We tried the lemon and mascarpone and rocher (chocolate nut) flavours and both were fab. Yvonne has been a keen hiker since her dad took her up the Drakensberg as a child. So much useful information and tips! Here are the 18 must-see stops along the Waterfall Way: 1: The arts and culture of Armidale2: Dangars Falls - Armidale3: Baker Creek Falls4: Wollomombi Falls5: Eagles Nest Trail - New England National Park6: The Wrights Lookout & Cascades Trail - New England National Park7: Point Lookout - New England National Park8: Cathedral Rock summit- Cathedral Rock National Park9: Ebor Falls10: Dangar Falls - Dorrigo11: Skywalk Lookout - Dorrigo National Park12: Crystal Shower Falls - Dorrigo National Park13: The Wonga Walk - Dorrigo National Park14: Red Cedar Falls - Dorrigo National Park15: Newell Falls16: The Promised Land - Bellingen17: Bongil Bongil Beach18: Coffs Harbour. Again you must visit when its been raining A LOT to see the falls in action but the car park is located right next to it so you dont need to do any hiking. Awe as you make it to the snowy peak. You can walk right the way behind the falls if you dont mind getting a bit wet and it offers a unique perspective and photo opportunity. We recommend walking along the path from the upper falls because at the moment the best views are located there, rather than beside the old viewing platform. Bellingen lookout. The lower falls does have its own carpark but you can also walk to it along a paved path from the upper falls in around 5 minutes. Baker Creek Falls is the first of the waterfalls along the Waterfall Way, and whilst you can only view it from a distance its still worth a stop. CountryLink trains run three times a day from Sydney to nearby Urunga and Coffs Harbour (about eight hours). Easily accessible, anyone can enjoy the panoramic views of the Rosewood rainforest basin. Normally we like to try a variety of cafes so that we can give you a few different options on the blog. It's a hot and sticky morning on market day, so afterwards we head for the hills the World Heritage-listed Dorrigo rainforest one of the top 10 most visited parks in NSW and one of the highlights of the Waterfall Way, a scenic route that runs from New England to Coffs Harbour. Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Again, if it wasnt for our host at The Belfry Guesthouse to tell us about some of the things you can do in Bellingen, we wouldnt have known about the awesome road trip you can do down to Armidale which takes 2 hours. There is so much good food and beautiful places to discover in this little town so stick around and have some fun. Sign up to our mailing list to get our free mini guide! 1.3 mi. Map: Link; Bellingen lookout. That makes a visit here even more special. You then need to immediately pull over just after the falls, beside the picnic benches, to get a proper look. Visit Woolmers and Brickendon, authentic examples of Australian pioneer farms, take a self guided walking tour of the town, or hire a guide and have a go at fly fishing in the clear waters of the Macquarie River. Just a 30 minute drive from Wollomombi Gorge is the beautiful town of Armidale. All the details on each route are in our Red Cedar Falls guide. Its a 5.5 hour drive from Sydney, which becomes a lot longer if you go in the school holidays or weekends (it took us about 7 hours to get to Armidale at Christmas!). Further south, the beaches are looked after by Bellingen Shire Council. Both the Wrights Lookout Track and the Cascades Trail begin at Robinsons Knob trail car park. Towards the end of our walk, we stop at Lardner Lookout to admire the view across the Bellinger valley, before descending to Hill Street and a cafe in Bellingen. The 6km circuit track is fully paved and though there are some hills, its not a difficult walk. It is a town which historically serviced the surrounding dairy farmers and timber cutters. For somewhere this majestic you would expect to find it very busy, but the walk to Red Cedar Falls puts many people off, with the shortest option being 6.8km (return) and theres a steep hill to climb. Here the countryside opens up to lush green farmland, where cows graze, and a dirt road completes a circular loop of Glennifer Valley, overlooked by the brooding escarpment of the Great Dividing Range, which is often shrouded in mist. Walk My World provides highly detailed guides for those who love to explore independently and seek out hidden gems. Thank you for subscribing! Bellingen Syndicate Trail. Its less than a 20 minute drive from Armidale and one of our favourite waterfalls in the area. We can hear the sound of logging machinery as we walk, and in the distance the brown slope of clear fell is jarring among the green of the forest. Here, the Canopy Cafe, run by Wolfgang Zichy and his wife Catherine McDonald, is yet another foodie find, serving up an interesting menu that includes all day breakfast and weekly specials concocted from the Bellofoodbox, a community initiative which distributes local, seasonal produce within 160 kilometres of Bellingen. Some places are so beautiful; it feels like holy ground. Again we dont like saying it but after a couple of dinners out in Dorrigo youll thank us for the tip! Most people visit the award winning Raleigh Winery for its fabulous restaurant with a terrace overlooking the vines and river. Once youve parked you can get a slightly closer look at the falls as well as watch how it affects the traffic! To get to the bottom of the lower falls looks like a mission and a lot of bush bashing involved. In normal conditions, the view will be good, but its less about the falls than it is about the mountains and forest. If you still havent had your fill of waterfalls, then wed highly recommend a visit to Scouts Falls. Traditionally the route was established to open up the escarpment to the trade route to the East and allow export of timber and Ore from the mine in the upper Bellingencatchment before it ceased operating many decades ago. We walk home as hundreds of bats fly overhead, aiming for an enormous fig tree nearby. Look out for the pullout (with picnic benches) to your right so you can stop and take a photo. We visited the winery for a tasting and the setting, wine and staff were great, which tallies with the reviews for their guesthouse too. The signpost says its difficult and recommends two hours for the walk, but this was double the time it took us and we stopped many times just to appreciate the scenery, as well as to take photos and videos. Bellingen's former famed restaurant No. If you love tracks which have a touch of adrenaline then the 5.8km walk to the Cathedral Rock summit in Cathedral Rock National Park is the hike for you. Its a fantastic hike, although I didnt find the final part of the walk easy which Ive explained in detail in this post. Below, we have included a mix of our favourite walks to suit a range of abilities. Link. Further along the path is a shelter and a fire ring the site of logging protests perhaps? The majority of bats pass by in around 30 minutes after which point its just a few stragglers. Bellingen brewery is deservedly popular. The walk to the main lookout is only 75m, and it is wheelchair accessible. Looking to read more about Bellingen and nearby towns on the East Coast? An enjoyable trail in the Mid North Coast Region of New South Wales, located near the small town of Bellingen. It takes less than a minute to get there from the car park. 1400 m. New England National Park. Whilst the Waterfall Way technically continues all the way to Armidale, if your primary interest is in waterfalls, theres no need to go beyond Bakers Creek. It has a wonderful swimming hole at the base and the area feels wild and remote. You can read more about the trail, including the track conditions in this guide. Youll be given a wine menu and allowed to choose any six that take your fancy, or you can do what I did and say the kind of wine you normally drink and then theyll bring you various options they think you might like. The best accommodation options are in Armidale, Dorrigo and Bellingen, with slim pickings inbetween. Take the side trip to Skywalk Lookout for views over the area. Explore one of 2 easy hiking trails in Bellingen or discover kid-friendly routes for your next family trip. To get to the centre from the Bellingen exit on the Pacific Motorway, you travel along the scenic route of Waterfall Way for around half an hour until you see the signed turn-off for Dome Road & the Rainforest Centre. We love a community cinema and this one is just a bargain price of $5 to join which will then give you free access to the films shown throughout the year. It didnt disappoint, not only have they got lots of delicious flavours to choose from, but the little courtyard with tropical plants offers the perfect shady spot to enjoy them. I am plannig my summer trip from Sydney up to Byron (or maybe even further) over Christmas and I am so happy finding your blog! Theres plenty to do in the area; from looking out for turtles at Muttonbird Island, to kayaking along the emerald creek, saying hello to the local kangaroos at Look At Me Now Headland and keeping an eye out for koalas at the botanic garden. Its a large area so if you happen to visit on a busy day there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the serenity. Cathedral Rock Track They also do full moon & champagne canoe tours too! We used to talk about travelling the world together, and in 2012 we finally made that happen. The Bellingen Brewery is located right behind the main street and its such a cool find, if you go on the weekend youll be treated to live music. But, we definitely recommend hiking the whole circuit which takes 2h30m at a slow pace. Its roughly 30 minutes from both Coffs Harbour and Dorrigo. If youre in need of a caffeine fix wed highly recommend Heartfire Bakery and for dinner or drinks, the