Thungutti Campground in New England National Park

Experience More - Subscribe to Our Weekly Events Newsletter

A great camping ground for a perfect outdoor experience in the New England National Park. A starting point for many beautiful hiking trails in the magnificent Gondwana Rainforest. Cook and relax at the fire or prepare a nourishing meal on the free barbecue under the shed. Enjoy the coolness in summer at a high altitude of 1,358m

Thungutti camping area is nestled in the New England National Park, two hours west of Coffs Harbour. Getting there is part of the experience, travelling on Waterfall Way, a long stretch of scenic road passing through Dorrigo and Ebor towns.



When nearing the camping site there is a big sign indicating the entrance to the national park.



Thungutti camping area has 17 spacious sites all numbered, each with a carpark room, fireplace and picnic table. It is possible to park the car near the tent to make it easier to get hiking and camping equipment in and out of your vehicle.

The sites are quite secluded with trees and ferns all around. The birds can be heard on the branches and sometimes small curious birds can be seen hanging around humans for a little while.



The camping area has a large shed with two barbecues and two picnic tables. It comes in very handy on rainy days or when you want to cook undercover. It is great for families and for groups coming together for food preparation, having meals or just to sit around the tables.



There are toilet facilities and a cold shower is available.



To stay at Thungutti you have to book ahead through the booking online system or call the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757. Here is the link for booking booking .

Thungutti is in a remote area and there is no reception. Pack all the necessary equipment for camping, all the food and all the water for drinking, cooking and washing the dishes.

The nearest town to Thungutti is Ebor, 23km away, which has a cafe and petrol. Ebor Falls Hotel Motel serves lunch and dinner every day offering traditional country food. The Hotel provides accommodation from ensuite rooms, camping and caravaning.

The town of Dorrigo is one hour to the east and it has cafes, a bakery and petrol. Armidale is one hour to the west and it is a big town with supermarkets, petrol, restaurants and specialized shops such as Bunnings and Boating Fishing Camping.

If you would like a different experience you can drive on Point Lookout Road to Berangutta Picnic Area, Point Lookout Picnic Area and to Banksia Point Picnic Area.

It is possible to start the hike at Eagles Nest Track by driving to the end of Point Lookout Road.



The campground is the starting point for many beautiful hikes. Tea Tree Fall walk is about 4km return and starts at the east point of the camping site. Walk 250 m to the south, cross Point Lookout Rd to start to walk Robinson Knob, Cascades Walk, Wrights Lookout, and the northern trails such as Lyrebird and Eagles Nest Tracks.



Personal Experience.

I camped in Thungutti campground when doing an exploration of New England and Cathedral Rock National Parks with a few friends from the group Hiking South East Qld and More.

The camping site was great, with lots of room for the tent and for the car. It was autumn, late April and it was very humid and damp. One afternoon it rained when we were out hiking on a trail and we returned very wet. The rain added already to the very humid place. The shed come very useful for hanging wet clothes and for sitting around the table out of the rain.



We were self sufficient with all the necessary food for hiking and for meals. We had the esky to keep the food cold. We took our own water for drinking and cooking. The camping site has two taps, but one was completely dry and the other one had just a trickle of water. Before drinking is necessary to treat the water. Apparently there is a tank collecting rainy water but I did not see it. Some campers took water straight from the creek for washing the dishes. There was no water in the shower too.





It was a bit cold, with night temperature around 6 degrees. It was great to snuggle up inside the sleeping bags and warm up. We had also blankets for extra warm.

In the evening we had a fire, great for cooking and for warmth . We used to take our chairs and sitting in a circle around the fireplace. Sometimes the smoke changed directions and smoke out a few of us. The sky was clouded and the stars were all hidden. Except for the light of the fire, all around was pitch dark and we were struggling to see each others but we could hear our stories.



Wood was available, it was located on the east side on the campground under a small gazebo protected it from the rain.



Point Lookout Road is a good dirt road, suitable for conventional vehicles. We arrived late in the evening, when it was already dark. When driving we have to be extremely careful because of the cattle roaming on the road. To make it more difficult the cattle was black colour and we could only see it because of the light of the car reflecting in their eyes.



There was no reception at Thungutti, but we had good reception on top of Wrights Lookout and on some sections of the hiking trails. In particular there was strong reception when we neared a station on Lyrebird Trail with a camera to detect fires.



Thungutti is also a great spot for exploring other national parks, such as Cathedral Rock, Dorrigo and Guy
Fawkes River National Parks.


Directions.

Address is Tea Tree Falls Walk, Ebor NSW 2453.

From Coffs Harbour is 2 hours, 134 km west. Follow the scenic Waterfall Way and then turn left into Point Lookout Road.

More articles from the Author.

[LINK=https://www.weekendnotes.com/walks-cathedral-rock-national-park/]Cathedral Rock Hiking and Camping
[/LINK]
[LINK=https://www.weekendnotes.com/hiking-over-the-years/]Hiking Over the Years
[/LINK]
[LINK=https://www.weekendnotes.com/wonga-walk-dorrigo-national-park/212898/]Wonga Trail in Dorrigo National Park
[/LINK]

#camping
#family
#outdoor
#parks
#walks
%wncoffsharbour