Barrington Tops
Barrington Tops is a World Heritage wilderness area with walking trails, white-water
canoeing, kayaking, four wheel driving and rafting. Barrington Tops is a plateau
rising to 1,500 metre between a series of extinct volcanic peaks in the Mount
Royal Ranges. An area of streams, Antarctic beech forests, waterfalls, animals
and birds with clear water flowing from sphagnum moss swamps. For the Gloucester
River camping area and Gloucester Tops day use area, take the Buckets Way from
Gloucester then take Cobark Road, to Gloucester River Road and then Gloucester
Tops Road. The Williams River is accessed from Dungog. The Burraga Swamp area
is about 1.5 hours drive from the Williams River picnic area, along the Mt
Allyn Forest Road. For the Barrington Tops Plateau area, use Barrington Tops
Forest Road between Gloucester and Scone.
Details for Barrington Tops can be found at the Dungong Visitor Information Centre or the Gloucester Visitor information Centre.
Barrington Tops Forest Road, Gloucester (1300 361 967).
Blackbutt Reserve
Blackbutt Reserve is about 6km from Newcastle and an area of Eucalypt forest and pockets of rainforest.
Carnley Avenue, New Lambton (02 4957 6436).
Hunter Wetlands Centre
The Hunter Wetlands Centre is about 10 minutes drive from Newcastle and good for walking, bird watching and also has a children's discovery centre.
Sandgate Road, Shortland (02 4951 6466).
Lake St Clair
To the north west of
Singleton the lake, covering 1540 ha, is named after St
Clair homestead, which was covered by the lake. Camping, barbecue areas and
a boat ramp are available.
(02 6571 5888).
Lake Macquarie
Bushwalking, fishing and boating on Lak Macquarie, close to Newcastle and 115 km from Sydney.
Mount Royal National
Park
Mount Royal National Park is adjacent to the south-western edge of Barrington
Tops National Park and contains part of the Barrington Tops Wilderness Area.
The park is 50km north of Singleton. Turn right into Bridgeman Road off the
New England Highway north of Singleton and follow the signs to Lake St Clair.
Woko National Park
Woko is about 30km from
Gloucester and a steep hillside with two walking tracks in the rainforest.
Curricabark Turnoff, Gloucester (02 4987 3108).
