Oxley Wild Rivers National Park

Ancient lands

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. The park contains some of the best examples of dry rainforest communities in Australia.

When you are out exploring the wet and dry eucalypt forests, grassy woodlands and heathlands of the park, look for native olives, lacebarks, shiny-leaved and giant stinging trees, shatterwoods, scentless rosewoods and red kamalas.

Rock hoppers

The varied plant communities of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park provide a home for 350 animal species, including the largest confirmed population of brush tailed rock wallabies. Even though there are roughly 10,000 of this endangered species in the park, you’ll have to keep your eyes open to catch a glimpse of their bushy tail. Look for them jumping around rocky escarpments and granite outcrops or grazing on native grasses at dawn and dusk.

Jaw-dropping scenery

With dramatic ridges and gorges, towering rock outcrops and beautiful rivers and waterfalls, there is something new around every corner and you’ll be constantly amazed by the views. The sight of a majestic wedge-tailed eagle soaring high above the gorges looking for food is a truly spectacular sight to behold. Don’t forget your camera, give yourself plenty of time and keep your eyes open.

A national first

Aside from spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, the park also contains important historical sites, including the remains of Australia’s first commercial hydro-electric scheme. It was constructed at Gara Gorge between 1893 and 1894 to power the town and gold mines of nearby Hillgrove. Take a walk along the Threlfall Historic walk to get a close up view of this historic site.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area features rare dry rainforest, dramatic gorges and waterfalls, extensive wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers and an amazing array of wildlife. It's best explored as a scenic drive along the Waterfall Wayexternal link.

Explore the Apsley Macleay Gorges, one of Australia’s largest gorge systems with incredible ridge top views and visit Wollomombi, the highest waterfall in NSW and a place sure to lift your spirit. Bushwalkers will love the multi-day Green Gully walk that takes in the park’s spectacular landscape and includes overnight accommodation in heritage-listed stockman’s huts. For those seeking heritage accommodation that is slightly more luxurious, East Kunderang Homestead is sure to impress.

Everything in the park is best seen up close – immerse your senses and yourself in this wild place while you camp, walk, paddle, picnic, cycle, horse ride, fish or swim.

Rainforests

The Apsley Macleay Gorges are a meeting point for moister eastern coastal and dry western floras, and some 950 native plant species have been identified, of which 36 are rare or threatened.

The dry rainforest that occurs throughout the park is of special interest. Dry rainforest is visible as dense, dark green patches throughout the gorges, favouring hollows where there is shelter from wind and sun, access to more ground water and where the slope is more stable. This vegetation is generally restricted to gullies and broad concave slopes facing south and east.

Dry rainforest communities in the gorges contain at least 187 plant species. These communities are diverse and range from tall, moist forests with rock orchids and felt ferns to shorter, drier communities with a mallee type habit where conditions are harsher.

Dry rainforest can survive in low rainfall areas and is characterised by species such as:

    Moreton Bay fig

    native olive

    lacebark

    shiny-leaved and giant stinging trees

    shatterwood

    gorge mock-olive

    scentless rosewood

    red kamala.

The gorge wattle is a rare species that mainly grows in the Apsley Macleay gorges.

Grassy woodlands

Woodland occurs on most slopes, particularly on northerly and westerly aspects. The eucalypt dominating this woodland is forest red gum, identified by the bark on its trunk which sheds to expose white, grey or bluish patches. Silvertop stringybark and yellow box are also present.

Black cypress pine is sometimes associated with these eucalypts, and particularly favours areas of lower rainfall and steep, well drained soils such as the Dangars-Mihi and Apsley-Tia areas.

Various kinds of daisy bush occur in this gorge woodland as well as cassinia and Australian indigo.

Dry eucalypt forests

There's grassy tableland open forest around the rim of the gorge and on sheltered slopes, dominated by various eucalypts. The main species are:

    New England stringybark

    silvertop stringybark

    yellow box

    Hillgrove box

    apple box

    New England blackbutt

    Hillgrove spotted gum.

Native broom and wild cherry are also common. The understorey is often sparse except for occasional wattles, blackthorn and grass trees.

