Bellingen is located on the Waterfall Way and the best way to head to start a full day of exploring would be west towards Armidale. Its a fabulous, easy walk with great views and the chance to take a dip in the river by the start of the boardwalk. Tastings are free, a rarity in NSW nowadays, although I do always buy a bottle! No.5 is a well loved cafe that when we visited we had such a great conversation with the waitress who moved her family up here after visiting from Sydney. 2.45 roundtrip walk from the Treehouse. Whether you're getting ready to hike, bike, trail run, or explore other outdoor activities, AllTrails has 3 scenic trails in the Bellingen area. This historic port town, located on the Fleurieu Peninsula, is where the Murray River meets the sea. We unfortunately missed out on going to Point Lookout as its a major highlight on the Waterfall Way Road. Without a 4WD, it's easiest to access the beach from the Urunga Boardwalk (see below). Ebor Falls has both an upper and a lower falls and both would be a spectacular waterfall in their own right. then it may just be the highlight of your entire trip - it was for us! You will need a car shuffle or a taxi ride as this is a one way walk, although it can be walked in either direction. Its a pretty, 15 minute drive from the centre of town and the moment you see that water for the first time its almost impossible not to let out a wow. Held on the third Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm. Sign up to our mailing list to get our free mini guide! They are currently open every day but Sunday. With sensational wild swimming spots, ancient rainforest, dramatic waterfalls, remote beaches and even a winery nearby, theres enough to keep you going for weeks! After parking your vehicle you will walk a two hour round trip to Stony Gully. Take the side trip to Skywalk Lookout for views over the area. The beer is great, as you'd expect, and even non beer drinkers will probably love the alcoholic ginger beer - which was delicious. Bellingen, known to the locals as "Bello", is an attractive township in the heart of the Bellinger Valley surrounded by rich pasturelands. All the details on the walk and the glow worms are in this post. The bohemian town of Bellingen and the Promised Land is part of the mid north coast, which includes the rainforest escarpments of Dorrigo, the series of golden beaches from Urunga to Woolgoolga, stretching to the blue waters of the Solitary Islands Marine Park just off Coffs Harbour. Free, no car required and good for you. Theres a lot to love about the cute little bohemian town of Bellingen: the laid back atmosphere, the incredible food, and the spectacular nature that surrounds it. It was a bit busier when we visited so wed rank it below the other choices, but its still a very pretty beach. and Again, if it wasnt for our host at The Belfry Guesthouse to tell us about some of the things you can do in Bellingen, we wouldnt have known about the awesome road trip you can do down to Armidale which takes 2 hours. 2,100 m The "Down" version starts at the Point Lookout Carpark this routes makes its way down Robinsons knob trail before heading onto Horseshoe Rd and eventually Hospital range road into Bellingen. Bellingen and Dorrigo are located half an hour drive between each other and just a 30 minute drive from Coffs Harbour. All Rights Reserved. Dont forget to eat at the Black Bear which is actually the best cafe in town! Bellingen Syndicate Trail. The hotel is just an 11-minute walk of Bellingen Court House Courthouse. Bellingen is also just a 15 minute drive from the beach town of Urunga which offers a stunning beach for those balmy days. Definitely must make the effort to visit. Also a must visit is Brunos Mediterranean Kitchen which serves up excellent food. Waterfall Way. Its a bit of a drive but its definitely worth it if you love hiking or watching the sunset, or preferably both! ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Overlook at Stone Oak Park Apartments 22202 Estate Hill Dr is an apartment building with 10 floorplans, and 1-3 bedrooms units available. Although you can swim in other nearby waterfalls, none have a pool anything like Dangar. The walk begins along Slingsbys trail, stretching 6.5km to Lanes lookout along gently undulating terrain that's also suitable for mountain biking. Theres two variations to this hike so if you really are stuck for time, you can take the shorter hike. Before we know it the week has flown by. Leaving from the beginning of Scotchman Range Road on the edge of Bellingen, this is a gorgeous run along the top of the Scotchman Range via Hospital Range Road and Horseshoe Road, bringing you first to the spectacularMt Killiekrankie lookout, then onto the even more spectacular Point Lookout, one of the highest points and best