Granite Country, Deep Gorges and the Long Drop of Boonoo Boonoo Falls

Overview

Boonoo Boonoo National Park sits on the far Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, about 35km from Tenterfield, where the granite uplands begin to break away toward the eastern escarpment. The park covers a high plateau cut by the Boonoo Boonoo River, and that contrast between broad granite country above and steep gorge country below shapes the whole feel of the place.

It is not a large park, but it packs in a lot of variety. Open forest covers most of the plateau, while wetter gullies, rocky outcrops, drainage lines and pockets of rainforest create a landscape that changes quite quickly from one part of the park to another.

Highlights

The defining feature here is Boonoo Boonoo Falls, where the river runs through granite country and then drops 210m into a gorge below. That sudden plunge gives the park its dramatic edge, especially because the surrounding tableland feels so open and level before the country falls away.

Beyond the falls, the scenery is shaped by granite in all sorts of ways, from broad rock platforms and river rock pools to rocky escarpments and forested gullies. The park is part of the northern granite belt, and that geology gives it a distinct tablelands character that feels different from the coastal parks further east.

Best Time to Visit

Boonoo Boonoo National Park is at its most impressive after decent rain, when the river is moving well and the falls show their full scale. In cooler months, the higher elevation and open granite country can make for clearer air and comfortable walking weather. Spring also suits the park well, with seasonal wildflowers appearing through the bushland and around the rocky country.

Plants and Animals

The park protects an unusually diverse mix of plant communities for its size, including open forest, tall open forest, woodland, heath-sedgeland, rocky vegetation and small areas of rainforest. Open forest makes up about 80 per cent of the park, but there are also more specialised habitats in north-eastern gullies, around the base of the falls and along waterlogged drainage lines.

This variety of habitat supports a good range of wildlife, including species of conservation significance. Glossy black-cockatoos are regularly seen here and breed in the park, feeding on forest oak. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies have been recorded around the rocky escarpments near the falls, and the park has also recorded species such as spotted-tailed quoll, koala, yellow-bellied glider and the border thick-tailed gecko. Boonoo Boonoo is also notable for sitting near the northern edge of the common wombat’s range.

Culture and Heritage

Boonoo Boonoo National Park lies within the geographic range of both the Moombahlene and Muli Muli Aboriginal Land Councils. A recorded Aboriginal stone arrangement is known from the northern part of the park and adjoining Boorook State Forest, though its significance requires further investigation.

The park also contains historic places, including Morgans Gully, reflecting earlier non-Indigenous use of the area.