Cottan-Bimbang National Park

Cottan-Bimbang National Park is a driver's dream the best of nature experienced from the comfort of your own car. Rugged mountain vistas slide into view, then disappear as you wind your way along the highway south of Werrikimbe National Park. Formerly state forest, this area is now a candidate for inclusion in the Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage Area. In other words, there's a great deal more here than just trees along the side of a road.

As you travel from Walcha or Wauchope, rainforest becomes dry eucalypt, tall and laden with birds. 'Cottan-bimbang' is the local Aboriginal word for the walking stick palm, which grows in the park's warm temperate rainforests. There's even dry rainforest of myrtle tucked along the creek beds. During the day, this varied landscape is alive with birds and animals, like the brush turkey and shy parma wallaby.

But look a little closer and what you'll find are fascinating traces of colonial heritage, too, with reminders of the gold mining era, convicts, and bushrangers. Bring a picnic and you'll find quiet clearings by a river, and biking or hiking opportunities for the truly intrepid. When so much...