views in the region. We love walking, so wed recommend the trail, it also has that emerge from the wilds feeling when you leave the forest and hit the beach. Map: Link; Bellingen lookout. Guardian article (July 2020) on Bellingen: Bellingen Provodore (Groceries, take-away food and alcohol) (7 am to 8 pm): 2 Lyon Street, Bellingen NSW 2454: Google Maps: Restaurant: (casual and formal) Qudo (Japanese): Swimming hole: Promised Land/Glennifer: Google Maps: Winery and restaurant (formal): Raleigh Winery: Just cruise the main street, both sides, from the Post Office in the east to the NAB Branch in the west. We're Cat Smith and Joe Bird, two travel fanatics from the U.K. We both caught the travel bug on solo trips in 2003 and have been hopelessly addicted ever since. Bellingen is a small town that is surrounded by green rolling pastures and the famously clean Bellinger River. There are several magical water holes where you can lose yourself shaded by soaring, moss covered trees. Once you walk in, youll be greeted by a hip, rustic restaurant. Wed recommend it even to people who dont usually do much walking, as long as there are no issues with the path not being manicured. We're Cat Smith and Joe Bird, two travel fanatics from the U.K. We both caught the travel bug on solo trips in 2003 and have been hopelessly addicted ever since. Start at the intersection of Crown St and Nobles Lane. Trigonometric surveying in NSW commenced in 1867 with a baseline at Lake George, and some 6000 trig stations were established over the next 150 years to create a control network for NSW. We think its even better than Byron because theres nowhere else in Australia that we can think of that has mind blowing National Parks in a world heritage rainforest with beautiful beaches on its doorstep, combined with local artists in a gorgeous little bohemian town. When taking a dip in the water here, please dont wear sunscreen or insect repellant which harms the local wildlife (there are always plenty of shady spots so you dont need to worry about getting burnt). Freedom as you dash into the waves. Pop into Hyde for a coffee, we love this cool cafe! If you love tracks which have a touch of adrenaline then the 5.8km walk to the Cathedral Rock summit in Cathedral Rock National Park is the hike for you. The first thing to know is when you get to Dorrigo, the temperature drops as its 746m above sea level. This gets very steep. You could cover Waterfall Way scenic drive in about two-and-a-half hours, but with so many amazing stops along the way, it could take you all day. There are a couple of different ways of getting here, the quickest being the 3.2km return Crystal Shower Falls Walk. Im not sure if anyone comes to Dorrigo and doesnt visit the Skywalk Lookout. Just a 30 minute drive from Wollomombi Gorge is the beautiful town of Armidale. Expect to see a loads of awesome stalls including home grown fresh produce, food stands and live music. Leonys Martn led off with a walk and Wong hit a line-drive single, bringing . Whilst we didnt get lucky with the koalas we couldnt believe our eyes when we saw the beach! This helps towards the costs of running our website. There was also a gorgeous shop which sold a variety of beautiful furniture and trinkets from Asia, which was right up my street, if not my budget! Sadly it was full when we turned up (definitely book in advance), but they still squeezed us in for a wine tasting. The view from the top is just fantastic, particularly at sunset (or sunrise). If you get a completely clear sky you will be able to see all the way to the coast. Youll also visit two spectacular waterfalls, including the famous Crystal Shower Falls. The map below (blue line) is a short walk south of Bellingen to the lookout. Weve hiked all over the world and this one totally blew us away that we wrote all about it below. Theres even a fabulous waterfall near the end, which is probably one of the least visited falls along the Waterfall Way, it doesnt even appear to have a name! The section from Lanes lookout to the syndicate trail is a walking track and is a moderate to difficult with some steep sections. We spent a couple of weeks in the area, uncovering all the top spots and hidden gems to help you plan the perfect trip. Look out for the pullout (with picnic benches) to your right so you can stop and take a photo. If it was in Sydney, Id definitely be a regular! Its also quite nice to relax in Bellingen and enjoy the best coffee shops and food in the area after lots of exploring. The Waterfall Way officially ends at the coast at Coffs Harbour. 