Where

Cottan-Bimbang National Park in North Coast, Country NSW

Distance

14km one-way

Time suggested

30min

Grade

Easy

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen

Please note

• There is limited mobile reception in this park
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch

Because Cottan-Bimbang overlays Oxley Highway, it’s possible to get a sense of it without leaving the beaten path. But interested travellers and keen road-trippers will want to take advantage of an additional driving route that threads 14km through the deeper recesses of the park along an unsealed road.

Myrtle Scrub scenic drive, in the western section of Cottan-Bimbang, connects with the highway at either end and offers scenic views of old-growth wet eucalypt forest and rainforest. Take it at your own pace, watching out for lyrebirds or brush turkeys scurrying across the road. At night, you might even catch a glimpse of a bandicoot or potoroo.

Another good idea is to bring lunch and take advantage of the picnic spot next to Cells River, with its magnificent timber bridge – a relic of the former forestry management of the area. Cells State Conservation Area, in the centre of the park, is a great destination for people interested in traces of gold mining history. If you decide to go walking, be sure to plan ahead and bring a GPS.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A potential World Heritage Area

Rainforest makes up 40% of Cottan-Bimbang National Park, with subtropical rainforest in the centre around the catchment of Cells Creek, and warm temperate rainforest and dry rainforest of myrtle further out. Because of this diverse ecosystem, Cottan-Bimbang has been nominated for inclusion in the Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage Area.

Aboriginal tracks

The name 'Cottan-Bimbang' is an Aboriginal word meaning 'walking stick palm', referring to a plant which can be found scattered throughout the national park. Echoes of Aboriginal occupation can also be seen in the routes used by early explorers and settlers, which were probably first used by Aboriginal people to travel between the coast and tablelands.

Colonial settlers, gold, and bushrangers

Cottan-Bimbang has a rich past filled with colonial settlers and convicts. The famed explorer John Oxley first travelled through the area in 1818, on his way to the coast. In fact, the first convict road linking Port Macquarie to Walcha went through here; keep an eye out for stonework remnants buried in the undergrowth. Loggers came not long after in their search for cedar, the Red gold. Regular gold was sought here too Cells State Conservation Area, deep in the park, contains relics of early mining. And just to top off a dramatic, event-filled history, the bushranger Jimmy Governer (Jimmy Backsmith) travelled through the area with his brother before being captured closer to Port Macquarie.

The largest population of parma wallabies

Explore Cottan-Bimbang National Park and you may be fortunate enough to spot the shy parma wallaby in the area. The largest population of parma wallabies reside within Cottan-Bimbang National Park. Approximately half the park is made up of native old-growth forest, making it ideal for a refreshing bushwalk, or just as a means to escape into nature.

Plants and animals protected in this park