The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is a protected area located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, within the Port Macquarie-Hastings City Council and Walcha Shire councils. The park covers 145,223 hectares (358,850 acres) and is 445 kilometers (277 miles) north of Sydney. It is named after John Oxley, an Australian explorer who traveled through the area in 1818. The park is one of the largest in New South Wales.
The park is part of the Hastings-Macleay Group World Heritage Site, known as the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, which was added to the World Heritage list in 1986 and to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.
The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park was recognized as a World Heritage Site because of its large dry rainforest areas and the many rare or endangered plants and animals that live there. There are at least fourteen waterfalls within the park.
History
For thousands of years, the Northern Tablelands and these valleys were the homes of the Dangaddi Aboriginal people. Their descendants now live mainly near the lower Macleay River. Some marked trees and a limestone cave shelter have been found near Kunderang Brook.
In 1818, explorer John Oxley and his group tried to travel down the Apsley Valley. Steep gorges blocked their path until they went around the top of Apsley Falls. Later, cedar-getters were the first Europeans to enter these remote areas to search for Australian red cedar (Toona ciliata). The wood was floated down the river to Kempsey.
Cattle have been raised in the Macleay River Gorges, called "The Falls," since the 1840s. Mustering points, such as Top Creek, Middle Yards, Kunderang, and others, were used for managing the cattle. The restored Middle Yards Hut was once part of the 32,000-hectare East Kunderang cattle station on the Macleay River.
In the late 1800s, gold and antimony mines were built near the edges of the gorges, including places like Halls Peak and Hillgrove. Two hydro-electric projects were planned to power the mines. Today, remains of these projects can be seen along the Styx River and at Gara Gorge.
In 1976, the Apsley Macleay Gorges were recognized as a true wilderness area. At that time, only two small reserves and some local recreation areas protected the land. The NSW Electricity Commission studied the Apsley Valley for a hydro-electric project in the late 1970s. Later, the Apsley Gorge National Park (6,718 hectares) and Yarrowitch Gorge National Park (3,456 hectares) were created.
In late 1981, a road to the Apsley River at Riverside was improved, and a river gauging station was built. The project was stopped after a study recommended creating a national park. In 1986, the park was officially established to protect nature, cultural heritage, and support tourism. In 1989, East Kunderang Station (30,400 hectares) was transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and became the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
In 1994, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park was added to the World Heritage Register as part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia, later renamed the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Later, parts of Winterbourne and Enmore State Forests, as well as land in the lower Chandler River gorge, were added to the park. The Macleay Gorges Wilderness Area was declared in 1996 and expanded in 1997, covering over 50,000 hectares.
In December 2009, a lightning strike started a fire near Youdales Hut. The hut was not damaged, but 1,500 hectares of steep, hard-to-reach land burned before the fire was controlled. Another lightning strike caused a large fire in the Reedy Creek area, burning over 8,000 hectares of rough terrain.
Geography
The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is located along the Great Escarpment between the Northern Tablelands and the east coast. It features impressive gorges and waterfalls, large areas of untouched nature, and dry rainforest. The main rivers in the park include the Apsley River, Macleay River, Wollomombi River, Chandler River, Tia River, Styx River, Gara River, Yarrowitch River, Oaky River, and Kunderang Brook. The park contains several waterfalls, such as Wollomombi Falls, Apsley Falls, Tia Falls, and Dangars Falls, as well as many cascades. These waterfalls are most impressive after rain, and the main ones can be reached by car.
Geology
The area was formed when muddy sediments from ancient oceans were turned into hard rocks by heat and pressure. These rocks were then pushed up by the movement of the continental plate and volcanic activity, creating the Great Dividing Range. This range is a rolling plateau that slopes gently toward the west and drops sharply toward the east.
Over millions of years, wind, rain, storms, and ice eroded the land, shaping the plateaus of the Northern Tablelands. Rivers and streams slowly carved deep gorges along the eastern edge of the plateau, forming a single, continuous escarpment. This jagged edge is gradually moving westward, and this process can still be observed today in the erosion of steep cliffs at places such as Wollomombi, Dangars, and Apsley Gorges.
Flora
The Apsley Macleay Gorges are a meeting place for plants from wetter eastern coastal areas and drier western regions. Over 950 native plant species have been found here, and 36 of them are rare or at risk of disappearing.
Some of the rare plants include Grevillea obtusiflora, Acacia blakei (subsp. diphylla) (also called Wollomombi or gorge wattle), and Acacia ingramii, which grows in Dangars Gorge. Australian red cedar trees may also be seen in more remote areas. Threatened plants in the area include the wedge-leaved guinea flower (Hibbertia hermanniifolia), Grevillea beadleana, and Hakea fraseri (gorge hakea). Hillgrove spotted gum (Eucalyptus michaeliana) can be found south of Hillgrove and in the Big Lease, northeast of Walcha. The Caladenia orchid has been spotted at Long Point.
