Sherwood lookout

Immerse yourself in Toonumbar National Park’s rich Aboriginal history. The park is part of the historic Githabul Nation native title claim. The area is traditional country of the Githabul People and almost wherever you look from the Murray Scrub and Sherwood lookout, these places are of deep, ongoing cultural significance. The forests and landscapes of the park are as physically rich as they are culturally; food, medicine, tools, weapons and shelter were derived from the land for thousands of years.

At any time, the peaceful rainforest can erupt in an incredible chorus of song – rare bird species such as sooty owls, white-eared monarchs and the Wompoo fruit-dove, all enjoy tweeting along to their favourite tune. The performance is not only great for birdwatchers to get a closer look at the wonderful birdlife, but also a soothing experience for all nature-lovers. Just don’t forget your binoculars.

Twenty-three million years ago, Toonumbar National Park was alive with volcanic activity. Now, the dormant, eroded volcano is the bedrock of a landscape that’s one of the most spectacular parks in New South Wales. The peaks of Dome Mountain (915m), Glassy Mountain (920m) and Edinburgh Castle (893m) are eroded remains from the Focal Peak shield volcano, the same one active 23 million years ago. Incredible views, extraordinary habitats and beautiful rock formations are its legacy.

Camping is a great way to take advantage of one of Toonumbar National Park’s most fantastic assets – its wildlife. The diverse plant life at this park makes it an ideal place for an equally diverse range of animals. You’ll find some super rare species here, such as spot-tailed quoll and red-legged pademelon. Other interesting species you might encounter are yellow-bellied gliders, koalas, small-eyed snakes and carpet pythons.

The rainforests of Murray Scrub and Dome Mountain of Toonumbar National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. With this incredible abundance of rainforests, your senses certainly won’t be short of things to take in. Keep your camera in hand and explore the vast rainforests along hiking trails. You’ll find white booyong, Bangalow palms, birds nest and staghorn ferns and rare rainforest vines in these forests. There’s also old growth forests of tallowwood and flooded gum.