Basalt Cliffs and Gondwana Rainforest at New England National Park

Overview

New England National Park sits on the edge of the Great Escarpment in northern New South Wales, about 70 kilometres east of Armidale. Much of the park lies high on the tablelands before dropping sharply into deeply forested valleys, which gives it a very different feel from many other parks in the region. It is also part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, recognised for its outstanding natural heritage.

The park covers a large stretch of country, including around 72,000 hectares across New England National Park and the adjoining reserves managed with it. That scale shows in the variety of landscapes here, from cold high-country woodland around Point Lookout to rainforest, creek lines and steep escarpment country further down the slopes.

Highlights

The defining feature here is the escarpment itself. From the plateau edge, the land falls away into broad river valleys, with long views across the Bellinger, Nambucca and Macleay catchments and, on clear days, all the way towards the coast. Point Lookout is the best-known expression of this landscape, perched above dramatic basalt cliffs and densely forested country below.

Geology gives the park much of its character. The escarpment cliffs were shaped by a series of basalt lava flows from the ancient Ebor volcano, leaving a thick volcanic rim above much older folded rocks. Erosion has cut this edge into a rugged profile of cliffs, ridges and secluded valleys, which is why the scenery shifts so quickly from open tableland to enclosed, steep country.

Best Time to Visit

Spring and autumn are often the most rewarding times to be here, when the high country is cool, clear and comfortable for longer days outdoors. Spring also brings flowering orchids and other montane plants, while the crisp air tends to sharpen the escarpment views.

Summer can be pleasantly mild on the tablelands compared with lower country, though mist and cloud are part of the character of the escarpment. Winter has its own appeal, with cold mornings, stark high-country woodland and a real sense of elevation around Point Lookout.

Plants and Animals

Plant life changes with altitude and aspect. Around the higher country near Point Lookout, snow gum, shining gum and snow grass dominate the open woodland. Over the escarpment edge, cool temperate rainforest of Antarctic beech appears, often hung with moss and orchids, while lower sheltered slopes carry warm temperate and subtropical rainforest with coachwood, sassafras, booyong, yellow carabeen and red cedar. Heath, swamp and mallee add to that mix.

This range of habitats supports equally varied wildlife. More than 100 bird species have been recorded, including crimson rosellas, pied currawongs and rufous fantails in the open forest, while superb lyrebirds are a standout in the rainforest. Mammals recorded here include kangaroos, wallabies, gliders, possums and spotted-tailed quolls, and the broader park group provides core habitat for threatened species including the silver sword lily and the Bellingen River snapping turtle.

Culture and Heritage

New England National Park lies within the traditional Country of the Thunggutti, Gumbaynggirr and Anaiwan peoples. The park straddles their traditional boundaries, and several places here hold cultural importance, including Point Lookout and Burrel Bulai Aboriginal Place.

There is also a long conservation history tied to the escarpment landscape. A campaign to protect this area began in the late 1920s, with nearly 17,000 hectares reserved in 1935 before the park was officially opened in 1937.