Australia; the government’s website promotes nature conservation within its many national parks. On the website it is possible to find a number of research projects, with information and data gathered at parks across the region. 

New South Wales National Parks database — This part of the New South Wales government website is a portal to the over 800 national parks and wildlife reserves within the state. Since the region is quite vast, the website can help researchers narrow down what type of national park they may be looking for.

Northern Territory Conservation Commission —This website is about the conservation commission of the Northern Territory, detailing why and how it was formed as well as what the commission is doing to help the current state of Australian National Parks.

South Australia Parks — Similar to the other territory sites, this one highlights the over 300 parks of South Australia.

Victoria National Parks — Another great Australian national parks online resource is that of the government of another state—Victoria. While there are not as many parks in Victoria as there are in New South Wales, this website is very well organized so that researchers can find exactly what they are looking for. The extensive website allows individuals to search among conservation data or read about different types of parks—from national parks to marine life sanctuaries.

Tasmania National Parks — A common feature of these national park websites hosted by each state government is the mention of diversity among the parks within their borders. This website showcasing the national parks of Tasmania is no different with parks advertised as the prime place for downhill skiing as well as a park situated on a coastline known for shipwrecks.

Queensland National Parks — Queensland’s national park registry allows visitors to the website to explore photos, search for a certain type of park, and even provides advice for recreational activities inside the parks.

Tasmania Parks — Of the various territories’ government park sites, Tasmania’s does probably the best job with recent news and releases.

Australian Capital Territory Parks — The smallest territory in terms of number of parks, the Australian Capital Territory site is filled with information, despite the fact that the move to get a park to the ACT wasn’t made until 1960, and a park wasn’t formed until 1984.

South Australian national parks — This government website for South Australia’s environment parks is helpful as it classifies and describes the region’s seven distinct types of parks, from national parks to wilderness protection areas and game reserves.

Non-Government Parks Guide — A non-government site that highlights all of the national parks of the Australia region.

South Australian National Parks — Another website promoting South Australia’s parks can give you direct links to each individual parks website for follow-up information or to book a trip.

Conservation Efforts

Australian Conservation Efforts — This website is a portal where a researcher can find hundreds of documents and media information on conservation practices and laws in Western Australia. The website belongs to a governmental organization known as the “Conservation Commission.”

Parks Preservation — The website of the government entity dedicating to continuing to preserve the national parks of Australia.

Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife — A non-profit, the foundation for national parks and wildlife was set up to help the national parks.

Australian Conservation Foundation — Another national organization for environmental conservation is the Australian Conservation Foundation. While they do not promote national parks only, the resources found here are crucial to environmental research of Australia.

New Zealand conservation — Australia’s largest eastern neighbor, New Zealand, is also a prime location for national parks full of rich biodiversity. This website provides information about the conservation attempts as well as a list of the parks themselves.

National Reserve System — While national parks are the main focus of the “Our National Parks” website, this branch of the Australian government is an interesting resource for those who are interested. On this specific site, the government has compiled information about its National Reserve System, or the NRS. This system is the government’s main portal for conservation efforts and highlights those areas of Australia it protects.

Friends of Fitzgerald National Park — This website is the creation of a volunteer group that aids a Western Australian national park, the Fitzgerald River National Park. The organization promotes the park as well as helps to maintain the park’s upkeep.

BGCI — BGCI is not a website that is committed to only one country—or continent. The organization represents national parks and botanical gardens (over 700 across the world) to promote conservation and smart use of natural resources.

Specific National Parks / Additional Resources

Heard Island of Antarctica — Though many people may not think about the continent of Antarctica as a location for national parks, the Australian government actually funds a good deal of environmentally research in the few hospitable areas. One such area, Heard Island, is home to a wildlife population unlike that of anywhere else in the world.

Metropolitan National Park — Another area that many people may overlook when thinking about national parks are those areas on the outskirts of metropolitan areas. Yet, the Land Cove River Tourist Park is a national park just a few minutes from public transportation that takes visitors directly into the heart of Sydney.  Despite its close proximity to the country’s most populated city, it is a natural park full of diverse wildlife protected by the state.

Kakadu National Park — One of Australia’s many famous national parks is Kakadu National Park. The management of this park is often difficult due to struggle to find the proper balance in promoting tourism while maintaining the natural resources and cultural history of the Aborigine tribes.

