Armidale Overview

The highest city in Australia at 980m above sea level, Armidale (pop. 25,000) is conveniently located at the beginning of Waterfall Way, making it a great base for exploration of the magnificent countryside. A healthy pub scene is kept lively by students from the University of New England.

Transportation. The bus terminal is attached to the visitors center at 82 Marsh St. (☎02 6772 4655 or 1800 627 736; www.armidaletourism.com.au. Open daily 9am-5pm.) Greyhound Australia (☎13 20 30) runs to Brisbane (8hr., 1 per day, $100); Newcastle (7hr., 1 per day, $89); and Sydney (10hr., 1 per day, $109). Countrylink (☎13 22 32) connects by coach to Tenterfield (2½hr., daily 6:30pm, $25). One block south of the visitors center on Marsh St. is the beginning of the Beardy Street Mall, an outdoor cluster of shops and cafes. New England Travel Centre, 188 Beardy Mall, is helpful for booking buses and trains. (☎02 6772 1722. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-noon.) For a taxi, call Armidale Radio Taxis at ☎ 02 6771 1455 or 13 10 08.

Orientation And Practical Information. The visitors center is located at 82 Marsh St. The Armidale parks office (☎02 6776 0000), in the W. J. McCarthy Building at 85-87 Faulkner St., has info on area parks. (Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.) The library, on the corner of Faulkner St. and Cinders Ln., has free Internet terminals for booking. (☎02 6772 4711. Open M-F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-1pm.) The police station (☎02 6771 0699) is at 1 Moore St. Internet access is also available at Civic Video, 119 Rusden St., for $1 per 10min. (☎02 6771 1113. Su-Th 9am-9pm; F-Sa 9am-9:30pm.) ATMs are available on Beardy St. between Marsh and Dangar St., and the post office is at 158 Beardy St. Postal Code: 2350.

Accommodations And Food.   The Pembroke Caravan Park with a recreation room and TV lounge area. Tennis courts, a heated pool, kitchen, and laundry ($8) are among the hostel’s offerings. (☎02 6772 6470 or 1800 355 578; www.pembroke.com.au. Reception 7:30am-6pm. Internet $1 for 10min. Wi-Fi available. Sites $21, powered $26; dorms $25-29; vans $39-47; cabins $60-101. AmEx/MC/V.) Formerly the Teachers College, Smith House , 100 Barney St., north of Central Park, now welcomes tourists and students in its long halls. Each room is equipped with fridge, microwave, TV, and free Internet. (☎02 6772 0652. Free continental breakfast. Laundry $3. Singles $40, students $35; doubles $55. Reception 9am-5pm. Discounts available for longer stays.)

Reasonably priced cafes line the Mall. Rumours on the Mall , 190 Beardy St., serves breakfast ($5-18) and lunch ($6-16). Try one of their Turkish bread sandwiches ($12) or the popular chicken minestrone soup for $9. (☎02 6772 3084. Open M-F 8am-5pm, Sa-Su 8am-2pm. Cash only.) Grab traditional pub grub at the New England Hotel , on the corner of Beardy and Dangar St. “Newie’s” serves main dishes that range from $14-25. To sample the uni pub scene, stop by Newie’s upstairs later in the evening. (☎02 6772 7622. Open M-Sa noon-2pm and 6-9pm. MC/V.) A Coles supermarket is on Marsh St. between Beardy and Dumaresq St. (Open M-Sa 6am-midnight, Su 8am-8pm.)

Sights And Activities. The visitors center provides a free 2½hr. heritage tour of Armidale daily at 10am; call to book. Following Marsh St. south uphill to the corner of Kentucky St. leads you to the New England Regional Art Museum, which features works from classic Australian painters in its $45 million collection. (☎02 6772 5255. Open Tu-Su 10:30am-5pm. Free.) Next door at 128 Kentucky St. is the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, which has permanent and rotating art galleries of boomerangs, carved kangaroos, dot paintings, message sticks, and more. (☎02 6771 3606; www.acckp.com.au. Open M-F 9:30am-4pm. Donations appreciated.)

