Dorrigo National Park – Wonga Walk

The Dorrigo National Park makes up part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. This World Heritage Area “represents outstanding examples of major stages of the Earth’s evolutionary history, ongoing geological and biological processes, and exceptional biological diversity” [UNESCO].

On a recent stay in Coffs Harbour, I read an article about the Dorrigo Forest. Apparently, I could walk amongst subtropical rainforest and 600-year-old trees. Wow, I’d just love to see these trees! We hired a car for three days intending to get off the boat (which we were taking to Sydney) and visiting the nearby mountains and this ancient forest.

By the time we picked up the car on the first day, it was midday, and it was raining. Owing to this, we only visited Two Tails Winery, where we had wine tasting and lunch before retiring to our accommodation for the night. The next day the weather was worse. Cold, windy and wet. We took the opportunity to drive to different areas along the coast for a look and stopped for lunch at V-Wall Tavern at Nambucca Heads.

The third and last day with the car, we drove up to Dorrigo National Park. Yes, it was still raining, but I wasn’t going to miss my opportunity to see this gorgeous forest. We arrived early in the morning and visited the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre. The Dorrigo Rainforest Centre is packed full of lovely gifts and souvenirs, including arts and crafts by Aboriginal artists. Furthermore, there is an educational interpretation centre with interactive displays and a film about the park’s ecosystems.

Wonga Walk

The Wonga Walk was on my list of must-dos. I had seen some photos of the waterfalls and forest. It looked beautiful, and I wanted to walk it. Nothing was going to stop me. The rain had eased a little and, donning our raincoats and borrowing an umbrella from the Rainforest Centre, we stepped out to walk the loop.

Skywalk

Our first stop was the Skywalk, a 75m platform that protrudes out above the rainforest, providing gorgeous views over the valley… or so I am told. It was raining, and the clouds were filling the valley, and the view we had was minimal. Never-mind, we walked on, along the Lyrebird Link track (400m) which takes you to the start of the Wonga Walk loop.

The 6.6km Wonga Walk track is bitumen to prevent erosion. Therefore most of the trail is of an even walking surface, although there are undulating steep inclines and declines. It continued to rain for the first hour. However, the stunning rainforest canopy protected us a little, and we didn’t get very wet at all. We had the trail to ourselves and were walking through the clouds. It was surreal!

Tristania Falls

The trail meanders through the lush green forest, visiting two waterfalls, and the ‘Walk with the Birds Boardwalk’. We followed the track in a clockwise direction and therefore reached Tristania Falls first. As mentioned earlier, it rained the past couple of days; hence there was a lot of water cascading down the falls.

Crystal Shower Falls

Secondly, we came to Crystal Shower Falls. You can view the falls from the suspension bridge, what’s more, you can walk down behind the falls. So we did both. It is charming and well worth a visit.

Walk with the Birds

We continued through massive tallowwood trees, coachwood, red cedar, strangler figs and Bangalow palms. The rain had all but stopped, and the birds where flittering amongst the leaf litter. Bird calls now punctuated the silence. It was the perfect time to visit ‘Walk with the Birds Boardwalk’. This partially covered walkway takes you up through the forest canopy and includes interpretive signage about the park’s winged inhabitants.

Wonga Walk is said to be one of the most popular walks, not only in Dorrigo National Park but also in Australia. The forest is breathtaking, so I was not surprised that the trail became busier as the day progressed. I was glad we had started our walk early (about 0900) and avoided the crowds. Furthermore, I was glad I didn’t let the crappy weather stop me from enjoying this walk. In my opinion, this forest is well worth a visit.

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