Dry rainforests in the OWRNP have at least 187 plant species. These forests appear as dense, dark green areas with brush box trees (Lophostemon confertus), which grow in sheltered hollows protected from wind and sun. The adaptable bird's nest fern (Asplenium australasicum) grows in many places as an epiphyte on large trees, on the forest floor, or attached to rocks. Other plants found in or near dry rainforests include native rosella (Hibiscus heterophyllus), gorge mock-olive (Notelaea microcarpa), Brachychiton discolor (lacebark), Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla), native olive (Olea paniculata), red kamala (Mallotus philippensis), scentless rosewood (Synoum glandulosum), and shatterwood (Backhousia sciadophora).
Open forests and woodlands are dominated by several tree species, including Angophora floribunda (rough-barked apple), Eucalyptus retinens (Hillgrove box), Eucalyptus andrewsii (New England blackbutt), Eucalyptus caliginosa (broadleaved New England stringybark), Eucalyptus laevopinea (silvertop stringybark), Eucalyptus melliodora (yellow box), and wild cherry. Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum) can be identified by its bark, which sheds to reveal white, grey, or bluish patches. Epiphytic orchids may also be seen growing on some of these trees.
The hazardous stinging tree (Dendrocnide excelsa) grows in many areas of the park. This plant is dangerous, and contact with its stems or leaves should be avoided. The plant’s stems and leaves are covered with fine hairs that cause long-lasting pain and irritation when they enter the skin. Smilax australis (lawyer vine or wait-a-while) is another plant to avoid. It has prickly, climbing stems up to eight meters long that can catch on clothing or skin.
The understorey is often sparse, but occasional plants such as Acacia (wattles), Bursaria spinosa (blackthorn), Xanthorrhoea (grass trees), and cassinia may be found. Geebung (Persoonia spp.), Pomaderris lanigera (woolly pomaderris), Jacksonia scoparia (dogwood), and Prostanthera (mint bush) are the most common species in the area.
Because the conditions on the cliffs are extreme, many rare and uncommon shrubs grow there. These include broadleaf hopbush (Dodonaea rhombifolia), Dodonaea serratifolia, Grevillea beadleana, Grevillea obtusiflora, Hakea fraseri (gorge hakea), climbing fig, orchids, and Westringia sp. Bertya ingramii (narrow-leaved bertya) is an endangered shrub found in two locations. It grows among rocks or in thin soil near cliff edges in dry woodlands with she-oaks, wattles, and tea-trees.
Fauna
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park has many types of animals, with more than 350 species recorded, including 55 mammals. This park is an important home for the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale pencillata), and the largest known group of these animals lives in the Green Gully area of Yarrowitch.
Other animals found in the park include bandicoots, bats, koalas, wombats, and many small ground mammals. Quolls, common brushtail possums, sugar gliders, platypuses, echidnas, wedge-tailed eagles, peregrine falcons, and dingoes may also be seen.
More than 173 bird species have been recorded in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
There are 38 reptile and 19 amphibian species recorded in the park. Skinks, goannas, tortoises, lizards, snakes, frogs, and fish live in the park, especially near the river flats. Several fish species have been found. One notable example is the speckled longfin eel (Anguilla reinhardtii), which spends part of its life in the ocean, and the young return to the Apsley–Macleay River system.
Twelve species listed as threatened under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 live in the park’s wilderness area. These include five mammals (brush-tailed phascogale, brush-tailed rock wallaby, koala, squirrel glider, and tiger quoll); four birds (glossy black cockatoo, greater sooty owl, superb fruit-dove, and turquoise parrot); one reptile (Morelia spilota variegata, also called carpet python); and two frogs (Litoria piperata and Litoria subglandulosa). The park is also home to the Macleay River tortoise, a recently discovered species, and the Hastings River mouse (Pseudomys oralis), a rare mammal that is close to extinction.
Attractions
Car access to the park is mainly through Waterfall Way, east of Armidale and Oxley Highway, east of Walcha. Most roads to visitor areas are suitable for regular cars, except the 4WD tracks to Riverside, Youdales Hut, and East Kunderang. A permit and key are needed to enter these three sites with a vehicle.
Several entry points allow visitors to drive a 2WD car and stay overnight:
Apsley Falls are 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Walcha, 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) off the Oxley Highway. Here, the Northern Tablelands plateau drops steeply into rugged gorges shaped by the Aspley and upper Macleay Rivers. A 52-meter (171-foot) steel staircase leads to an observation deck (with disabled access), offering views of the deep gorge and falls. Two large waterfalls are visible, with two walking trails: Gorge Rim Walk and Oxley Walk. Picnic areas and camping spots are available for overnight stays. On December 28, 2009, the steel footbridge to Gorge Rim Walk was destroyed by flooding.
