Edmund Kennedy NP 

Edmund Kennedy National Park is a diverse coastal park with mangroves, sedge swamps, melaleuca woodland, open eucalypt forest, tropical rainforest, boardwalks and tracks that traverse through the forest to the beach.

Consisting of areas of low coastal rainforest, eucalyptus forests, melaleuca woodland, sedge swamps and mangrove swamps, the park also has fine views of Hinchinbrook. Plants such as the Red Beech and the rare Arenga Palm can be found here. Much of the wildlife is nocturnal although birds and reptiles may be seen during the day. The park is home to estuary Crocodiles, Oriels, Sunbirds, Black Butcherbirds, Honeyeaters, Orange Footed Scrub Fowl, and endangered species like the Mahogany Glider. The park is also a marine park and has a vast variety of marine life Crabs and Fish.

This section of coastline is just as Edmund Kennedy Found it in 1848. Landing at the Tom O'Shanter point about 35 km north of the park, him and his team hiked their way to Cape York before traveling south to find a way through ranges behind the coast. He was killed 6 months later near the tip of Cape York. Only 3 of the party members survived.

Things to do

• Camping is not permitted in the park or on the beach
• Do the Forest Walk through rainforest, open woodland and coastal vegetation
• Have a picnic on the foreshore at Rockingham Bay. Picnic tables and toilets are provided
• Fishing is permitted from boats but cast-netting & line-fishing from the beach is not recommended due to estuarine crocodiles
• See the endangered mahogany glider, Orioles, sunbirds, black butcherbirds and honeyeaters. The nesting mounds of orange-footed scrubfowls can be seen from walking tracks. Small & colourful mangrove crabs emerge from their holes below the boardwalks