By ELKW. This is THE spot to see the Green River flowing through the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. This is an iconic boardwalk you really have to see for yourself. We also recommend heading over to the Old Butter Factory to our favourite shop called Cargo Lane. You'll pass through the grasslands of Killungoondie Plain, which the Gunbaynggirr People once kept clear for hunting and camping by using spot fires. All in all a great choice for those looking to explore the area from the water. Theres a pool at the base which makes for an incredible wild swimming spot (unless the flow is too powerful in which case you can paddle in the pool before the base). Its easy to spend whole afternoons hopping from one great eatery to another, but if you can tear yourself away youll find some of the best attractions in NSW are all within a short drive of Bellingen. If youre feeling adventurous and want to return to the rainforest at night youll find that Crystal Shower Falls hides a nighttime secret a magical glow worm colony! The best accommodation options are in Armidale, Dorrigo and Bellingen, with slim pickings inbetween. We absolutely love this shop which is full of Antique Asian furniture. The most popular end is South Valla Beach which you can park right beside. Walk My World provides highly detailed guides for those who love to explore independently and seek out hidden gems. You can access your free e-book by clicking on this link. terms and conditions Unfortunately its a six hour road trip from Sydney which would be better for a brilliant long weekend getaway. Thanks Annie, that would be really useful. One way. In normal conditions, the view will be good, but its less about the falls than it is about the mountains and forest. 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! 2.45 roundtrip walk from the Treehouse. It's only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and I'd recommend making a booking. It's obvious, given the name the early pioneers gave the Promised Land, a scenic 10 minute-drive from Bellingen's township itself. Long-haired children run through town barefoot or leap boldly from Lavender's bridge into the river, looking like Peter Pan's Lost Boys. A superb kayak down Bellingen River. Leonys Martn led off with a walk and Wong hit a line-drive single, bringing . Get $1500 in bonus value on Fiji island escape, Get $450 in bonus value on Fraser Island holiday, See Vivid Sydney and get a $600 bonus on your stay, Oceania marks 20 years with $US800 free gift. Despite being in the area a couple of weeks it didnt match up for us, but we think it would be a good one as Bellingen is such a creative place. A walking trail from the main lookout takes you around the edge of the gorge towards two more viewing platforms from where you can see the lower Ebor Falls. Cottonwood Farm is a charming, self-catering B&B with 400 metres of Never Never River frontage, priced from $600 for two nights. Towards the end of our walk, we stop at Lardner Lookout to admire the view across the Bellinger valley, before descending to Hill Street and a cafe in Bellingen. Bring the family along for a picnic on the idyllic river banks or burn some energy in the skate park. 2023 - Walk My World. 1700 ft. Its one of our favourite beaches in all of NSW, and we all know how many amazing beaches there are here! There arent any signposts to get you there, but we put the directions in this post. Its a huge jaw dropping 7km long beach that is one of our favourites on the east coast. Check out our brand NEW expat podcast on Spotify -, 27 Best Things To Do In Bellingen & Dorrigo NSW 2023 Guide. Restaurant. Take the side trip to Skywalk Lookout for views over the area. Bellingen Shire Council. 2.8 mi. 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The most popular hike in the Dorrigo National Park is to Crystal Shower Falls. Qudo is only open from Wednesday Saturday. Were Cat & Joe, two Brits, now living in Australia, with a passion for the outdoors and adventure travel. General management professional, environmentalist and technologist, BELLINGEN, DORRIGO, EBOR AND URUNGA BUSH/BEACHWALKING, http://www.sawtellsurfclub.com.au/surf-cafe/, https://www.facebook.com/hearthfiresawtell/, https://www.facebook.com/Winkxxnightspot/. Its the kind of place thats really hip but without any kind of pretentiousness. Start your trip from the north bank of Jarret Park near Hammond street. 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). To really make the most out of your time away from it all, we recommend you driving just 20 minutes drive north of Bellingen which will bring you to Valery Trails. They are open daily between 10am and 5pm at time of writing. If youre in need of a caffeine fix wed highly recommend Heartfire Bakery and for dinner or drinks, the eclectic Bellingen Brewery. View Larger Map The road winds steeply through the lush rainforest of Dorrigo National Park to a height of 750 metres at Dorrigo Mountain. Dynamic Web Solutions Pty Ltd Bellingen lookout. As well as the glorious rainforest you will also visit two spectacular waterfalls. The hotel is just an 11-minute walk of Bellingen Court House Courthouse. Its just a one minute walk from the car park so its definitely worth a peek. They are closed Mondays and otherwise open between 10am and 5pm at time of writing. Since the inception of the national park and the maintaining of Robinsons Knob trail both the Bellingen to Point Lookout and the Reverse Point Lookout to Bellingen routes have become consistent long run attempts in the local community. Skywalk lookout is a 70m boardwalk that soars over the edge of the escarpment some 21m above the rainforest. When driving from Dorrigo youll first pass Sherrard Falls (which is also gorgeous but theres nowhere to stop), before you pass Newell Falls. 53% of the Bellingen Shire LGA comprises National Park and State Forest, so it is of no surprise that there are some great walking trails in and around the Shire. Easily accessible, anyone can enjoy the panoramic views of the Rosewood rainforest basin. 