Dorrigo National Park

This elevated boardwalk winds through the mid-levels of the rainforest and is ideal for birdwatchers, photographers and nature-lovers of all ages and abilities.

There are over 120 species of birds in the park and many use this beautiful location for feeding, nesting and mating. Keep an eye out for such treats as the courting display of the paradise riflebird, or spot the mounds built by the male brush turkey. Flowers and seeds are easier to spot from this elevated vantage point than they are from ground-level.

The rainforest's glorious abundance of plant species, vines, epiphytes (air plants) and buttressed roots are all easily seen on the Satinbird Stroll.

Here you can delve deeply into the life of the rainforest, before returning to the Glade. This track connects to the Walk with the Birds Boardwalk. The path includes a short uphill section on the return leg.

This easy, short walk from the Rainforest Centre is a great place to start your exploration of the World Heritage listed rainforests of Dorrigo National Park. The gently sloping walkway takes you into the world of Gondwana.

The lush rainforest contains giant stinging trees, birds nest ferns and lawyer cane palms that use their tiny hooks to climb high into the rainforest canopy in search of sunlight. There are information panels along the way to help you find out more about the rainforest plants and animals. To increase your chances of seeing a rose-crowned fruit dove or a brightly coloured king parrot, walk quietly and look closely.

The rewards for this short but strenuous climb down and back are the huge red cedars, as well as a visit to the highest falls in the park (accessible by walking track). At the base of the falls, you can explore the sections of dry rainforest found in this part of the park.

The walk to Crystal Shower Falls might be one of the shortest waterfall walks, but it is also one of the most intriguing because you can go behind the waterfall itself. Lush rainforest towers above you on the walk to the falls and you might hear the call of rainforest birds like fruit doves.

Once you reach the falls, a suspension bridge leads to a short side track that will take you behind the waterfall into a rocky cavern.

To get to Crystal Shower Falls you’ll need to take the first part of the Satinbird stroll and then join the Wonga walk, leaving from The Glade picnic area. If you are feeling energetic and want to explore the rainforest more you can carry on walking the Wonga walk.

This pleasant but energetic walk to Casuarina Falls is along a section of the Rosewood Creek Track and links to Blackbutt Track. You'll be delighted by the expansive views of McGraths Hump, Rosewood River Valley and Dorrigo Mountain that unfold from the top of the falls. Be aware that there are some steep sections.

You can return via Blackbutt Track alongside Sassafras Creek, or continue around the Rosewood Creek Track.

This round-trip takes you through forests of great beauty and variety. You'll pass through warm-temperate rainforest of coachwood, crabapple and sassafras on your way to Coachwood Falls. As you emerge from the shaded rainforest gullies onto the more exposed escarpment, you'll see the change to wet sclerophyll forest of blackbutt, tallowwood and brushbox trees.

Keep an eye out for the crimson flowers of the Dorrigo waratah. It's a member of the ancient Proteaceae family (which includes Australian waratahs, banksias and grevilleas). It's also a distant relative of the South African Proteaceae and has helped botanists understand plant evolution and the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana.

The walk has some gentle uphill sections.

The Wonga walk delivers all the delights of the subtropical rainforest and is one of the most popular walks not only in Dorrigo National Park, but also in Australia.

Tall, lush World Heritage listed rainforest provides a cool and shaded walking track. The cascading Tristania and Crystal Falls, 600-year-old trees, colourful fungi and interesting bird calls are just some of the sights and sounds waiting for you on this walk.

There are some steeper sections along the walk, a few steps and some boulder crossings, but you can break the walk up into shorter sections.

To get to the Wonga walk, you'll need to take the first part of the Satinbird stroll and then join the Wonga Walk, or start with the Lyrebird Link track from the Rainforest Centre to get to the Wonga walk. Look at the Dorrigo National Park map to see all the options.

This track follows the escarpment where moist gullies alternate with drier wooded ridges. Some enormous blackbutt trees can be seen along the track and you pass two beautiful waterfalls, Callicoma Falls and Casuarina Falls.

This challenging walk takes you across a variety of landscapes, from treeless grassy plains, to the edge of the escarpment, than on a steep descent into the rainforest.

The first part of this walk is through the grasslands of Killungoondie Plain, a dramatic contrast to the surrounding rainforest. Killungoondie is a rare example of a treeless plain in the midst of otherwise contiguous forest. There were originally a number of these plains on the Dorrigo plateau, most have now been lost through clearing for agriculture.

Gunbaynggirr people are thought to have used fire to keep the plain clear for camping and hunting game such as wallabies and pademelons.

In the middle section of the track there are escarpment views from high points including Lanes Lookout and Stony Creek Lookout.

Syndicate Ridge was the site of an innovative logging tramway that operated from 1912 – 1928, bringing hoop pine timber from the Dorrigo Plateau to the Bellinger Valley sawmills, for shipment to Sydney. Part of the walk follows the tramline where rails, sleepers, the remains of trolleys, huge wheels and other equipment can still be seen. Interpretive signs along the track describe the history of the logging operations.

The remains of the tramway station are a little over half way down the escarpment – pause for a rest and consider the effort of the twin bullock teams that hauled its steam boiler, engine and winding cables up the slope. On some days only a few feet of progress was possible.

You can also see superb examples of one of Gondwana's precious remnants – the Antarctic Beech tree (Nothofagus moorei) on this fascinating walk.

The track ranges in altitude from 50 metres to 900 metres above sea level, with a steep gradient. The section from Slingsbys Road to the edge of the escarpment is mainly 4WD trails and is the gentlest part of the track.

Sufficient water should be carried, particularly in hot weather. Inform friends or relatives of your route and return times before setting out.