Where to be embraced by nature

We’re famous. Famous for nature-based experiences that make our destination something really special. And these in turn will make you feel special… and possibly transformed too.

Our tourism destination is not only the newest name in NSW since the Sapphire Coast was created in 1981, but also the most unique. Yes, other regions have mountains, lakes and beaches but here’s some humblebrag about our unbeatable nature-based attributes:

• Our region is named after its highest point, the Barrington Tops plateau, which is the highest part of the Australian mainland outside the Snowy Mountains and gets a regular dusting of snow each winter. This provides one of our most unique experiences: make a snowman and a sandcastle on the same day, without leaving the destination. No other tourist destination in NSW can make this claim.

• We have the state’s largest coastal lake system (Myall Lakes National Park); its tallest single-drop waterfall (Ellenborough Falls); plus the only double delta system in Australia (Manning River).

“Largest”; “tallest”; “the only one”… these truly exclusive product attributes are fabulous not just because they are unique selling points, but more importantly they contribute towards the transformative moments you’ll enjoy here.

Our claim:

If you seek the road less travelled, you’ll find us. We stand on mountain peaks, wander through subtropical rainforests, roam remote beaches and take delight in the wonder of our region. This is your place, for the Barrington Coast belongs to the curious.

Our destination offers a true ‘mountains to the sea’ nature experience as visitors follow the flow of water. This is the genesis our tag line, inspired with permission from the Aboriginal description of our region: “The place where the leaves touch the waters, from the mountains to the sea.”

The Barrington Coast brand is built around stimulating the curious visitor to explore all of it. Here are some suggestions to help you get into nature and feel transformed.

Barrington Tops

The Gondwana rainforests here have been world heritage listed since 1994 for these good reasons:

• The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area contains the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world.
• They are home to plants dating back 300-400 million years.
• More than 270 threatened plant and animal species can be found here.
• Many plants and animals here are entirely unique to the area.

Here's where to fully immerse yourself in world famous Gondwana nature in Barrington Tops:

• Parks: The 125,000 hectares of the Barrington Tops parklands include the national park itself (declared a national park in 1969), several state forests, state conservation areas, reserves, the eastern precinct of Gloucester Tops (declared a state park in 1959 then a national park in 1969), the southern precinct including Chichester State Forest, plus the western precinct of Mt Royal.
• Walks: Polblue Swamp Walking Track; Polblue Falls Track; Honeysuckle Forest Walking Track; Gloucester Tops Circuit; Blue Gum Loop Walking Track; Rocky Crossing Walking Track
• Cycling: Gravel grinding routes across the plateau and around Gloucester
• Picnics: Cobark Lookout; Honeysuckle Picnic Area; Devils Hole Picnic Area
• Dog-friendly and horse-friendly: Only in state forests within Barrington Tops parklands

Bulahdelah & Wootton

Country towns surrounded by high forests and tall trees, including the tallest of the tall: The Grandis.

• Parks: Bulahdelah Showground; Lions Park; Bulahdelah Mountain Park; Riverside Park; Wade Park; Bulahdelah SCA; Ghin-Doo-Ee National Park; Wang Wauk State Forest
• Walks: Bulahdelah Mountain; The Grandis; Wootton Historical Railway Walk
• Picnics: Riverside Park; Lions Park; Wade Park; Bulahdelah Mountain Park
• Dog-friendly: Lions Park; Wang Wauk State Forest

Forster & Tuncurry

These twin holiday towns make the most of their lakeside and beachside locations where you can enjoy water views from forest lookouts or up close on boardwalks and grassy banks.

• Parks: Town Park; Pebbly Beach Park; Pilot Hill Reserve; Burgess Beach Reserve; Gregory Reserve Pelican Boardwalk; John Wright Park; Booti Booti National Park.
• Walks: Pebbly Beach Bicentennial Walk; Breakwall to Breakwall; John Holland Park; Burgess Road to McBrides Beach in Booti Booti National Park
• Picnics: Tuncurry Rock Pool Reserve; Elizabeth Reserve; Darawank War Memorial Park; Miles Island Reserve
• Dog-friendly: Bickford Park; Pipers Bay Foreshore Reserve; Cape Hawke Reserve; Beach Street Reserve; One Mile Beach; Tuncurry beach; Nine Mile Beach (also horse friendly)

Gloucester

A country town in a beautiful location at the foot of the Buccan Buccans, full of parks and surrounded by more parks, forests and conservation reserves.

• Parks: Billabong Park; Memorial Park; Gloucester District Park; King George V Park
• Walks: Bucketts Scenic Walk, Gloucester Heritage Walk, Gloucester District Park; Copeland Tops SCA;
• Cycling: Paths in Gloucester District Park; road loop on Boundary, Philip & Church Streets; road loop on Jacks Road & Waukivory Road; gravel grinding on back roads around Gloucester and Barrington Tops; mountain biking at Barrington Bike Park
• Picnics: Billabong Park, Memorial Park, Gloucester District Park; Barrington Reserve; Rocky Crossing Reserve; Mograni Lookout
• Dog-friendly: Gloucester District Park, Captain Cook Park

Hallidays Point

Quiet coastal villages enjoying their prime position next to headlands, beaches and coastal forests.

• Parks: Wylie Breckenridge Park; Diamond Beach Park; Red Head Reserve; Darawank Nature Reserve
• Walks: Black Head Flora Reserve Walk; Red Head Reserve; Seascape Reserve
• Picnics: The lagoon at Black Head Reserve; Headland Reserve; Diamond Beach Park
• Dog-friendly: Black Head Beach; Back Beach; Nine Mile Beach; Diamond Beach (also horse-friendly)

Hannam Vale, Coopernook, Moorland & Lansdowne

Peaceful Manning Valley villages with some mighty parklands as neighbours with lookouts, waterfalls and wetlands to explore.