eclectic Bellingen Brewery. The view from the top is just fantastic, particularly at sunset (or sunrise). Just 15km further is Bakers Creek Falls, you view it from a bit of a distance but the setting is outstanding. Later I learnt more about previous protests over clear felling the Tarkeeth, the ongoing concerns of the locals regarding the Tarkeeth forests around logging wood for chipping, biomass extraction, and aerial spraying. The 2.2km circuit track has a little bit of everything, with huge old Antarctic beech trees dripping in moss, a giant weeping rock, and some fabulous mountain views. Stop at the Glade Picnic area for a picnic and enjoy the day out. Tastings are free, a rarity in NSW nowadays, although I do always buy a bottle! If you try to get to the bottom of either of them, please always take care and do your research before attempting it. but you know, Heartfire. What we thought we were looking at was a picture from somewhere in The Amazon! The trail itself features a wonderful view from the top at the Lardner Lookout. The adjoining studio is $140 a night. Known for having one of the largest populations of koalas in NSW, (we sadly didnt spot one though) this park also has a phenomenal 7km long golden sand beach. If you only have time for a lookout rather than a walk in New England National Park, then opt for Point Lookout. Directly on route between Bellingen and Coffs Harbour, but slightly off the Waterfall Way, youll find the Bongil Bongil National Park. Your email address will not be published. Thank you x. Thats amazing! It doesnt appear anywhere online (well until we found it and wrote about it) so you will almost certainly get it to yourself. Just a few minutes down the road from the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre lies Dangar Falls, the first of our must see waterfalls on the Waterfall Way road. One of the most amazing lookout points weve been to in Australia has to be at the Skywalk at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre. Turns out that just a 30minute drive on from Ebor Falls and youll come to this magical spot called Wollomombi Gorge. Heres our 27 things to do in Bellingen you need to know about which surrounds a whopping five national parks. A sense of adventure as you motor across red plains. From here its more like boulder hopping, which makes for a fun challenge. Its perfect for lazing on the sand or going for a stroll (because the sand is compact and easy to walk on) and the one person we did see had a surfboard so it must be good for that too! Having hiked every trail in the park, here are all of Dorrigo National Park walks ranked. What more could you ask for? Unlike the Eagles Nest, the 8km walk to Wrights Lookout and the Cascades is one wed recommend to keen hikers. Armidale is one of the biggest towns in New England, and has plenty to keep you busy if you have a little time to spare before beginning your trip along the Waterfall Way. Were going to share with you the places we stopped by at and some of the ones we would have done so if we had more time. It's located at the end of the scenic drive, the elevation is 9115 feet, there is a parking lot, for there, you can go. Leaving from the beginning of Scotchman Range Road on the edge of Bellingen, this is a gorgeous run along the top of the Scotchman Range via Hospital Range Road and Horseshoe Road, bringing you first to the spectacularMt Killiekrankie lookout, then onto the even more spectacular Point Lookout, one of the highest points and best views in the region. It may be the slowest line of moving traffic youve ever seen as everyone tries to grab pics through the car window! Bellingen is surrounded by lots of great waterfalls, and one of the most spectacular is also one of the lesser visited ones. Bellingen is located along the Waterfall Way, 520km from Sydney and around a 5 hour 15 minute drive. We absolutely loved it and dream of going back to walk it in winter when icicles drip from the giant basalt cliffs. The water has shallow and very deep areas and there is a current, so after a lot of rain it is best to stay closer to the bank where you cant feel any pull. All the rooms look good here but if you can, Id opt for the apartment which offers the opportunity to self cater. The walk begins along Slingsbys trail, stretching 6.5km to Lanes lookout along gently undulating terrain that's also suitable for mountain biking. I'd drive the five-hour journey from home any day just for the cafe's biodynamic buffalo burgers and the heavenly zucchini and ricotta fritters. The first falls youll come to is Newell on the windy road before you reach Dorrigo. If youre headed to Coffs next, we have a whole guide on the best things to do there. 2.8 mi. Enjoy the beautiful country views across 400 acres in this beautiful activity. Bellingen Shire Council the Glade picnic area for a picnic and enjoy the day out the which... 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