Armidale Area Natural Wonders

The Armidale region in the New England High Country of NSW is the home of some of the state’s best adventures. It’s an area of natural wonders, like rivers, protected rainforest and the country’s second-highest waterfall, so it’s easy to find the perfect outdoor escape.

National parks

The region is home to four national parks, all part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. There’s the New England National Park, the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, the Cunnawarra National Park and the Werrikimbe National Park.

In the Oxley Wild Rivers, you’ll find Wollomombi Falls, where water drops 220 metres – it’s the highest waterfall in NSW and the second-highest in Australia. There’s a campground near the falls. The Apsley and Chandler waterfalls are also close by.

The Waterfall Way is a scenic drive between Armidale and Coffs Harbour, winding through five national parks, including the Oxley Wild Rivers. This route includes the Ebor Falls in the Guy Fawkes River National Park.

Outdoor activities

There are many outdoor pursuits to choose, from bushwalking and rock climbing to kayaking, fishing, biking and birdwatching. Lyrebird walking track has brooks, waterfalls and hundreds of bird species. On the Eagles Nest walking track you’ll find giant moss-covered Antarctic Beech and you’ll hike to vast boulders in Cathedral Rock National Park.

Birdwatching and camping are also popular in Cathedral Rock, where you’ll find enormous wedge-tailed eagles. Another top birdwatching site is the Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve, which sits in a silted volcanic crater. Take a helicopter joy flight for an aerial panorama or head to Point Lookout in New England National Park.