Tia Falls are near Tia, 38 kilometers (24 miles) east of Walcha, 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) off the Oxley Highway. The turnoff is 19 kilometers (12 miles) past the Apsley Falls turnoff when traveling from Walcha. Waterfalls are visible, with two walking trails: Falls and Gorge Walk (1.5 kilometers return) and Tiara Walk (5 kilometers return). Picnic areas and bush camping spots are available for overnight stays.
Budds Mare campground is 44 kilometers (27 miles) east of Walcha via Moona Plains Road. The route includes 8 kilometers (5 miles) of unpaved roads, unsuitable for standard 2WD cars due to washouts. Budds Mare is in bushland, with a short walk to a lookout offering views of the Apsley River Gorge and Gondwana dry rainforest. Paradise Rocks are visible across the gorge, and Round Mountain and Point Lookout are visible to the north. A track from the shelter shed leads to a vantage point overlooking Rusden Creek Gorge. An 8-kilometer (5-mile) walk from here leads to the Riverside Visitor Area on the Apsley River, but it is only for experienced hikers familiar with steep terrain. Return routes are challenging climbs, suitable only for fit, experienced hikers with enough supplies. A 4WD vehicle pickup may be arranged at Riverside. Facilities include campsites, toilets, picnic tables, wood barbecues, and firewood.
Wollomombi Falls Gorge contains two waterfalls: Wollomombi Falls (one of Australia’s highest) and Chandler Falls. Located 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Armidale along Waterfall Way, the area features rugged scenery, picnic sites, gorge rim trails, and hikes to the riverbed. Facilities include drinking water, toilets, a shelter shed, fireplace, and bush camping spots for overnight stays.
Dangars Gorge and Falls are 22 kilometers (14 miles) southeast of Armidale along Dangersleigh Road. They are home to Dangars Falls and the starting point for several walks. McDirtys Walk is 6.9 kilometers (3.7 miles), taking about 3 hours, and is medium difficulty. From the carpark, cross the river and follow the trail to the falls lookout (1.4 kilometers return) and Rock Wallaby Lookout (2.1 kilometers return). The trail continues to McDirtys Lookout (6.9 kilometers return). Picnic, camping, and bushwalking areas are available. Salisbury Waters Walk is 14 kilometers (8 miles), taking about 8 hours, and is difficult. It can be done in one day or split into two days. From Dangars carpark, cross the river (if the river is high, do not attempt to cross) and follow the trail to Sarum Hill Lookout (10.7 kilometers return) and Salisbury Waters (14 kilometers return).
Long Point campground is accessible via the historic gold mining town of Hillgrove, 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of Armidale along Waterfall Way to the Hillgrove turnoff. Head south from Hillgrove for 17 kilometers (11 miles) along a gravel road. Located in a forest clearing, this campground offers access to the 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) Cassinia Walk, the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) Chandler View Circuit Walk, and the 33-kilometer (21-mile) Long Point to Wollomombi overnight bushwalk. The latter requires a vehicle drop-off and pick-up and proper equipment. Basic track notes are available from the NPWS Armidale office. Long Point has two lookouts along the Chandler View Circuit Walk and Cassinia Walk, offering views over the Chandler and Macleay Gorges. Facilities include a carpark, shelter shed with fireplace, picnic tables, small wood barbecues, tank water, pit toilets, an information display,
Weeds and feral animals
The most important non-native species in the area include giant Parramatta grass (Sporobolus fertilis), lantana (Lantana camara), prickly pear (Opuntia), blue heliotrope, and blackberry. Lantana is commonly found in warmer, lower parts of the park and has spread into rainforest areas, harming important natural heritage sites. Burrs from Xanthium spp. grow on river flats, banks, and nearby tributaries.
Blackberry, giant Parramatta grass, lantana, and sweet briar (Rosa rubiginosa) are being managed with weed killer. Spraying has shown positive results, but repeated treatments are needed to maintain long-term success. The release of the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) in the park has helped control prickly pear naturally.
Feral cats and foxes live in moderate numbers and can harm native animals. Wild dogs, including dingoes and hybrids with domestic dogs, are also present. The National Parks and Wildlife Service helps nearby landowners manage these animals. Wild dogs are controlled through methods such as baiting, aerial shooting, and shared fencing with neighbors. Feral pigs cause damage to the park by disturbing the ground, leading to soil erosion and the spread of weeds. Pigs are trapped, poisoned, and controlled with ground and aerial shooting. Feral goats live in the upper areas of the Chandler, Styx, Oaky, and Apsley rivers. They compete with endangered brush-tailed rock-wallabies for food and shelter. Goats are controlled using ground and aerial shooting. More than 100 feral horses (brumbies) have been caught in the Apsley catchment and relocated.
Adjoining national parks
- Carrai National Park
- Cunnawarra National Park
- Werrikimbe National Park
- Willi Willi National Park /think