Tucked between the red dirt roads of Big Sky country and the crashing surf of the coast, the New England Tablelands’ national parks offer travelers an easy wilderness escape. Bike the subtropical wilderness or simply gaze at cascading waterfalls. Waterfall Way (Rte. 78) stretches from Armidale to the Pacific Highway just south of Coffs Harbour. Straddling the southern side of the parks, Oxley Highway connects Walcha to Port Macquarie. These roads link to more than a dozen forests and reserves, providing a range of rugged terrain.

Waterfall Way. The World Heritage site Waterfall Way runs east-west between Armidale and the north coast of New South Wales. Along the way, the tourist route passes four excellent national parks with campgrounds, several tiny hamlets, and the charming town of Bellingen . In addition to the parks below,   Ebor Falls (approximately 4km east of Cathedral Rock, 42km west of Dorrigo, and 600m off the highway) provides an gorgeous photo-op year-round. A 600m walk from the carpark leads to a breathtaking lookout.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. This World Heritage site is full of waterfalls tumbling into expansive gorges and is home to a variety of endangered species like the brush-tailed rock-wallaby. Pamphlets can help you choose a camp or picnic site; contact the Armidale NPWS (☎02 6776 0000) or Armidale Visitors Centre (☎1800 627 736) for more info. The Port Macquarie (☎02 6584 2203), Dorrigo (☎02 6657 2309), and Walcha (☎02 6777 4700) NPWS offices have info as well. To find out more on Apsley and Tia Gorges at the more remote western end of the park,

Two of Oxley’s best vistas are not far from Armidale. Less than 20km south of the city lie the 120m high Dangar Falls, but be aware that they are sometimes dry. Take Kentucky St. east to Dangarsleigh Rd. and drive 8km south; 10km of gravel road leads to the gorge. The rest area is the trailhead for a series of walks ranging in length from the Gorge Lookout path (100m) to half-day treks; it is also equipped with BBQ, firewood, and pit toilets. After passing the grid, take the first left into the park for campgrounds ($5). Gara Gorge, also a popular daytrip from Armidale, is the site of Australia’s first public hydro-electric scheme, built in 1894. East from Armidale, Waterfall Way leads to Castledoyle Rd.; it’s only an 18km trip, with about 3km of gravel as you approach the gorge. The Threlfall Walk (an easy 5.5km) circles the edge of the gorge, surveying leftover sites from the historic engineering scheme.

Long Point is a secluded wilderness area, nestled in a eucalyptus forest next to a rare dry rainforest. The turnoff for Long Point appears 40km east of Armidale along Waterfall Way. A 7km stretch of sealed track passes through Hillgrove, where a left turn leads to a dirt track that reaches the park 20km below. The attached campsite has pit toilets and fresh water. It’s also the trailhead for the excellent Chandler Walk (5km, 2hr.), which leads through a grove of mosses, vines, and yellow-spotted Hillgrove Gum trees, unique to the area. Tremendous lookouts along the walk survey the valley and Chandler River.

The Wollomombi Falls gorge, located 40km east of Armidale, is the easiest part of Oxley to access from the east. 75km west of Dorrigo, the Falls are just 2km south of Waterfall Way. Wollomombi Lookout (150m), Checks Lookout (500m), and Chandler Lookout (1.5km) all provide stunning views. The moderately strenuous Wollomombi Walk (2km round-trip) takes you around the rim of the gorge and to a series of spectacular lookouts. There is a campsite with gas BBQ near the entrance to the gorge area. The Dutton Trout Hatchery, 3km off the New England National Parks turnoff, breeds 1-2 million rainbow and brown trout for release into Australian waterways and has an informative 8min. video and self-guided hatchery tours. (☎02 6775 9139; www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. Open daily 9am-4pm.)

Oxley Highway National Parks

Apsley And Tia Gorges. The must-see highlights of the southwestern end of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park are the waterfalls in the Apsley and Tia Gorges, which are most easily accessed from the Oxley Hwy. The larger part of the park is usually accessed from Waterfall Way, closer to Armidale . About 83km south from Armidale and 20km east of Walcha is the turnoff for the Apsley Gorge, 1km off the highway. The waterfall is not only one of the most spectacular in the park, but also one of the easiest to view. A staircase leading down into the gorge provides an outstanding, unobstructed lookout. The Oxley Walk (2.7km, 2hr. round-trip) takes you around the rim of the gorge and across a bridge over the Apsley River. Campsites and fresh water are available at Lions Lookout , one of the area’s most scenic camping spots. 19km south of the Apsley Falls entrance is a 5.5km unsealed road leading to the small picnic and camping area of Tia Falls . Tia Gorge is a short 650m walk, and the Tiara Walk (5km return) crosses the river by footbridge and follows the gorge’s western bluff. (Both sites $3 per person plus $7 entrance fee.)

Small and charming, Walcha (WAL-ka; pop. 1800) is still a useful starting point for Apsley and Tia Gorges and the rest of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, though the town lacks excitement. You’ll find info on the local parks at the Visitor Information Centre, on the corner of Fitzroy and South St. (☎02 6774 2460. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-4pm), and the NPWS outpost at 188 W. North St. From the only roundabout in Walcha, turn north onto Darby St., then left at the showground onto North St. (☎02 6777 4700. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.) The newly renovated Commercial Hotel , on Meridian St. off the highway, has food and large, clean rooms with TVs. (☎02 6777 2551. Free continental breakfast. Singles $55; doubles $65; twins $75.)

Werrikimbe National Park. More rugged than its neighbors, Werrikimbe is home to temperate and subtropical rainforest, eucalyptus forest, and snow gum woodlands. District managers in Walcha (☎02 6777 4700) or Port Macquarie (☎02 6586 8300) offer extensive information. The first 15km of this track aren’t too bad, but the twisting, loose gravel path may be difficult for conventional vehicles, especially after rain. Inside the park, the tracks to the campground and visitor facilities are maintained to a 2WD standard (any further travel into the park will require a 4WD). Upon entering, travelers may choose to turn left into the Mooraback Rest Area or right to Cobcroft’s Rest Area; both trailheads have parking, picnic tables, and toilets; Mooraback also has campsites. Mooraback is set amid snow gum woodlands by the Mooraback Creek, where the Hastings River begins its descent to Port Macquarie. The Platypus Pools track (2hr. round-trip) meanders past a series of pools where, if your timing is right, you might catch a glimpse of a monotreme or two. The rest area is the starting point for the 15min. Mooraback Track and the popular 3- to 4-day Werrikimbe Trail.

The rest area at Cobcroft is set in an open eucalyptus forest sprinkled with tree ferns. The Carrabeen Walk (1hr. round-trip) passes through an adjacent temperate rainforest. Longer walks into the Werrikimbe Wilderness Area, including the 8hr. Mesa Trail, are possible, but you should consult the NPWS office first.

Three spots are accessible from the Oxley Hwy. on the eastern side of the park, along Forbes River Rd. or Hastings Forest Way (though these are more conveniently reached from Port Macquarie): Grass Tree Rest Area, Brushy Mountain Camping Area, and Plateau Beech Camping Area. All three are trailheads. The passage from the Plateau Beech Camping Area crosses through gullies of Antarctic beeches, with gnarled bases that take on crazy shapes, before the trail heads on to King Fern Falls and Filmy Ferns Cascades (1hr. round-trip). The eastern and western sides of the park are linked by the 4WD-only Racecourse Trail.

Ten kilometers farther down the Oxley Hwy. from Werrikimbe (65km east of Walcha) is Cottan-Bimbang National Park. The park’s main feature is the 15km Myrtle Scrub Scenic Drive, a looping, 2WD, dry-weather track that stops at a picnic ground, adjacent to a magnificent timber bridge over Cells River.