Christmas Island National Park — This website dedicated to the Christmas Island national parks is also found on the website for the Director of National Parks. This particular park is important to the Australian environment conservation attempts because of the many seabird and over 20 land crab species that are found and protected here.

Wildlife Species’ Search — An additional research tool for anyone interested in Australian national parks, this website allows you to search three different ways (by geography, river basin, or NRM region) to determine the wildlife species you may see or have seen in your travels in the environment.

National Parks for Kids — This website dedicated to kids provides readers with an understandable, yet detailed account of many of New Zealand’s national parks

Places and Activities

Gorp.com — Gorp.com is an amazing resource for anyone looking to visit a national park within the United States or in this case, another continent: Australia.  Gorp includes photo galleries, weekend guides, and a search option in which you can browse through the parks that provide only the activities that you wish to do. 

South Australia National Parks Reserves Forests — This site is a tourism-based site with more information about what to see on a trip to South Australia, as well as tour information.

Outback Australia Travel Secrets — Northern Territory and Western Australian make up the outback, and this site is all about what to see and do while in the Outback.

Real Australia Travel — A very travel-based site, but useful to decipher which national park is the right one for what you may be looking for.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources — This government website of South Australia provides the user with basic information regarding the various park services in the Southern region of the continent. This includes, national parks, conservation parks, game reserves, regional reserves, recreation parks, conservation reserves, and wilderness protection areas. The site includes recent news briefs, educational resources and official brochures for each of the parks in South Australia.

Australian Tourism Net — This site offers a page dedicated especially to Australian National Parks. The interactive map lets you choose which region of Australia you would like to visit, then lists the various national parks in that region.  Each park is linked to a page that gives the current weather conditions, modes of transportation, things to do and a host of other options. 

NSW.gov — The New South Wales’ government site for Environment, Climate Change & Water, dedicates a section of its website to the national parks in New South Wales.  The site provides information on the more than 820 parks and reserves in the area.

Australian Government — The main Australian government website provides links and information to all of the parks on the continent of Australia. 

Western Australia.com — While Westernaustralia.com offers information on things to do in all of west Australia, there is a large section dedicated to the national parks in Western Australia.  The different sites are linked, each with a suggested itinerary for the trip.

Portal Oceania — Portal Oceania provides links to sites relating to all the different regional national parks.  The left menu screen also gives you a way to search in the sites by topic or activity.  

Outback Australia Travel Guide — This “travel guide” offers links to information about the various national parks on the Continent.  The links include the best accommodations, videos inside the park, and slideshows featuring photos of what you can expect to see when you arrive. 

South Australia.com — Southaustralia.com is also another site focused on a specific state and its national parks.  This South Australia website provides a list of parks to choose from along with an easy to use trip planner to help better lay out your trip to the park. 

Parks Victoria — This site is solely dedicated to the parks of the state of Victoria.  The website includes the latest news on each of its sites and also information vital to planning your trip such as weather conditions, fire warnings and seasonal closures. 

Queensland Government — Another state site, Queensland provides government documents relating to its parks including environmental data and fact sheet.  Links are also provided to scholarly journal articles relating to the parks in Queensland.   The parks are also able to be searched by topics such as “short, easy walks.”

Camping.com — Camping.com’s Australian site, is a great place to discover places to camp, many of which include the continent’s national parks.  You can browse camping sites by looking at other users’ personal experiences, or just find the state you are interested in, and browse the parks in that state.  

Kimberley National Parks — If you desire to travel to Western Australia, this website offers a great list of parks and activities in this region.  They offer informative descriptions of what to expect at each park and photos to give the user a better idea of what to expect. 

Brisbane National Park — This site is the official site to Brisbane, Australia.  The park is just one of the many activities that can be found in this area, which is surrounded by other smaller parks and amenities.

Kangaroo Island — Kangaroo Island a popular Australian vacation spot also has several parks to offer.  The site offers destination favorites for each season of the year, and includes the wildlife to look out for. 

Culture.gov.au — Another government website, culture.gov tries to give more than just a “things to do” point of view. Instead the website offers the “why” behind visiting a national park.  This site touches on the unique culture and environment of Australia and compels the user to want to understand the Australian culture along with experiencing its nature.

Foundation for the National Parks and Wildlife —-This site also offers educational information behind the national parks.  The FNPW gives an understanding for the state the environment is in, and ways to help save it.  One of which is staying informed and of course, visiting the national parks in an effort to learn more.