Seven Mile Beach (New South Wales) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seven Mile Beach |
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![]() View of Seven Mile Beach, looking south from Gerroa
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Location | Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads, New South Wales, Australia |
Coordinates | 34°46′21″S 150°48′48″E / 34.7725°S 150.8133°E |
Length | 12.5 km (7.8 mi) |
Geology | Beach |
Patrolled by | Shoalhaven Heads Surf Life Saving Club |
Hazard rating | 7/10 (highly hazardous) |
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Seven Mile Beach is a beautiful, long beach located in the Shoalhaven area of New South Wales, Australia. It's a special place with a rich history, found just south of Gerringong. This beach stretches for about 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles).
A Beach with History
In 1933, something amazing happened here! Seven Mile Beach became the runway for the very first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. This important flight was made by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, a famous Australian aviator.
Plants and Nature
This area is home to a unique type of forest called a littoral rainforest. "Littoral" means it grows right near the coast. Many rainforest plants here are at the southernmost edge of where they can grow.
The beach also has a special mix of sand dunes, wetlands, and beach plants. Scientists have studied this area to learn more about how sand dunes and their plants grow.
What Plants Grow Here?
Around the beach, you can find many interesting plants. These include spinifex, which is a type of grass, and coast wattle with its bright yellow flowers. You might also see tea-tree, coast banksia, and she-oaks.
Other trees like saw banksia and southern mahogany (also called bangalay) grow here. Look out for the unique burrawangs, which are ancient palm-like plants. There's also a small river or lake nearby, adding to the natural beauty.
Amazing Animals
Seven Mile Beach is a great spot for birdwatching! Many different kinds of birds live here. You can often see colorful honeyeaters and crimson rosellas.
Other birds include currawongs, thornbills, and the laughing kookaburras. Keep an eye out for ravens, grey fantails, and the shy eastern whipbirds. You might even spot white-throated treecreepers and majestic white-breasted sea eagles soaring above the water.