10,000-mile walk includes stop in Delaware. The low cloud swirls around the mountain tops and you catch glimpses of the falls between the mist. Built in 1900 it still has the original brass shop front framings in tact and was restored in 1989. It is so worth it for the chance to visit such a special area though. You will have a pretty big hill to climb up afterwards, but trust us, its worth it! We planned to visit at sunset but we were too late. Everything you need to know about exactly how to have this special experience is in this post. If you are lucky enough to go on a misty day it might just become your favourite walk in the whole state. Thanks for your support! Destination NSW acknowledges and respects Aboriginal people as the states first people and nations and recognises Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners and occupants of New South Wales land and water. Theres so many places to stop along the way that its so exciting to come across the beautiful spots which await you. Dangar Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Dorrigo, if not all of NSW. Were about to introduce you to some cracking waterfalls and National Parks which need to be on your radar. NPWS info: Dorrigo Wonga Walk (includes Crystal Showers Falls): Hungry Head (not always patrolled), (20 mins): Mylestom (not always patrolled), (20 mins): Sawtell (often but not always patrolled), (30 mins). Later I learnt more about previous protests over clear felling the Tarkeeth, the ongoing concerns of the locals regarding the Tarkeeth forests around logging wood for chipping, biomass extraction, and aerial spraying. Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Its not surprising when you catch your first glimpse. Location. #3 - Bellingen River Paddle via Hammond Street. CountryLink trains run three times a day from Sydney to nearby Urunga and Coffs Harbour (about eight hours). Each year my family make a pilgrimage to this free spirited town in the Coffs Coast hinterland. Link. Check out the menu here and the reviews here. Promised Land Retreat offers three luxury self-contained chalets from $250 a couple per night. The city has wide streets, elegant Victoria-era buildings and the glorious river passing through. Known as one of the best white water rafting spots in Australia, expect to raft through some spectacular gorges and grade 3-4 rapids. Its perfect for lazing on the sand or going for a stroll (because the sand is compact and easy to walk on) and the one person we did see had a surfboard so it must be good for that too! Before you go - tips to stay safe. bellingen attractions Waterfall Way Scenic Drive Overview The 185 kilometre Waterfall Way scenic drive links Coffs harbour and Armidale, passing rainforest, river valleys and waterfalls, including New England and Dorrigo National Parks. Photographers come for sunrise, but not fancying another early start we opted for sunset - as well as visiting during the day - and both times were beautiful. The road winds steeply through the lush rainforest of Dorrigo National Park to a height of 750 metres at Dorrigo Mountain. Bellingen is such a creative town full of hidden gems, that theres so many festivals happening throughout the year. The water has shallow and very deep areas and there is a current, so after a lot of rain it is best to stay closer to the bank where you cant feel any pull. Restaurant. The upper falls is the more famous of the two, and the one you will have seen in many photographs. Pizza is the food of choice here and theres loads of board games to keep you entertained. From this point, Wrights Lookout is just 700m away and the Cascades Trail is a 2.8km circuit. An enjoyable trail in the Mid North Coast Region of New South Wales, located near the small town of Bellingen. In this article youve mentioned that youre planning to write about great places to see on the trip from Bellingen to Armidale along Waterfall Way. Also located along the Waterfall Way and roughly a 1 hour 20 minute drive from Bellingen, youll find Cathedral Rock National Park. Perched over the top of the 1 million year old Gondwana Rainforest, wed be surprised if you went here and didnt enjoy the view. Its wide and powerful and makes a beautiful shape as it flows over the rock. VisitNSW.com is the official tourism site for Destination NSW. I couldnt find. As well as the glorious rainforest you will also visit two spectacular waterfalls. The best accommodation options are in Armidale, Dorrigo and Bellingen, with slim pickings inbetween. SUBSCRIBE TO GET YOUR FREE SYDNEY E-GUIDE. The walking track we took is the Bundagaree Rainforest Walk, a 6km circuit. Depending on the flow of the falls you can even take a little dip in the small pool at the base of the waterfall. One way. Bongil Bongil National Park is a 30 minute drive from Bellingen. Its less than a 20 minute drive from Armidale and one of our favourite waterfalls in the area. Bring the family along for a picnic on the idyllic river banks or burn some energy in the skate park. At the height of summer, families flock to the utopian valley seeking relief from the searing heat by taking a dip in the cool, jade coloured river where tiny fish and eels nip at your toes. Weve had our eye on the following cottages and chalets which all have excellent views. This out and back route begins and ends from the end of Hill Street, where the Hill Street Trail trailhead is located. Dogs are permitted off-leash on Urunga Beach, in between the river mouth and the four wheel drive access point, the "Sand Mines". 