This circuit starts near the Urumbilum Creek picnic area, climbs high onto the range, then circuits around to Urumbilum falls and Bangalore falls before dropping down on Jersey Bull Road. Perfect if you are a trail runner getting fit for a bush ultra-marathon, or just love a bit of endurance walking. I can promise a good nights sleep after you are done for the day.
Bindarri biodiversity
Urumbilum creek is a pristine wild river, a biodiversity hotspot, so keep your eyes open as you walk. Our bushwalking companion showed us a possible lyrebird stage, lit by the early morning sun, perfect for showing off. Later, when we stopped for tea, the lyrebird was fluffing his feathers on a nearby log but declined to sing.
Alongside the track, pencil yams (Dioscorea transversa) were growing with long trails of buds like a string of jewels. We saw white daisies – could they be the rare Dorrigo daisy? A branch had fallen from a hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), with some immature pine cones.
Bindarri National Park provides an important environmental link between the plateau, the Orara valley and the coastal lowlands. As you descend Jersey Bull Road, the forest noticeably changes to subtropical rainforest.
A big climb, a long descent
Tuckers Nob is the high point in Bindarri, at 920m, our route takes us up to 640m. After the big climb, some of us (me perhaps?) lacked the energy for the short detour to see either of the falls. On the bright side, there is a picnic table at both falls to take a rest and devour a peanut butter sandwich.
This area was logged from the 1860s. In the Parish of WongaWanga Map of 1926, various selections are shown on the high ridge where you walk on Urumbilum Creek road. Looking at the steep slopes down to the canyon with its high waterfalls, it is clear those selectors (Ellison, Small among them) picked the wrong lots. The area was declared a forest reserve, and later included in Orara West State Forest until the park was declared in 1999. Evidence of logging can still be seen.
Thanks to Coffs Trail Runners for suggesting this route .
