Lowland Rainforest on the Orara River at Coramba

Overview

Coramba Nature Reserve protects a very small but important patch of subtropical lowland rainforest along the Orara River, just north-west of Coffs Harbour and near the village of Coramba. Covering 9.43 hectares, it survives as an island of native vegetation in a floodplain that has otherwise been heavily modified over time.

What makes the reserve stand out is not its size but the quality of what remains. This is one of the few surviving stands of this kind of lowland rainforest along the Orara River, and the forest still holds the dense, closed-canopy character that gives these river flats their cool, shaded feel.

Highlights

The real character of Coramba Nature Reserve comes from its riverside rainforest setting. Tall old-growth trees, a closed canopy and the sense of stepping into a remnant forest beside the Orara River give the place a very different feel from the cleared land around it.

Scenically, the reserve is defined by its lowland floodplain rainforest rather than big lookouts or dramatic landforms. That makes it a place of detail and atmosphere, with layered vegetation, rich green shade and the soft edge where rainforest meets river.

Best Time to Visit

Coramba Nature Reserve can be rewarding at any time of year, but the warmer months tend to bring out the lushness of the rainforest and the activity of its birdlife. After periods of rain, the forest feels especially vivid, with the riverine setting and dense canopy at their best.

In cooler months, the reserve is often more comfortable for a slower walk under the trees. Because the main appeal here is the structure and texture of the rainforest itself, there is no single narrow season when the place works best.

Plants and Animals

This reserve protects lowland rainforest on floodplain, an endangered ecological community in the North Coast bioregion. Within that forest are white booyong, pepperberry, giant stinging tree and fig species, and the reserve also contains one of the better stands of turnip wood recorded in the Clarence Valley.

The forest is structurally complex and species-rich, which helps explain why such a small area matters. Coramba Nature Reserve also forms part of the Orara Valley Corridor, an important habitat link for species including the rufous bettong, yellow-bellied glider and long-nosed potoroo.

Birdlife is a strong feature of the reserve, especially fruit-eating rainforest birds. Rose-crowned fruit doves have been recorded here, and the forest provides food and shelter for species such as white-headed pigeons, brown cuckoo-doves, figbirds and noisy pittas. Threatened fauna associated with this lowland rainforest community also include species such as wompoo fruit doves, spotted-tailed quolls, grey-headed flying-foxes and red-legged pademelons.