Scones in the forest South Coast walking tours
Macquarie Pass National Park
Overview
Experience South Coast beauty on this wilderness excursion with Nature Engagement Tours. Walking with a friendly and knowledgeable guide, you'll explore pristine forests in beautiful Macquarie Pass National Park, near Wollongong and Kiama.
- When
- Contact Nature Engagement Tours for times and dates.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Grade
- Easy
- Price
- Contact Nature Engagement Tours for pricing.
- Bookings
- Bookings required. Book online or email or call Nature Engagement Tours on 0422 178 723.
Within easy reach of Sydney, this 6hr outing by Nature Engagement Tours is a great guided experience in a park known for its terrific bushwalking and birdwatching opportunities.
With a small group, venture out with your friendly local guide along peaceful trails of the Illawarra Escarpment. The pace is unrushed and you’ll have a chance to soak up beautiful forest sights and sounds when you stop for a delicious morning tea. As you explore, your guide will lead you to hidden places and show you rare plants and animals found in this area and nowhere else.
If all this walking and fresh forest air makes you hungry, don’t worry. Nature Engagement Tours tops this day off by treating you to homemade scones dressed with locally made jam.
Nature Engagement Tours is a licensed commercial tour operator with a Parks Eco Pass.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/scones-in-the-forest-south-coast-walking-tours/local-alerts
Operated by
Park info
- in Macquarie Pass National Park in the South Coast and Country NSW regions
Macquarie Pass National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Scones in the forest South Coast walking tours.
Getting there and parking
Contact Nature Engagement Tours for directions.
Parking
Contact Nature Engagement Tours for information on parking.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Learn more
Scones in the forest South Coast walking tours is in Macquarie Pass National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
A colourful escarpment
Macquarie Pass National Park covers a spectacular sandstone escarpment that glows a rich yellow and orange in the sunlight, contrasting with the lush, deep green of the forest. At its base lie massive boulders lined with ferns and orchids. It's said that local Nurrewin House was built entirely from the stone of one boulder.
- Cascades picnic area Take a break from your road trip or relax after Cascades walk at this sunny picnic area amid the cool rainforest, near Wollongong on the south coast of NSW.
- Clover Hill trail For escarpment views, rainforest, waterfalls, birdwatching and cool creeks, take the Clover Hill trail at Macquarie Pass near Wollongong and Kiama.
An ancient route
It's thought that the track through Macquarie Pass followed a traditional path used by the Wodi Wodi people to travel between the coast and the highlands. Made into a track in 1863 and a road in 1898, it was so rugged that the brakes and radiators of the first cars had trouble coping. At least one went straight over the embankment. Today, it's a much more enjoyable journey - the winding, steep Illawarra Highway gives travellers time to take a look at the beautiful landscape and forest.
- Cascades walk For an easy walk through shady rainforest, take Cascades walk to a beautiful waterfall and pool near Kiama and Robertson.
Diverse habitats
The first thing visitors will notice in the park is the sheer size of the trees and the rainforest feel of the park, with plentiful figs, cabbage tree palms and vines. Tall open forest on the north and west slopes contains huge turpentine, brown barrel and gully gum, and there are three distinct types of rainforest in the park. If you're patient and lucky, you may see platypus in the larger watercourses and koalas in the forests. There are thought to be threatened broad-headed snakes here too, and you're also likely to see grey-headed flying foxes feeding on native figs in season. The park is an important place for the conservation of tiger quolls and long-nosed potoroos. There's plenty for birdwatchers to see too. Lyrebirds and satin bowerbirds wander about and the threatened powerful owl is also local to the area.
- Cascades picnic area Take a break from your road trip or relax after Cascades walk at this sunny picnic area amid the cool rainforest, near Wollongong on the south coast of NSW.
- Cascades walk For an easy walk through shady rainforest, take Cascades walk to a beautiful waterfall and pool near Kiama and Robertson.
- Scones in the forest South Coast walking tours Experience South Coast beauty on this wilderness excursion with Nature Engagement Tours. Walking with a friendly and knowledgeable guide, you'll explore pristine forests in beautiful Macquarie Pass National Park, near Wollongong and Kiama.
The perfect climate for bushwalking
In summer, take advantage of the dense shade and fern-lined watercourses criss-crossing the park. In winter, you'll find that many parts of the park are much milder than the exposed highlands, which makes walking a pleasant thing to do all year round.
- Clover Hill trail For escarpment views, rainforest, waterfalls, birdwatching and cool creeks, take the Clover Hill trail at Macquarie Pass near Wollongong and Kiama.