Barrington Tops National Park

Glen Innes

After Girraween NP we stayed at the Fossicker Caravan Park Glen Innes for two nights while the heavens opened; the rain was relentless. We had power and water and a dump point in the park. So glad we were not in a tent like the campers next to us. Got all our washing done at the laundromat in town. And had a fabulous meal at the Great Central Hotel on our last night.

Glen Innes to Gloucester River Camp Ground

Crossing the Great Dividing Range with the caravan was interesting at times, especially sharing the narrow winding road with semi trailers going both directions. (The hair pin bends were particularly interesting.)

Once in the town of Gloucester, (closest town to Barrington Tops NP) we visited the New South Wales National Parks & Wild Life Office to ask about the condition of the road into Gloucester River Camp ground.

The road into Gloucester River Camp ground, (Gloucester Tops Road) is a 40 km road that winds its way through unfenced farm land, 6 river crossings (there were several more but they had bridges so didn’t count) and changes to a dirt road half way in.

Gloucester River Camp Ground

Lyrebirds

Each evening around dusk a male and female Lyrebird would appear from the rainforest digging for food. They both have the most enormous feet, and pick up large clumps of earth to fossick for bugs. The first time we have seen a lyrebird in the wild.

Some fun facts about Lyrebirds (from Wikipedia) …

live about 30 years
Start breeding about 6 years of age
female lays a single egg. The egg is incubated over 50 days solely by the female, and the female fosters the chick alone.
Australian Museum has fossils of lyrebirds dating back about 15 million years
impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment
A recording of a superb lyrebird mimicking sounds of an electronic shooting game, workmen and chainsaws was added to the National Film and Sound Archive’s registry of Sounds of Australia in 2013
named because the males outer tail feathers resemble the shape of a lyre
one of the world’s largest songbirds
they are flightless
Firefighters sheltering in mine shafts during bushfires have been joined by lyrebirds
A male superb lyrebird is featured on the reverse of the Australian 10-cent coin

Female Superb Lyrebird Foraging for food

Other Birds

White-browed scrub wrens were in abundance, and very bold. They are about the size of a sparrow and would sit on our table while we were eating, go into the van, even get into our car if the windows were down. And they moved so fast, constantly hopping around, it was difficult to get good photos.

The Superb Fairy Wrens were shyer, never coming too close. As were the Splendid Fairy Wrens which are slighter in frame than the others, apparently the females have blue tail feathers. Would love to come back during mating season when the males are in full colour.

Around Gloucester River Camp Ground

There is no power, water or Internet. There are drop toilets, free gas BBQs, quite a few fire pits and picnic tables. The ground was very wet with lots of leeches around.

Sharpes Creek Track is a 4.5km hike from the camp ground. We set off but due to the deep mud and creek crossings that had no stepping stones, we decided to turn around. Hats were a must to keep leeches and ticks out of our hair.

Gloucester Tops picnic area and walking tracks

The Gloucester Tops Road is so picturesque. We travelled it several times from our camp up to Gloucester Tops picnic area and walking tracks. It’s aprox 20km of narrow, windy, dirt road, with at times, sheer drops on one side into the valley below. One particular area we could hear the Bell Birds so incredibly loud, so lovely.

Half way up, on a tight bend, with quite a drop on one side, was a sign. Absolutely not the right place to stop and see if you have phone signal.

Gloucester Falls & Andrew Laurie Lookout.

Antarctic Beech Forest Track

This was my favourite walk of all. Like stepping into another world. Absolutely stunning. I was fascinated by the all the different types of lichen, moss and fungi. It’s quite a short walk, 2.5km but very muddy, steep in places and slippery and we came out covered in leeches. But I would do it again. Magical. (P.S. I have used Google lens and other Internet searches to try to identify the various fungi, lichen and moss, so the accuracy is not guaranteed)

The road out

Five lovely days in Barrington Tops NP. Once again we travelled the 40km out along Gloucester Tops Road, through unfenced farm land and the 6 river crossings, to the highway south.