The Barrington Coast is blessed with beautiful natural landscapes from mountains to sea so picking the must see locations of our gorgeous region is no easy task. Taking into account our social media audience comments with a dash of my personal opinion, see below our 4 x must see locations on your next visit.
1. Gloucester Tops, Barrington Tops National Park
A bushwalker’s utopia, Barrington Tops is a not-so remote section of NSW offering hikers prepared to get off the beaten track for the sweetest of rewards. Located in the eastern precinct of Barrington Tops National Park is Gloucester Tops. This pocket of wilderness combines the park's best natural assets including Antarctic Beech forest, towering snow gums, lively swamp wallabies and grey kangaroos and some of the most picturesque waterfalls and cascades in the country. A full day exploring this natural beauty is recommended and the 7km Gloucester Tops Circuit is the way to do it.
2. Burgess Beach, Forster
With it's rocky outcrop and crystal clear waters, Forster's Burgess Beach is a favourite of locals. It's also home to some of the region’s most amazing rock pools for marine life, swimming and that perfect Insta shot.
You will find many shallow pools in the northern end of the beach which are great for spotting marine life that have been trapped by the tidal waters. The shallow pools are also great for kids as most are protected from the incoming swell. It's also one of the regions top snorkelling spots especially along the rocks from the southern end.
3. Ellenborough Falls, Elands
The iconic Ellenborough Falls is a shining example of the awesome beauty of water in the Barrington Coast. At 200 metres, it's the tallest single drop waterfall in New South Wales and amongst the tallest in the southern hemisphere and is an iconic experience for any visitor to the region.
There are 3 viewing platforms to take in the power of the falls. At the top of the falls near the car park is the first viewing platform and nearby there's a short walk to another viewing area near the waterfall drop-off. Both of these are easy effort. The third option is a 10 minute walk down the gravel walkway to the Knoll. This viewing platform is directly opposite the falls for a top-to-bottom vista of the waters tumbling into the ravine below.
The fourth option is truly worth the effort but only if you are reasonably fit. A strenuous descent of 641 steps to the bottom of the falls offers mesmerising views back up the waterfall. From here you appreciate the height of this fall as you feel the spray from the cascading water.
Ellenborough Falls is a 50 minute drive from Wingham.
4. Crowdy Bay National Park
Protecting a pristine sweep of coastline at the northern tip of the Barrington Coast, Crowdy Bay National Park is one of the most glorious coastal parks of NSW. It offers jaw-dropping ocean and mountain views, an abundance of wildlife and, despite its name, crowd-free beaches.
The best part? That’s for you to decide, but if you dream of camping on ocean shores, strolling barefoot in the dunes, roving a rainforest, seeing a whale blow or even discovering a hidden writer’s retreat, then this is the place for you!
