BARRINGTON TOPS

By Evan Spence 13 Min Read

When most four wheel drivers think of high mountains and crystal clear streams they immediately imagine the Victorian High Country. That’s fair enough, but it’s a long way away for anyone who doesn’t live in Victoria. What if there was a small slice of ‘high country’ only a few hours out of Sydney and you could visit there easily enough in a weekend? The good news is that such an area does exist. Barrington Tops, located north-west of Sydney between the towns of Gloucester and Scone, is that area. Reaching heights of over 1,500 metres above sea level ‘The Tops’ is our very own high country, easily accessible to most of NSW population.

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Barrington Tops National Park was declared in 1969 and was subsequently listed as a World Heritage Area and then a Wilderness Area. The park includes some of the most pristine bushland, not only in NSW or Australia, but anywhere in the world. The area includes sedimentary rocks in the lower-lying regions with granite across much of the top. The vegetation varies with both the rock type and the elevation, from scrubland to moist rainforests to sub-alpine forests.

 

Our trip started in the Barrington State Forest on the northern side of Barrington National Park. The State Forest has two designated camping areas at Manning River and Dilgry River but if you search hard enough there are also plenty of small isolated camps that you are almost guaranteed to have to yourself. Some are easily accessed by taking a side track off one of the main trails, whilst others require a little more exploring to find.

 

This is not your average pine plantation State Forest either. The native trees and plants have taken over and as a result there is wildlife a-plenty. This really is a bush camper’s paradise for anyone looking to get away from the generally much busier National Park camp-grounds.

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The Manning River, which flows through both the State Forest and the National Park, is a known trout fishery. During our stay we saw why, as the river was stocked with 18,000 inch-long trout. This seemed like a huge number until we saw only two 20-litre buckets poured into the river. It turns out 18,000 tiny trout are quite compact.

 

Our first stop on our tour around The Tops was on Gummi Road where the bridge passes over the Manning River. A short but undulating walk upstream of the bridge leads to Manning Falls. This magnificent waterfall includes a section of cascades immediately followed by a five-metre waterfall into a stunning plunge pool. In warmer months swimming is most definitely an option, however the rocks surrounding the pool are very slippery so appropriate care should be taken. In the cooler months just standing back and observing the power and beauty of Mother Nature is reason enough to visit this spot.

 

From the State Forest we headed south along Dilgry Circuit to Barrington Forest Road (also known as the Scone-Gloucester Road). This is the main road through The Tops and passes by a number of lookouts and campgrounds. The first such lookout we stopped in at was Thunderbolt’s Lookout. You will notice the name Thunderbolt to be recurring throughout the New England region. More on that later. The lookout is a 300 metre slight uphill walk to a timber observation deck. From here there are views to the south over the National Park and east towards the coast. In fact on a super-clear day you could almost see all the way to the coast. Take the time to just soak it all in here. It really is special.

 

Further west along the Barrington Forest Road is Devils Hole Lookout. A very short and easy 200 metre walk along a paved footpath takes you to another observation deck where the arguments can begin about which lookout has the better views. It really is a flip of the coin, as both are simply stunning and both are more than 1,400 metres above sea level.

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Almost directly across the road from the lookout is Devils Hole Campground. It’s perched on the banks of the Dilgry River and even in busy times you can usually find your own small piece of bush. Through the campground there is a gate which is closed and locked between June and September every year. In the warmer months, however, you can pass through and onto Thunderbolts Trail.

 

Up to this point the driving has been along forest roads that are generally well maintained. The seasonal tracks through the park are a different story altogether and can vary from well maintained to slippery clay in an instant. Not 10 metres beyond the seasonal gate you make the first crossing of the Dilgry River. Normally shallow with a firm base, it’s best to walk this crossing before driving it.

 

When I walked it, I found a large submerged branch that could have spelt disaster for someone’s radiator. Be prepared for cold feet as being in a sub-alpine area at 1,400 metres above sea level, the water is almost always freezing cold.

 

A little further up we turned down Tugalow Trail and were greeted by hundreds of metres of muddy ruts and bog holes. Even though it was quite warm, these ruts were full of water and did not look like drying out any time soon. A slow and steady approach saw all the 4X4s through without issue, even if a couple of the standard vehicles with less clearance did scrape their undersides a couple of times.

 

Continuing down the hill the reason for driving this track becomes obvious. A clear water crossing over the Manning River takes you to Gummi Falls and Gummi Falls Campground. This spectacular spot includes grassy campsites mere metres from the Manning River and a stunning 1-2 metre high waterfall. A small plunge pool is the perfect spot for a cool-down on a hot summer’s day. This really is one of the best campsites in the National Park and the modest fee certainly seems reasonable when you consider the location.

 

Taking Bullock Brush Road out of the campground, a turn down Barrington Trail will lead through areas of ferns that make you feel like you have suddenly stepped back in time to a prehistoric era. The trail links up with Barrington Forest Road or you can continue across the road to Junction Pools and Mount Barrington. In our case we turned down the forest road to check out something really special.

 

Not far away is Polblue Swamp. This open, grassy area, located at around 1,500 metres above sea level, may look like some other heathlands or grasslands but a secret hides within. The sphagnum moss in this area is what makes it so special. The moss absorbs and filters the available water in wet times and gradually releases it during dry times. This effectively means that Polblue Creek has a steady flow through all climatic conditions. The steady flow and grass lining means that the water in this creek is some of the clearest you will ever see. If you are willing to take the time to look and absorb, nature really will blow your mind.

 

The swamp is also a top spot for observing wildlife. While we were there we spotted a swamp wallaby and a grey kangaroo. Wombats and brush turkeys are common too.

 

We saved perhaps the most peculiar of the natural wonders in The Tops for last. ‘The Rock’ is located on Dilgry Circle and is a huge granite outcrop in the middle of the bush where two large boulders have formed, one on top of the other. Some say it looks like a mushroom, others say something else. I’ll let you decide for yourself. Whatever you think The Rock resembles, it’s definitely worth a look to see another marvel of nature.

 

Earlier on I mentioned that the name ‘Thunderbolt’ was recurring throughout the area. The reason for this was the infamous Captain Thunderbolt aka Fred Ward. Thunderbolt was a bushranger convicted of stealing horses, who famously escaped Cockatoo Island. Following his escape Thunderbolt led bushrangers throughout the New England district robbing inns and stores from the mid 1860s until he was shot dead near Uralla in 1870. In one of his more famous encounters with the authorities, Thunderbolt was part of a shootout after bailing up a store at Moonan Brook in 1867.

 

Just down the road from the scene of that famous shootout lies the Victoria Hotel at Moonan Flat. The pub is at the western gateway to Barrington Tops and is a favourite for travellers. We chose this spot to complete our trip. A cold beer and a great feed at a country pub is very hard to beat. The hotel was constructed in 1895; however the adjoining building (now residence) was a former wine shanty frequented by none other than Thunderbolt himself during the gold mining years.

 

A look around the pub reveals walls covered with historical photos of the region. Keep an eye out for the photo of the collapsed Belltrees Bridge (when a heavy truck attempted to drive across it).

 

What a fantastic trip through an amazing area. The wilderness of the Tops is simply second to none and if you haven’t been you should definitely mark it down on the calendar. If you have been, then you should probably go again because I’m sure there will be more to see next time. A long weekend is enough to get up for a look around from Sydney, but be warned… once you do, you will be back. I know we will.

 

Words and Photography by Todd Hore


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