With the amount of rain our home state of New South Wales had received lately, we thought it was the perfect time to spend a winter long weekend exploring the incredible scenic drive inland from Coffs Harbour known as the Waterfall Way. After all, high rainfall surely meant the waterfalls were going to be at their best. Passing through multiple national and state parks, rolling countryside, lush rainforests and river valleys, we explored the region’s stunning waterfalls, walking trails and swimming holes. Whilst we wouldn’t be doing much swimming as it was winter, it did mean we could bring along our two French Bulldogs, Ravioli & Truffle, for a dog-friendly camping trip. National Parks don’t allow dogs to enter in Australia, so we chose shorter walks at each location whilst they happily waited in the car (with the window cracked, of course). There’s still plenty of state parks and waterfalls where dogs are allowed and they enjoyed plenty of walks throughout the weekend.
☼ Day One – Home to Oxley Riverside Camp ☼
Heading north on the M1, our first stop was the Artisan Farmer in Nabiac for some delicious bakery items, house-made beef jerky and to pick up some of the best wagyu and flavoured sausages (pork, jalapeño & cheese I’m looking at you!) from their in-house butcher that makes it worth the stop every time we head north.
Ellenborough Falls is the tallest single-drop waterfall in NSW and was our first stop to explore. Dog-friendly, we enjoyed the two short walks to the main viewpoint and top of the falls lookout. The walk to the bottom of the falls is 720m each way and whilst we would have loved to have done this, we wanted to get to our camp before sunset.
Tonight’s camp was booked through Hipcamp – a lovely riverside site on the Hastings River in Mount Seaview. Pet-friendly and with campfires allowed, Oxley Riverside Campsites made a comfortable base for the night. The neighbouring property had pet donkeys that were more than happy to come over for a pat and greet us on arrival. With site 1 being the only true waterfront site, the other four still had views of the river and were only a short walk away. All sites were generously sized and felt quiet and private. Whilst lovely it winter, it would make a great spot in the summer so you can swim, kayak and float your way down the river, but it was just too cold for us.
☼ Day Two – Oxley Wild Rivers NP to Bellingen ☼
Tia Falls in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is accessed via a 5.3km gravel road. A short, easy 1.5km return walk takes you to Tia Falls Lookout and Tia Gorge View Lookout, both offering fantastic views.
Further along the road, and only a short drive off the Oxley Highway, is the picturesque Apsley Falls. Located in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park on the edge of the Great Escarpment, it offers impressive views of Upper Apsley Gorge and the waterfall. There are a few lookouts to enjoy here, including the Chasm Lookout, Lions Lookout and Landslide Slip lookout which are all along the Gorge Rim Walking Track, a 1.2km loop leading along the upper gorge rim. The Oxley Walking Track is a longer 2.8km return, medium-grade track that starts with a suspension bridge over the Apsley river and loops along the north side of the gorge, with views of both the main and lower falls.
We continued along the drive past Armidale and pulled into a lovely park for lunch and to take the doggos on a walk to stretch their legs as the next few stops weren’t dog friendly. Our dogs are great sports though – they love to snooze in their crate, and as the weather was nice and cold, it made for a comfortable stay whilst we went on short walks – most of the time they didn’t even realise we were gone!
Wollomombi Falls, our last stop in Oxley Wild Rivers NP, offers many short walks and lookouts close to the car park including Wollomombi Main Falls Lookout and Checks Lookout along the Chandler Walking Track. Other walks include Eagle View Lookout, Wollomombi Falls Lookout and Chandler Viewpoint, 1.6km each way, which we didn’t do. We drove around to Edgars Lookout which looks over the magnificent gorge below.
Ebor Falls is located in Guy Fawkes River National Park and was one of our personal favourites along the drive. With the viewing area right at the car park, the easy 360m loop walk has four viewing platforms with views of the Guy Fawkes River as it plunges 100m over two waterfalls.
The town of Dorrigo is a charming rural town perched on the edge of the New England Tableland along the scenic Waterfall Way. As the gateway to the World Heritage-Listed Dorrigo National Park, it’s a great place to base yourself to explore everything the region has to offer, including the stunning Dangar Falls and the Skywalk Lookout.
As nightfall was approaching, we chose to save these spots for tomorrow so we could make it to our next pet-friendly campsite located in the town of Bellingen, a quirky riverside town reminiscent of old Byron Bay or Mullumbimby.
We pulled into Bellinger River Camp, the next Hipcamp we booked. With sites stretching along the Bellinger River, our host directed us to the furthest site overlooking the river and it was beautiful. With our fire pit well alight, we enjoyed what was left of the evening, cooking dinner over the fire followed by marshmallows for dessert before rolling into bed.
☼ Day Three – Bellingen to Home ☼
Waking up early, as we always do when sleeping in our rooftop tent, we packed up camp to head back to Dangar Falls. Dog-friendly and with views from the car park, it made for our second favourite falls along the Waterfall Way. The walk to the bottom of the falls is short and the dogs were happy to be joining us! Whilst the water was too cold for a swim, Dangar Falls is a great swimming spot in summer. The natural swimming pool lies at the base of the 30m waterfall.
We enjoyed scones and coffee/tea from the pop-up van in the car park before driving on to our next stop, the Skywalk Lookout. Unfortunately for us this morning was foggy, so we couldn’t see anything from the lookout. We’d had great weather until today and really should have pulled into this spot yesterday, as it was only a short 70m boardwalk to the lookout. But that’s ok! I’m sure we will return one day.
Both Sherrard Falls and Newell Falls are drive-by waterfalls along the side of the road as you descend into Bellingen Valley, and are both viewed from the car.
Not far from Bellingen lies The Promised Land, a 12km scenic local drive through lush farmland into dense forest that weaves along the crystal-clear waters of the Never Never River. Home to pristine swimming holes, it would make the perfect place in the warmer months to spend your days swimming and exploring, including swinging from the many rope swings tied to trees above the river.
This marked the end of our Waterfall Way road trip as we drove into the scenic coastal town of Urunga to check out the beach and enjoy some fish and chips before the drive home.
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 