• Parks: Goonook Nature Reserve; Killabakh Nature Reserve; Cattai Wetlands; Lansdowne Nature Reserve; Coorabakh National Park, Comboyne State Forest; Lansdowne State Forest
• Walks: Cattai Wetlands Loop; Starrs Creek Boardwalk
• Picnics: Waitui Falls; Cattai Wetlands; Newbys Lookout

Harrington & Crowdy Head

Wander the parks of the historic maritime village of Harrington, and head to the remote stretches around Crowdy Bay National Park to reawaken your wild.

• Parks: Pilot Hill Reserve; Oxley Reserve; Crowdy Head Lighthouse Reserve; Muir Park at Crowdy Head; Harrington Beach State Park; Crowdy Bay National Park
• Walks: Harrington Waters Heritage Riverwalk; Harrington Breakwall; Harrington Rainforest Walk; Diamond Head Loop Walk
• Picnics: Oxley Reserve; Muir Park
• Beaches: Harrington, Crowdy Bay, Crowdy Head, Diamond Head

Nabiac

Surrounded by reserves, it’s no surprise this riverside village has clubs for birdwatching, fishing and garden lovers.

• Parks: Memorial Reserve; Aub Ferris Sports Complex (Nabiac Showground); Bullocky Wharf Recreation Reserve; Talawahl Nature Reserve; Wallamba Nature Reserve
• Walks: Walking tracks with Talawahl and Wallamba Nature Reserves
• Picnics: Within any of the nature reserves

Old Bar & Manning Point

Explore the quiet parks and long beaches of secluded coastal villages at the southern mouth of the Manning River delta, with an extra special bonus: Saltwater National Park.

• Parks: Badgers Park; Molong Reserve; Old Bar Park; Wallabi Point Park; Saltwater National Park; Khappinghat National Park and Nature Reserve
• Walks: Old Bar Park Environmental Walk; Five Islands Walking Track; Headland Walking Track
• Picnics: Badgers Park; Old Bar Park; Saltwater Picnic Area
• Dog-friendly: Old Bar Beach; Manning Point Beach; Wallabi Point Beach

Pacific Palms

Famous for fabulous beaches, here there are also beautiful national parks to explore and the ever-present waters of Wallis Lake surrounded by coastal forests.

• Parks: Pacific Palms Community Reserve; Wallis Lake Foreshore Reserve; Williams Park; Booti Booti National Park; Wallingat National Park
• Walks: Booti Hill Walking Track; Sugar Creek Trail
• Picnics: Coomba Park Foreshore Reserve; Sunset Park; Sailing Club Picnic Area; Santa Barbara Park
• Dog-friendly: Boomerang Beach; Blueys Beach; Coomba Park Foreshore Reserve

Seal Rocks & Myall Lakes

If you love the untamed Australian bush and wild coastline, then you’ve come to the right place.

• Parks: Number One Beach Reserve; Myall Lakes National Park
• Walks: Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse Walk; Treachery Headland Track; Submarine Beach Walking Track; Mungo Walking Track; Dark Point Walking Track; Neranie Headland Walking Track
• Picnics: Tamboi Picnic Area; Sandy Point Picnic Area; Korsmans Landing Picnic Area;

Smiths Lake

A hidden gem of the Barrington Coast, the view of the foreshore across the lake reveals what the whole coastline used to look like before Europeans arrived.

• Parks: John Debert Reserve; Brambles Reserve; Smiths Lake Nature Reserve; Myall Lakes National Park
• Walks: Cellito Rainforest Boardwalk
• Picnics: Hearts Point Picnic Area; Neranie Picnic Area; Coomba Park
• Dog-friendly: Tarbuck Bay; Cellito Beach; Sandbar Beach

Stroud

The prettiest historic town in NSW, with parks and gardens to match.

• Parks: Allen Park; Stroud Showground; Monkerai Nature Reserve; Black Bulga Nature Reserve; The Glen Nature Reserve
• Walks: Stroud Heritage Walk
• Cycling: Stroud Showground
• Picnics: Allen Park; Silo Hill Reserve

Taree & Wingham

The Manning River dominates the town of Taree but there’s a plethora of parks to enjoy, and further afield there are more high forests, reserves and parklands.

• Parks: Queen Elizabeth Park; Fotheringham Park; Endeavour Place Reserve; Andrews Reserve; Harry Bennett Park; Rotary Park; Central Park; Wingham Brush Reserve; Brimbin Nature Reserve; Tapin Tops National Park; Kiwarrak State Forest
• Walks: Taree Heritage Walk; Bicentennial Gardens; Dawson River Wetland Boardwalk; Brimbin Nature Reserve; Wingham Brush Boardwalk
• Cycling: Mountain biking at Kiwarrak State Forest
• Picnics: Queen Elizabeth Park; Andrews Reserve; Apex Lookout; Wingham Brush Reserve; Ellenborough Falls Reserve
• Dog-friendly: Chrissy Gollan Park; Saxby Park

Tea Gardens & Hawks Nest

Water is everywhere here: the Pacific Ocean, the bay of Port Stephens, the Myall Lakes system and the Myall River. Make the most of it afloat or from beaches and headlands.

• Parks: Anzac Park; Booner Street Reserve; Elouera Park; Moira Parade Reserve; Providence Bay Park; Winda Woppa Reserve; Myall Lakes National Park
• Walks: Jimmys Beach; Bennetts Beach; Yacaaba Headland;
• Cycling: Marine Drive Foreshore Reserve
• Picnics: Anzac Park; Jimmys Beach Day Area; Marine Drive Foreshore Reserve; Winda Woppa Reserve; Pipers Creek Picnic Area
• Dog-friendly: Bennetts Beach; Yacaaba Headland