4:38 pm CST. Other highlights of the drive include the granite tors in Cathedral Rock National Park, Point lookout in New England National Park, and the Wollomombi Gorge and Falls picnic area, near Armidale, which has one of the states highest drops. After buying a one way ticket to Istanbul we spent a year making our way through Asia before arriving in Australia, where we have been living ever since. 6. Nearby is a mix of quaint seaside villages, wineries and incredible stretches of often deserted coastline. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This out and back route begins and ends from the end of Hill Street, where the Hill Street Trail trailhead is located. The "Down" version startsat the Point Lookout Carpark this routes makes its way down Robinsons knob trail before heading onto Horseshoe Rd and eventually Hospital range road into Bellingen. The 6km circuit track is fully paved and though there are some hills, its not a difficult walk. Bellingen lookout. Here you will find a small carpark and rest area with picnic tables. All in all a great choice for those looking to explore the area from the water. It is no exaggeration to say its one of our favourite walks in all of Australia - and weve done A LOT of walks! We went for sunset but it would be spectacular at any time of day. One of the most amazing lookout points weve been to in Australia has to be at the Skywalk at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre. . Again we dont like saying it but after a couple of dinners out in Dorrigo youll thank us for the tip! 1400 m. New England National Park. It has a wonderful swimming hole at the base and the area feels wild and remote. Weve watched this kind of bat exodus in a few different places and the great thing about Bellingen is that they fly high above you and you dont need to bring a poncho if you know what I mean.. The location will probably make you wonder if youve found the right place as it looks like youre gatecrashing someones home from the outside which is over 100 years old. If in summer, take water, a hat and sun cream. Note that while we don't usually have directional FKTs on point-to-point routes, the history and large elevation difference between endpoints makes that a logical choice for this particular route. The heart of the town is the mighty Murray River, which divides Echuca and the NSW river border town of Moama. It is located in the Stone Oak neighborhood of San Antonio. Copyright 2023 Destination NSW. ), were here to show you all of the amazing things to do in Bellingen and neighbouring town of Dorrigo. This is a great thing to know because Bellingen in Summer can be hot so you can come to Dorrigo to cool down. Roughly 25 minutes beyond Ebor youll find the incredible Wollomombi Falls which cascades into a dramatic gorge, we detail which lookouts are worth the walk in this guide. Hi Annie, 2023 - Walk My World. 2.45 roundtrip walk from the Treehouse. Walking on a misty day, when the low hanging cloud drifted into the forest turned out to be one of the greatest days we've had in Australia. 2.6 mi. If you love the Urunga Boardwalk, you could also check out the Urunga Wetlands Walk, a 600m circuit which is great for birdwatching and comes recommended by two of our lovely readers. All the rooms look good here but if you can, Id opt for the apartment which offers the opportunity to self cater. When youre in the mood for a relaxed mooch around the shops, the Old Butter Factory is the place to head. It doesnt appear anywhere online (well until we found it and wrote about it) so you will almost certainly get it to yourself. Did you know you can go white water rafting on the Nymboida River which is just 1h20m north of Dorrigo? Long before white man arrived on the north coast to build his beacons and towers, the Gumbaynggirr clans travelled between the coast and the tablelands along the Yildaan (dreaming track) using story as one of their methods of navigation. The reality is there are a few uphill sections and some parts of the track have rocks and tree roots to climb over, but its not a hard walk. Whilst the Waterfall Way technically continues all the way to Armidale, if your primary interest is in waterfalls, theres no need to go beyond Bakers Creek. 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