Ancient Rainforest on the Koreelah Range

Overview

Tooloom National Park protects a cool, elevated pocket of subtropical rainforest in far north-eastern New South Wales, about 10 kilometres south-west of Urbenville. It sits on the Koreelah Range, where volcanic plateaus and deeply cut valleys create a striking change in temperature, soils and vegetation across a relatively compact area. The park is best known for Tooloom Scrub, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, where ancient rainforest lineages survive alongside drier forests and creek headwaters that drain into the Clarence catchment.

What makes the place especially interesting is that it lies in an overlap between subtropical and temperate zones. That gives the park an unusual mix of species, with some animals and plants close to the edge of their natural range. It feels greener, cooler and more enclosed than much of the surrounding farm country and dry forest.

Highlights

The scenery here is shaped by old volcanic country. Tooloom National Park spreads across part of the Koreelah Range, formed from flows linked to the Focal Peak shield volcano about 23 million years ago. Heights range from about 400 to 1000 metres, so the landscape shifts from dissected slopes and creek valleys to higher plateaus with deeper, richer soils.

The standout natural feature is Tooloom Scrub itself, a substantial area of subtropical rainforest with real depth and age to it. Large hoop pines add a distinctive profile to parts of the forest, and the contrast between dense rainforest, dry rainforest and sclerophyll forest gives the park a layered, varied feel rather than one single look.

Best Time to Visit

Tooloom can be rewarding in any season, but the cooler months are often the most comfortable for walking, especially given the park’s elevation. Summer brings most of the annual rain and storm activity, which keeps the rainforest lush and the creeks healthy, while the higher country tends to be milder than the valleys below.

Winter and the shoulder seasons usually suit visitors who want clearer air and more moderate daytime temperatures. Valley frosts are common in winter, which is another reminder that this park sits in a meeting point between warmer subtropical country and cooler upland conditions.

Plants and Animals

The park supports four main vegetation types: subtropical rainforest, dry rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and dry sclerophyll forest. In the rainforest, black booyong and yellow carabeen communities are especially important, with canopy trees including giant stinging tree, giant water gum, rosewood, native tamarind and strangler fig. Those richer rainforest pockets tend to occur on the deeper basalt soils of the plateaus and sheltered slopes.

Tooloom is also known for its fauna diversity. The mix of habitats supports a long list of threatened species, including the yellow-bellied mountain frog, Stephen’s banded snake, Albert’s lyrebird, glossy black-cockatoo, wompoo fruit-dove, tiger quoll, koala, long-nosed potoroo, red-legged pademelon and golden-tipped bat. Some species are noted here as strong populations or as occurring near the edge of their range, which says a lot about the park’s ecological value.

Culture and Heritage

Tooloom lies within the traditional land of the Githabul Aboriginal people and is co-managed with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The park also contains Aboriginal cultural values and sites, with provision for conservation work and further research in consultation with the local Aboriginal community.