Rainforest, waterfalls and bush turkeys

Saturday 6th February 2021

Today we woke to another beautiful morning. Madeline is still restless. We are hoping this will settle within a few more weeks.

We had breaky and got ready to drive to Dorrigo, 15km west of Thora.

Our first stop was Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, but we had climb the winding Waterfall Way first.

Dorrigo Rainforest

We arrive just as the centre opened. For a small donation of $2/adult you get to browse the store and access the skywalk and rainforest walks.

Rainforest history

Dorrigo is one of a few Gondwana Rainforests within Australia. These rainforest contain remnants of the great rainforests that covered the entire continent of Australia 60-20 million years ago.

Skywalk

A walk above the canopy of the rainforest on a suspension bridge.

Wonga walk

This walk is 5.8km with some steep inclines, steep declines, stairs and crossing rocked waterways.

We strapped Madeline into her hiking pack and set off for the 2hr trip.

Tristania Falls

We walked to the first beautiful waterfall on this track and enjoyed some morning tea.

We then walked on another 1.2km to the breath taking Crystal Shower falls.

We walked to a picnic area to have lunch before heading to Dorrigo town.

Dorrigo Town

We had a look at the very small town Information Centre before heading to the park for Madeline to go on the swings.

History

Dorrigo is a small town on the northern tablelands. The town is situated on the Dorrigo Plateau near the New England Escarpment, which is part of the Great Dividing Range. Dorrigo is 731 metres (2,398 ft) above sea level.

Dorrigo is derived from the Aboriginal word, dondorrigo, meaning “stringy-bark”.By 1841, timber cutters had entered the Bellinger River searching for red cedar.

Today, the main access road traversing the plateau from east to west is the Waterfall Way. It was not until the 1860s that permanent settlement occurred in the district. The dairy industry became a mainstay of the Dorrigo Plateau and today tourism is becoming more important.

The afternoon

We returned to the caravan at around 230 and Madeline had fallen asleep. She woke up on transfer from the car.

We spent the afternoon playing in and around the caravan as rain rolled in over the mountains. We cooked dinner and got Madeline ready for bed.

We all slept to the sound of rain on the roof of the caravan.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we plan to drive to New Italy via the Big Banana.