Overview
The Eastern Bushland (Malabar Headland Lot 2) is bounded by the Pacific Ocean, with South Maroubra to its north and Long Bay (Malabar) to its south. Its land area is approximately 60 hectares.
The Eastern Bushland was transferred from the Commonwealth Government to the New South Wales Government in February and will shortly be opened as the eastern section of Malabar Headland National Park.
The Eastern Bushland lies within the Rifle Range Safety Template.
ACCESS IS PROHIBITED ON SHOOTING DAYS.
The aerial shot in the attachment below shows the prohibited area highlighted in yellow, courtesy of NSWRA:
Due to its location within the Range Safety Template, the Eastern section of Malabar Headland National Park will be closed on shooting days.
Vegetation
There is over 17 hectares of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS) in the Eastern Bushland, and it contains 270 recorded native plant species.
Coastline
The Eastern Bushland has a spectacular coastline.
Coastline at Magic Point, the northern and lower of the headland’s two points © Peter Fagan
The Little Dyke – a narrow vertical cleft in the cliff face just north of Magic Point © Peter Fagan
Magic Point; the Little Dyke is visible top left, running east – west at the head of the inlet. Vertical air photo, courtesy of NearMap
The Big Dyke, a massive cut in the cliff face at the head of the bay between Magic Point and Boora Point to the south © Peter Fagan
Eroded Sandstone rock formations, Magic Point; Panther Rock with Boora Point in distance © Peter Fagan.
Fauna
The Southern Scaly Foot lizard, Pygopus lepidopodus. It has a vestigial foot – a flap of scaly flesh at the back of its body near its vent, and the tail is three quarters of its total length – whereas a snake’s tail is only about a fifth of its total length. Its diet is mainly spiders, caught nocturnally.
Southern Scaly Foot lizard, Pygopus lepidopodus © Claire Bettington.
Juvenile Lesueur’s Velvet Gecko, Oedura lesueurii (less than 5cm long) © Peter Fagan
A total of 201 species of birds has been recorded in the Maroubra Beach and Malabar Headland area. The headlands of Mistral Point (north of Maroubra Beach), Magic Point and Boora Point, are amongst the best places in the Sydney area from which to observe seabirds, with 61 species of seabirds having been observed from these headlands in recent years – see A list of birds seen in the Maroubra Beach and Malabar Headland area from 1998 to 2003, with some observations from previous years; prepared by Rod Gardner (formerly of UNSW) – Birds of Maroubra Beach and the Malabar Headland.
White-Faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae seen in the Eastern Bushland October 2012 © Russell Emerson
One of a pair of Australian Ravens, Corvus coronoides frequently seen at Magic Point © Peter Fagan
Friends of Malabar Headland 