Border Ranges National Park

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"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere."— Vincent van GoghPack up the camping gear and get back to nature this weekend in the .

Situated near Murwillumbah on the border of Queensland/NSW just 2.5 hours drive from Brisbane, Border Ranges is the perfect location for a daytrip or overnight stay. With its lush surroundings and scenic views, this World Heritage listed rainforest is guaranteed not to disappoint.

Regarded as a biodiversity hotspot, Border Ranges gives those nature lovers the chance to see a diverse array of flora and fauna ranging from Antarctic Beech trees to Satin Bowerbirds and koalas. There are plenty of opportunities for bushwalking, swimming, 4 wheel driving or just relaxing on a picnic blanket and listening to the sounds of nature.



There are two campgrounds to choose from in Border Ranges, which are Sheepstation Creek Campground and Forest Tops Campground. The latter is for a walk in tent camping only. Sheepstation Creek is the more popular campground and is suitable for tents, caravans and motorhomes. Both campgrounds offer toilets (composting), wood/electric BBQs and picnic tables.

There are a total of 10 walking tracks in the national park. Unfortunately as we were only there for a short stay, we had to narrow it down and so we decided on the Palm Forest Walk. We found this to be an easygoing 2km walk which departed from Sheepstation Creek Campground (right next to our campsite) and passed through subtropical rainforest before reaching Brushbox Falls. There were some nice spots for photography along the way.



The next day we drove up the mountain to try the 0.2km Pinnacle Lookout Walk. Had the weather not been so miserable, then I'm sure the lookout view would have been astounding. Unfortunately we were greeted with cloud cover so we headed back down the mountain feeling very disappointed.

Another must if you're staying at Sheepstation Creek Campground is to take a short stroll up the hill near the campground entrance at dusk. You'll be rewarded with a beautiful sunset view with cows grazing in foreground.



And last but not least, NSW National Parks charge camping fees of $6 per adult per night and a vehicle entry fee of $8 per day. This seems a little steep for vehicle entry so if you plan on regularly visiting NSW National Parks, it might be worth getting an annual pass starting from $45. See the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services website for more information.

Where is it?
From Brisbane follow the Mount Lindesay Highway to Rathdowney. Travel east along Running Creek Road until you reach the Richmond Gap. To reach Sheepstation campground and the eastern half of the park, follow Lynchs Creek Road from Wiangaree and then turn left into Forest Road.
NB* Lions Road is not suitable for caravans and buses.
What can you do?
- Bushwalking
- Camping/Day trip
- 4 Wheel Driving
- Swimming
- Picnic
- Photography
- Birdwatching

Relevant sites
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/border-ranges-national-park

http://destinationtweed.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/border-ranges-visitor-guide.pdf

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