Balawan and the forested ridges above Eden

Overview

Mount Imlay National Park sits in the far south coast hinterland of New South Wales, about 20 to 30km south-west of Eden. It covers 3,808 hectares of steep, deeply dissected country centred on Mount Imlay itself, with narrow rocky ridges, deep gullies and a strong sense of separation from the surrounding logged forests.

The park is relatively small, but it protects a striking and very intact slice of the Eden district. At 886m above sea level, Mount Imlay is the district’s most visually prominent natural feature, rising in a distinct conical shape above the coast and hinterland.

Highlights

The defining feature here is the mountain itself. Mount Imlay stands apart from nearby peaks, and that isolation gives the whole park a bold, sculpted character. Around the summit, the terrain drops away into cliff lines, stepped western slopes, rocky ridges and deeply cut gullies, with permanent and semi-permanent watercourses adding to the variety of the landscape.

From the top, views stretch a long way in clear weather, running along the coast from Mallacoota in Victoria to beyond Narooma, and inland towards the Monaro Tablelands. Away from the summit, the mix of tall forest, sheltered gullies and rough ridgelines gives the park a quieter scenic appeal that feels very different from the open coast nearby.

Best Time to Visit

Spring is one of the most rewarding times to be here, when native wildflowers bring colour through the bushland and the mountain’s plant diversity is easiest to appreciate. The cooler months more broadly tend to suit the park’s steep terrain and forest setting, especially if you prefer clearer air and milder temperatures for longer walks.

That said, Mount Imlay is not a place that depends on a single season. Its appeal is just as much about the shape of the country, the forests and the sense of remoteness as it is about seasonal colour.

Plants and Animals

Mount Imlay National Park protects a notably wide range of habitats for a park of its size, including heath, open forest, tall open forest, rainforest, riverine forest and summit woodland. About half the park is old-growth forest, though it occurs in a fragmented pattern across the landscape.

The summit is especially important botanically. Several threatened or biogeographically significant plant species occur here, including the extremely rare Mount Imlay mallee and the endangered Mount Imlay boronia. The summit’s flora also has an unusual link with Tasmanian peaks, which adds to the park’s scientific interest.

Wildlife is varied as well. Mammals recorded here include eastern pygmy-possums, red-necked wallabies, swamp wallabies, wombats and bush rats, with threatened species such as the long-nosed potoroo, koala and tiger quoll also present. Birdlife ranges from honeyeaters, currawongs and tree-creepers to lyrebirds in the understorey, and threatened birds including the olive whistler, sooty owl and glossy black cockatoo.

Culture and Heritage

Mount Imlay is known to local Aboriginal people as Balawan and is described as a place of great spiritual significance. The mountain, its surrounding gullies and forests, and the animals that live here are all closely tied to local Aboriginal culture and spiritual teachings.