10,000-mile walk includes stop in Delaware. According to AllTrails.com, the longest trail in Bellingen is Bellingen River Paddle via Hammond Street. There are some beautiful options when looking for Bellingen accommodation. It is gigantic and thunders into a dramatic gorge causing a huge amount of spray. You can make the trip in either direction, but if you are starting in Sydney, wed recommend beginning in Armidale. Although you can swim in other nearby waterfalls, none have a pool anything like Dangar. It will take you about 60 to 65 minutes. White water rafting on Nymboida River. "I love it here," Wolfgang enthuses looking out over the view from the sun-drenched deck: "every day is different." It was a bit busier when we visited so wed rank it below the other choices, but its still a very pretty beach. 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. Its a friendly, relaxed tasting and I really enjoyed everything I tried. The community markets are on the 3rd Saturday of every month and sell a mix of food and local crafts - think soap, essential oil, candles, jewellery and clothes. Get our book of 40 fantastic Walks on the NSW Mid-North Coast,from Port Macquarie to the Coffs Coast and Clarence Valley. Wonga Walk - for a mysterious forest of wonder Distance: 6.1km loop Elevation: 210m Difficulty: Moderate But as we already talked about that one we wanted to give a few other recommendations. Each year my family make a pilgrimage to this free spirited town in the Coffs Coast hinterland. All the insider news, tips and inspiration you need to plan your next trip, delivered straight to your inbox. We hadnt been anywhere in Australia that has a silence like here. The Robinsons Knob Track is a fire trail which you'll follow for just over 1.5km before you reach the junction with the lookout and the Cascades Track. The 6km circuit track is fully paved and though there are some hills, its not a difficult walk. The 2.2km circuit track has a little bit of everything, with huge old Antarctic beech trees dripping in moss, a giant weeping rock, and some fabulous mountain views. 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. What more could you ask for? You then need to immediately pull over just after the falls, beside the picnic benches, to get a proper look. 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. Again you must visit when its been raining A LOT to see the falls in action but the car park is located right next to it so you dont need to do any hiking. 1: Take a dip at the sublime Promised Land2: Hike through the rainforest to beach paradise3: Go wine tasting4: Watch thousands of flying foxes at sunset5: Gorge on gelato in a tropical courtyard6: Admire the ocean and wetlands at Urunga Boardwalk7: Marvel at the ancient rainforest on the Wonga Walk8: Visit Dorrigos tallest waterfall9: Indulge at Bellingens best cafe10: Hit the beach!11: Go shopping for local handicrafts12: Visit the secret glow worm colony13: Try the local brews at Bellingen Brewery14: Check out the local community markets15: Drive the spectacular Waterfall Way16: Catch a sunset at the summit of Cathedral Rock. I had a moment of vertigo on this last section but the view from the top was worth the push. We love a community cinema and this one is just a bargain price of $5 to join which will then give you free access to the films shown throughout the year. Start at the intersection of Crown St and Nobles Lane. But, we definitely recommend hiking the whole circuit which takes 2h30m at a slow pace. The low cloud swirls around the mountain tops and you catch glimpses of the falls between the mist. Located just over a 15 minute drive away, the 2km fully accessible walkway takes you along the Kalang River before you head right to a area of dense mangroves - kids will love the armies of crabs that march all over the mud flats (update for November 2022, this righthand section of the boardwalk is currently closed due to storm damage). Traditionally the route was established to open up the escarpment to the trade route to the East and allow export of timber and Ore from the mine in the upper Bellingencatchment before it ceased operating many decades ago. 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. Nearby is a mix of quaint seaside villages, wineries and incredible stretches of often deserted coastline. The trail is very leisurely to begin with before ramping up in the last 500m towards the summit. Constructed from local timber and salvaged materials, its full of hanging plants, cool artwork and atmospheric lighting. The most popular Bellingen festivals include the following: Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival: October, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival: June. Homepage | Events Calendar | About Bellingen On-Line | Local Weather | Request a Link | Make This My Start Page. The 4-star bed & breakfast is a short walk from Markets. Expect to see a loads of awesome stalls including home grown fresh produce, food stands and live music. Tracks to trigs allowing access for surveyors provided hikers with an opportunity to climb to many high lookout points. Normally we like to try a variety of cafes so that we can give you a few different options on the blog. There is also a fun suspension bridge which offers my overall favourite view of the falls. The 6km paved Wonga Walk is nothing short of extraordinary. Just a few minutes down the road from the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre lies Dangar Falls, the first of our must see waterfalls on the Waterfall Way road. When I was a a child, trigonometric (trig) stations were essential for mapping and navigation. If you thought you had to visit Queensland for electric blue swimming holes, then think again. Bellingen's former famed restaurant No. Check out the menu here and the reviews here. Bongil Bongil National Park is a 30 minute drive from Bellingen. Bellingen is so beautiful, we recommend walking over to the Lavender Bridge to spend a lazy afternoon swimming in the river which is crystal clear. Bongil Bongil National Park is a 30 minute drive from Bellingen. You can also visit the nearby Aboriginal rock art site, which was very well preserved, as well as an excellent regional art gallery. On Wednesdays they usually hold specials. I will never forget the experience of wandering through the ancient Gondwana rainforest, past hanging vines, gnarled roots and towering Blackbutt trees, all to the backdrop of the eerie Catbird calls. Weve never had such a reward for a failed koala hunt! There is so much good food and beautiful places to discover in this little town so stick . Whilst we didnt get lucky with the koalas we couldnt believe our eyes when we saw the beach! Heres What It Looks Like! 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