Waterfall Way is a one hundred and eighty five kilometre drive linking country Armidale and coastal Urunga, south of Coffs Harbour. It’s one of the country’s most scenic drives, passing through 5 national parks with hundreds of waterfalls sprinkled along the way.
Kimberley Busteed set off with Ethan Pole from Caravan HQ taking a few days to explore this stunning stretch in northern New South Wales. Caravan HQ is a family run business specialising in luxury caravans. Their head office is in Yatala, but they have centres along the east coast and have just opened a dealership in Adelaide.
And along for the ride is Caravan HQ Ambassador Tom Busby from the music duo Busby Marou. Tom is often on the road with the band but is keen to get more towing experience and explore Australia with his young family…let’s hope he packed his guitar too!
Our jump off point for this epic adventure is the charming community of Armidale in New England High country. At a thousand metres above sea level it’s the country’s highest city. The road we’re travelling is actually called Waterway Way and there’s no hyperbole about it. Our first stop along it is Wollomombi Falls in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. We set in the off grid campground, which is no problem for the On the Move Traxx Off Road caravans we’ve brought along. The site is just walking distance away from the main viewing platform of the highest waterfall in New South Wales. Wollomombi Falls cascades 230 metres down the gorge, crashing into the river below. Racing along side it is a second set, Chandler Falls and the pair make an awe-inspiring sight. Further around, you’ll find Edgars lookout which takes in the rugged gorge country to the west. A spectacular start to Waterfall Way!
New England National Park is home to ancient Antarctic Beech Forests and Point Lookout is an incredible spot to capture a sunrise. You’ll get panoramic views from the edge of the Great Escarpment and on a clear day, you can see all the way to the ocean. While Waterfall Way is a scenic drive the walks are even more captivating, so the crew decided the try a hike. Kimberley brought along some hiking gear from BCF including Mac Pac Uber Light Down jackets. They packed up the Outrak Chasm and Outrak Ravine back packs and made sure they had a Companion first aid kit before setting off. The Cathedral Rock Track in the neighboring national park is a challenging 5.6 km, Grade 5 loop, through sub alpine woodland. The last 400 metres of the bushwalk is a boulder scramble, under, over and between huge rocks! The last bit even requires pulling yourself up on a chain. But the view from the top is unbeatable. The team used a Jetboil Carbon Hike Stove to conjure hot water in seconds and filled up their Keep It Cups for a coffee break in a truly breathtaking location. The Ebor Falls Hotel Motel was their choice for a hearty lunch after working up an appetite. Chris McLean, or Budgie as he’s affectionately known, runs the place which serves great pub fare with friendly country hospitality. A must try is the trout from the local hatchery just down the road. They have rooms and caravan sites with facilities out the back. And it’s walking distance from Ebor Falls. The waterfall tumbles over two tiers and there are 3 viewing platforms recently installed after the originals were ravaged by bushfires. Waterfall Way is certainly living up to its name so far!
Our journey along Waterfall Way is taking us through lush green fields and into the rainforest. Walking through Dorrigo National Park is like stepping back into prehistoric times. Discovery Ranger Jane Grebert took Kimberley part way along the Wonga Track and explained this ethereal place is a world heritage listed Gondwana rainforest – essentially little islands that are remnants from the deep ancient past like living fossils. They’re a bit like a time capsule that’s connected to the time of the dinosaurs
Ethan and Tom joined in for the rest of the hike through the primitive plants made even more mystical in the rain. Part way along the bushwalk a rope bridge brought them to an unbelievable discovery. Crystal Shower Falls look like something from a fairytale. The water sprays from the trees over a jagged edge and into a rock pool below. But keep walking, you can get down to where it tumbles and slip right behind it. There aren’t too many places in the world where you can walk behind a waterfall!
Just outside of Dorrigo is Dangar Falls Lodge which is just 200 metres from it’s namesake. It’s about as close as you can get to sleeping next to a waterfall and you can hear the water flowing from the camp and caravan sites or the relocated nurses’ quarters. There’s a viewing platform above Dangar Falls or a short and pretty walk right to the bottom.
The crew whipped out a Mats by Design Camp Mat, some Wanderer Classic Cooler Arm chairs and the Sea to Summit Detour Collapsible Stainless Steel Dinner Set. They used the barbeque on the 18 foot 6 Traxx couples caravan for lunch with a cracking outlook. Have you seen inside this van? The finishes are world class – gold hardware and an induction cooktop. Meantime the 19 foot family van has corner bunk beds and heaps of room for kids. They’ve just been redesigned, and the range has something for everyone.
There are plenty of waterfalls to stop and see along Waterfall Way and a couple like Sherrard and Newell Falls that you simply can’t miss – running right underneath the road! We’re continuing our trip through the bohemian town of Bellingen. With the pristine Bellinger River at it’s heart the crew decided to have a paddle. Daniel from Bellingen Canoe Adventures took the team on a short tour, seeing plenty of wildlife along the way. But, if you’re game, they do a longer ride where you can try out some rapids! Waterfall Way ends beautifully beachside at Urunga south of Coffs Harbour. The crew parked the On the Move vans at Reflections Urunga Holiday Park which has powered and unpowered sites, plus cabins, right on the water. Ethan, Tom and Kimberley went on one last spectacular walk. The Urunga boardwalk goes for more than a kilometre weaving along the river and out to the sea. Ethan brought some prawns and drinks in the Wanderer Recycled Fabric Soft Cooler and Tom brought his guitar. A private concert as the sun goes down? What a way to end Waterfall Way!
If you’re ready to start your own caravanning adventures you’ve gotta see Ethan and the crew at Caravan HQ. Start at their website caravanhq.com.au or catch them at the Let’s Go Brisbane caravan and outdoor sale.
All the hiking kit and accessories like the Wanderer Levelling Ramps we used in today’s episode were from our mates at BCF. Swing into any store for all your outdoor gear.
For more info on the places we visited in this episode go to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
