Type

Picnic areas

Where

Deriah Aboriginal Area in Country NSW

Accessibility

Easy

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

Please note

• There is limited/no mobile reception in this park
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go bird watching

Nestled on the slopes of Nandewar Ranges, Wirrila picnic area offers a tranquil bush setting for a family get-together in Deriah Aboriginal Area, near Mount Kaputar National Park and Narrabri. Enjoy a barbecue lunch while learning about the unique culture of the local Gamilaraay People, in this peaceful picnic area.

After lunch, enjoy a short walk around Culture Sculpture loop walk, where you’ll see several sculptures of animals that feature in traditional stories and represent totems for the Gamilaraay People. The kids will love to discover ‘How the goanna got its stripes’ and ‘Why the brush turkey lays its eggs in the ground’.

Soak up the tranquil views across the cypress ironbark forest and if you’re into birdwatching, keep an eye out for the diamond firetail, speckled warbler and the brown treecreeper. If you’re keen to explore further, don’t miss the spectacular views from Biruu gaba lookout walking track.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Ancient volcanic landscape

The region offers spectacular scenery of steep volcanic rock cliff lines and soft sandstone that has eroded over time into unique formations. The volcanic rocks were created by eruptions that formed the Nandewar Range shield volcano, around 19-21 million years ago. Lava flows were pushed out from beneath the earth’s surface and spread across the land. The lava cooled when it was exposed to the air and hardened to make new rocks.

Bird watching paradise

The Deriah forest region protects a huge and diverse range of bird species, including numerous threatened and significant bird populations. Take your binoculars for a chance to see spotted harrier, little eagle, little lorikeet, black-chinned honeyeater, rainbow bee-eater and hooded robin. A number of species, including the superb parrot, turquoise parrot and speckled warbler, are listed as vulnerable.

Education in the forest

An innovative education package is available for Deriah Aboriginal Area. It aims to incorporate Aboriginal cultural heritage into all aspects of the curriculum. The package provides teachers with excursion options and activities within Deriah forest for stage 1-3 of the NSW Syllabus.

Gamilaraay country – Gamilaraay culture

Deriah Aboriginal Area is of high cultural value to the local Aboriginal community and contains important evidence of their lives in the area, with a large number of significant sites recorded including scarred trees and grinding grooves. The exact origin of the name ‘Deriah’ is unknown, although it may have come from the Gamilaraay word ‘dhiriya’, meaning ‘old’. Deriah Aboriginal Area Co-management Committee was formed in 2008 to work in partnership with NPWS to help guide management of the reserve and encourage connection with country. This committee consists of Aboriginal community members from Narrabri who represent Gamilaraay families with a historical connection to the area.