BOB Crombie and Bob Walshe share a dream of seeing the Royal National Park receive the protection that comes with a spot on the World Heritage List.
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The two men have been building momentum for this goal for several decades and by their own reckoning still have a long way to go.
The National Park was formally proclaimed on April 26, 1879, and the "Royal" was added later to the title after a young Queen Elizabeth II passed close by.
The 16,000-hectare site was visited by more than 4 million people a year and was deserving of the listing, Mr Walshe said.
Mr Crombie's passion for the park was ignited by his decades of work as a park ranger before becoming head teacher of environmental studies at TAFE.
He described the park as a "magical place" where he would head with his mates when he was eight for adult-free camping adventures.
"This place is the equal of anything I've ever seen," he said.
The men agreed that while the idea of making the World Heritage List was noble the politics behind the listing was cumbersome and time consuming.
Mr Crombie urged residents to appreciate and use the park and put pressure on the government to back the heritage-listing claim.
"We've got to get this place recognised and promoted — it is the premier park in Australia," he said.
The pair backed a book released yesterday by environmental historian Geoff Mosley who argued the park held exceptional geological, biological, aesthetic and cultural values, and a rich Aboriginal history.