Heathlands

Areas of hardy shrubland occur on the cliffs where the soil is too shallow and unstable for trees. Rapid drainage and strong winds also contribute to the shrubs' twisted and stunted appearance.

The cassinia, geebung, woolly pomaderris and mintbush are the most common species in the area. Because of the harsh conditions some species have adaptated to reduce water loss, (e.g. small leaves and stunted shapes). Wollomombi wattle and the rare Acacia ingramii are quite often found in this shrubland environment.

Because the conditions are extreme on the cliffs, quite a number of rare and uncommon shrubs are found there. These include:

    broadleaf hopbush

    Dodonaea rhombifolia

    Dodonaea serratifolia

    Bertya sp.

    Hakea fraseri

    Westringia sp.

    Grevillea obtustiflora.

Native animals

Mammals

The park is rich in fauna, with over 350 species recorded, including 55 mammals. Twenty five of these mammal species are rare or threatened, including the endangered Hastings River mouse. The habitats with the most recorded species are tableland forests, river flats and dry rainforests, with many species at their western limits.

The most common macropods are:

    grey kangaroos

    wallaroos

    red-necked wallabies

    brush-tailed rock-wallabies

    red-necked pademelons.

The parma wallaby is also found in the park but is not common.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is a major refuge for the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale pencillata), with the largest confirmed population anywhere, estimated at 10,000 animals. Once abundant throughout the mountains of eastern Australia, west to Cobar and Injune, there has been a massive reduction in this wallaby's range, and through southern NSW and Victoria populations have largely disappeared.

Other species found in the park include koalas, bats, wombats, bandicoots and numerous small ground mammals. Spotted-tail quolls, brushtail possums, sugar gliders, platypuses, echidnas and dingos may also be seen. Remembe you're most likely to see some of these species at night.

Birds

The north-east of NSW is the richest area for birds in the state and over 173 bird species have been recorded in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Most striking of all the birds is the majestic wedge-tailed eagle, often seen soaring high above the gorges in search of prey. Other raptors of note include the peregrine falcon, square-tailed kite and sea eagle. Also present are:

    spotted quail-thrushes

    ducks

    robins

    wagtails

    crows

    ravens

    parrots

    cockatoos

    lorikeets

    rosellas

    scrubwrens

    pigeons

    doves

    honeyeaters

    wattlebirds.

Several bird species reach their western limits within the park.

Although not a common bird, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), is found around the world and across Australia. It is a highly specialised bird of prey, with long narrow wings, slender tail, and a short powerful beak. It's an effective hunter, plunging with extreme accuracy at high speedstake its prey in mid flight. In the 1960s peregrines suffered rapid decline due to the effects of DDT on their eggs, causing thinning of the shells. The species is recovering, and birds can be found nesting on cliff ledges in the park. Splashes of white around the gorges indicate likely nesting and roosting sites.

Amphibians and reptiles

There have been 38 reptile and 19 amphibian species recorded in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Skinks, tortoises, lizards, snakes, frogs and fish occur in the park, particularly on the river flats.

A total of 18 fish species have been recorded. Of note is the long-finned eel, which breeds in the ocean then the juveniles eventually return to the Apsley-Macleay River system. Eels have the ability to slither over land, climbing high onto the tablelands above many of the major waterfalls. After several years, when fully grown, the eels return to the sea to begin the breeding cycle again.

Australian bass is found well up the Apsley-Macleay catchment and is a popular species for recreational fishers. It migrates to the coastal estuaries in winter to breed.

Remember all recreational fishers now need a fishing licence. The bag limit for bass is 2 per day, and only 1 over 35 cm in possession.

Invertebrates

A limited invertebrate survey has been undertaken in the Kunderang Brook Karst (limestone cave) System. A total of 16 species have been identified to date including lice, beetles, isopods, a mite, spiders and snails. Some of the species are endemic to the Kunderang Brook area and include a new genus and several new species, plus an unnamed snail.

© State of New South Wales through the Office of Environment and Heritage

Click the link for more information about Oxley Wild Rivers National Park

Green Gully Creek

Photos of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park  - Tia Falls, Apsley Falls

Photos of Green Gully 4 Day Full Pack Walk

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