World Heritage listed Mount Warning (Wollumbin) is the remnant central plug of an ancient volcano. Wollumbin is a sacred place of great significance to the people of the Bundjalung Nation. It is a traditional place of cultural lore, initiation and spiritual education. Under Bundjalung law, only specifically chosen people are allowed to climb Wollumbin. Out of respect for their law and culture, the Bundjalung ask that you consider choosing not to climb. As an alternative, walk along the 200m Lyrebird Track at the base of Mount Warning.
Created in 2001 as the result of an historic agreement with the Byron Bay Arakwal Aboriginal community, Arakwal National Park protects important natural and cultural heritage and is co-managed with the traditional owners. Enjoy 3km of secluded unpatrolled beach backed by coastal heath, or a tour of Cape Byron Lighthouse at the nearby Cape Byron State Conservation Area.
Photo courtesy the Department of Environment and Climate Change
Photographer Norm Graham
The Cape Byron Lighthouse has stood on the most easterly point of the Australian mainland for over a century, and today you can take a tour of the tower. The rugged headland, surrounded by sheltered rainforest gullies and subtropical waters, is a great spot for watching turtles, dolphins and humpback whales on their annual migration. The magnificent cliff-top walking track winds its way through diverse plant communities, offering panoramic views of the ocean and north coast hinterland. Parking fees are charged at Cape Byron Lighthouse ($7 cars, $3 motorbikes) and at Cosy Corner and The Pass carparks ($3 for 4 hours). You can book a venue for a wedding ceremony, private or corporate lunch or a group picnic/barbecue in the Lighthouse precinct or at one of the beautiful beaches fringing the Cape at The Pass, Wategos and Tallow Beach.
Photo courtesy the Department of Environment and Climate Change
Photographer Sean Court
Encompassing superb headlands and steep rainforest-clad slopes sweeping down to secluded beaches, Broken Head Nature Reserve is a fascinating place to explore and a peaceful spot to relax. One of the few areas in NSW where the beaches are fringed with rainforest, you will also experience a wealth of bird life in the reserve, both sea birds and rainforest dwellers.
Photo courtesy the Department of Environment and Climate Change
Photographer Brian McLachlan
The beautiful World Heritage Nightcap National Park is easily accessible by car from Byron Bay. This large lush rainforest is home to the awesome 103m Minyon Falls, the world famous Protestors Falls and scenic Mt Nardi. An array of walks of varying levels and difficulty can be experienced throughout this National Park. If touring by car, Whian Whian Scenic Drive is a great way to experience this park. Traversing Nightcap National Park and Whian Whian State Forest this 30km drive takes you through varied vegetation and spectacular scenery. The drive is a narrow dirt road suitable for two-wheel drives in dry weather. The drive goes past towering flooded gums, subtropical and warm temperate rainforest and Blackbutt plantations.
Photo courtesy the Department of Environment and Climate Change
Photographer Justin Miller
Border Ranges National Park is a World Heritage rainforest park on the rim of a vast, ancient volcano. Pinnacle Lookout offers views of Mount Warning, the escarpment and all the way to the coast. The park is a haven for native fauna such as Alberts lyrebird and the pouched frog. You can reach Border Ranges National Park via the Tweed Range Scenic Drive. This is a well-maintained gravel road, but following heavy rains and particularly during the December to May period the surface can be rough or slippery in parts. The Tweed Range Scenic Drive will take you to all the lookouts, walking tracks, picnic areas and camping areas of the park. It’s a spectacular and always interesting drive through the largest tract of subtropical rainforest in Australia. Highlights include the Pinnacle Lookout, Blackbutt Lookout and Bar Mountain picnic area set amid the Antarctic beech, plus the Brindle Creek picnic area. There are walking tracks at every picnic area and each offers something different.
Photo courtesy the Department of Environment and Climate Change
Photographer Geoff Biddle
Cape Byron Marine Park extends from the Brunswick River to Lennox Head. Marine life includes many species of dolphins, seabirds, turtles, fish, seaweeds and invertebrates such as sponges, corals and anemones. Threatened marine species that occur in the Cape Byron Marine Park include little terns, grey nurse sharks and sea turtles. Humpback whales travel through the park on their annual migration. Sites within the marine park that have been identified as particularly culturally significant to Indigenous people include Julian Rocks, Cocked Hat Rocks, Cape Byron and the beaches around Broken Head.
Along with Broken Head and Tyagarah, the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve forms a vital stepping stone for migrating birds. Species from north and south-east Australia overlap here, providing unusually diverse plant and animal communities. Relax with a quiet picnic, a bushwalk or a spot of river fishing. A short walk from the carpark takes in the rare coastal rainforest and opens onto the breakwater on the north bank of the Brunswick River. Then follow the path back along the river.
Declared in 1915, Lamington National Park covers 20,590 ha and boasts extensive walking tracks along the McPherson Range, which allow visitors to explore the area’s forests, creeks and waterfalls. Dramatic lookouts afford views over the Gold Coast, south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. Lamington is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, which includes the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world, most of the world’s warm temperate rainforest and nearly all of the Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest.