Your guide to hiking The New England national Park
Charlotte and Ross, friends of FOUND Regional, love hitting the region’s hiking trails with baby Margot in tow. Here they share their top tips when tackling the New England National Park.
Located one hour from Armidale, east along the mighty Waterfall Way, is the stunning New England National Park. Part of the ‘Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area’, this place has got to be seen to be believed – part rainforest... sun alpine / sun tropical magic. Reaching 1563 metres at Point Lookout, it’s all kinds of alpine and, like many of the national parks around Armidale, there’s something for everyone.
The details
Option one – 500 metre Point Lookout walk. An easy stroll offering panoramic views across World Heritage rainforest to the ocean in the distance.
Option two – 5.7km loop Cascades Walking Track. A grade four day hike that can get pretty technical as you navigate your way over boulders. Allow between 2.5 to 3.5 hours for this one, pack your water bottle, binoculars and don’t forget to slip, slop, slap!
Location – From Armidale, travel east along Waterfall Way towards Ebor and Dorrigo. At 7.6km outside of Ebor, turn left onto Point Lookout Road which will lead you to the park entrance. From Dorrigo, travel west along Waterfall Way towards Armidale. After Ebor, turn left to stay on Waterfall Way and after about 7.6km turn left on Point Lookout Road and follow to the entrance.
Need to know? – Limited phone signal, no dogs allowed.
Facilities – Car park at Point Lookout, picnic tables and toilets.
Accommodation – We liked our day trip so much we’ve booked a weekend here to soak up even more of the serenity! Here are a few of the accommodation options on offer…
Tom’s Cabin
The Chalet
The Residence
Camping options
Fun stuff
On the way out here we stopped at both Metz Gorge and Bakers Creek Falls (about half way from Armidale to the New England National Park) for a quick pit stop and ogle at even more breathtakingly beautiful views.
