New England Wilderness Walk
Posted: Wed 01 Sep, 2010 12:40 amIn reply to Don from a previous topic...
This walk is called the New England Wilderness Walk and there are some photos and a trip report at the following link. I found Don's times to be much the same as ours. http://www.donsmaps.com/bellingerriver.html
My son, who was taking the camera, dipped out at the last minute and in the repack I ended up leaving my camera behind and had to rely on my walk partner for pics and he didn't take many. A watertight case would be a handy thing.
New England National Park and Point Lookout offers many beautiful day walks in cool temperate and subtropical rainforest and this is the only overnighter I've done in that park. There is camping and cabins in the park and if you're in the area then nearby Cathedral Rock National Park (a small but special park) with its granite tors and beautiful waratahs in spring is a must and onward to Armidale are Wollomombi and Apsley Gorges. All within a half hour of each other.
Day 1 - 10km We started out at 11am the first day,dropped off by a friend at the rangers hut on Point Lookout Road at 1300mts. We followed Robinson's Knob trail (a wide tree covered fire trail through beautiful forest (wish I had my camera) in an easy descent through to the Grasstree trail where we had lunch. After our break we went left on the Grasstree trail in a steeper grade and much more overgrown. Though the path was lost sometimes it was just - follow the ridge down. At 4.30 for camp we found a flattish spot, with lots of firewood, on the trail at 700mts a couple of k's past a side 'trail' to an old mine.
Day 2 - 16km The next morning we made the final descent to Sunday Creek at 230mts. There is a nice summer camp spot there, though cold in May and not much fire wood. It's two hours of creek walking from here to the Bellinger River. The river is beautiful here (wish I had my camera) and it would be good to explore the upper reaches next time. At the Bellinger River there is an old road to be found on and off along the river (washed away in the days of early settlement). Multiple river crossings this day but except for one dunking I managed to stay mostly dry. The open sections of land (from previous grazing) along the river were sometimes knee deep in grass (where the road got lost) and sometimes the old road wound through beautiful subtropical rainforest (wish I had my camera).. We made camp at Winch Flat about 5.
Day 3 - 6.5km Woke to a beautiful scene of mist rising from the river (wish I had my camera) and continued through some weedy territory following the path of other walkers through the lantana on the last few kms.
We finished at Dardanelles creek where we had left another car two days before. It's a one and a half hours drive to Point Lookout from there.
The last 15k of this walk along the Bellinger to Brinerville was private land until earlier this year when NPWS bought it although no one has lived in the abandoned buildings for quite some time. I was thrilled to see the New National Park sign when we came to the end at Dardanelles Creek and look forward to seeing the native vegetation regenerate and this beautiful area return to it's natural state, becoming more wilderness like. The water is crystal clear turquoise all along the walk to the last 5k where farmland starts. I'll dig out my other pics of the New England area and post them soon.
This walk is called the New England Wilderness Walk and there are some photos and a trip report at the following link. I found Don's times to be much the same as ours. http://www.donsmaps.com/bellingerriver.html
My son, who was taking the camera, dipped out at the last minute and in the repack I ended up leaving my camera behind and had to rely on my walk partner for pics and he didn't take many. A watertight case would be a handy thing.
New England National Park and Point Lookout offers many beautiful day walks in cool temperate and subtropical rainforest and this is the only overnighter I've done in that park. There is camping and cabins in the park and if you're in the area then nearby Cathedral Rock National Park (a small but special park) with its granite tors and beautiful waratahs in spring is a must and onward to Armidale are Wollomombi and Apsley Gorges. All within a half hour of each other.
Day 1 - 10km We started out at 11am the first day,dropped off by a friend at the rangers hut on Point Lookout Road at 1300mts. We followed Robinson's Knob trail (a wide tree covered fire trail through beautiful forest (wish I had my camera) in an easy descent through to the Grasstree trail where we had lunch. After our break we went left on the Grasstree trail in a steeper grade and much more overgrown. Though the path was lost sometimes it was just - follow the ridge down. At 4.30 for camp we found a flattish spot, with lots of firewood, on the trail at 700mts a couple of k's past a side 'trail' to an old mine.
Day 2 - 16km The next morning we made the final descent to Sunday Creek at 230mts. There is a nice summer camp spot there, though cold in May and not much fire wood. It's two hours of creek walking from here to the Bellinger River. The river is beautiful here (wish I had my camera) and it would be good to explore the upper reaches next time. At the Bellinger River there is an old road to be found on and off along the river (washed away in the days of early settlement). Multiple river crossings this day but except for one dunking I managed to stay mostly dry. The open sections of land (from previous grazing) along the river were sometimes knee deep in grass (where the road got lost) and sometimes the old road wound through beautiful subtropical rainforest (wish I had my camera).. We made camp at Winch Flat about 5.
Day 3 - 6.5km Woke to a beautiful scene of mist rising from the river (wish I had my camera) and continued through some weedy territory following the path of other walkers through the lantana on the last few kms.
We finished at Dardanelles creek where we had left another car two days before. It's a one and a half hours drive to Point Lookout from there.
The last 15k of this walk along the Bellinger to Brinerville was private land until earlier this year when NPWS bought it although no one has lived in the abandoned buildings for quite some time. I was thrilled to see the New National Park sign when we came to the end at Dardanelles Creek and look forward to seeing the native vegetation regenerate and this beautiful area return to it's natural state, becoming more wilderness like. The water is crystal clear turquoise all along the walk to the last 5k where farmland starts. I'll dig out my other pics of the New England area and post them soon.
