Banksia Point picnic area
New England National Park
Overview
Banksia Point picnic area, in New England National Park, is a great place to have a cuppa surrounded by the sounds of the resident superb lyrebirds.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- 1316 Point Lookout Road, Ebor, NSW, 2453 - in New England National Park in North Coast, Country NSW
- Accessibility
- Medium
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
- The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
- Remember to bring your binoculars if you want to bird watch
Banksia Point picnic area is a pleasant, grassy picnic area nestled in the forest. It's conveniently located near a trackhead that leads to walking opportunities out along and below the escarpment edge. From here, you can head off on Lyrebird walking track. You could also take the one hour Banksia Point circuit and return via Tree Fern Valley.
This pretty picnic area is a popular place to enjoy a meal, for both bushwalkers and campers staying at the nearby cabin accommodation. There's space to kick a ball around or toss a frisbee, and a sheltered picnic spot with an elevated woodfire barbecue.
Map
Map
Map legend
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/picnic-areas/banksia-point-picnic-area/local-alerts
Park info
- in New England National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
New England 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 the Banksia Point picnic area.
Getting there and parking
Banksia Point is in the Point lookout precinct of New England National Park. It is 1km south of Point lookout.
To get there by car:
- Turn onto Point Lookout Road from Waterfall Way, halfway between Armidale and Dorrigo.
- Continue for approximately 13km
- Turn right at the sign to Banksia Point, 1km before Point lookout.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking available at Banksia Point picnic area in a small, bitumen carpark.
Facilities
- Drinking water is limited or not available in this area, so bring ample water with you.
- You’re encouraged to bring gas or fuel stoves, especially in summer during the fire season.
Amenities
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Wood barbecues (firewood supplied)
Carpark
Step-free access
The picnic area is mostly flat and step-free. You'll need to cross over flat grass and natural ground to reach the picnic tables and nearby walking tracks.
The toilets are set at the end of a natural surface pathway.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
Banksia Point picnic area is flat and step-free. You'll need to cross over natural ground and flat grass to reach the facilities and nearby walking tracks.
The toilets are set at the end of a natural ground path, but they are not accessible or ambulant.
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Banksia Point picnic area is in New England National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal cultural heritage
The park straddles the traditional boundaries of the Dunghutti, Anaiwan and Gumbaynggirr People, and covers an area of great spiritual and cultural significance to local Aboriginals. Point Lookout in particular is a sacred location, known to Aboriginal people as 'Berarngutta', which roughly translates as 'prohibited area'. It is considered a men-only place, and today many Aboriginal women choose to continue this tradition and avoid visiting the area.
- Point lookout Point lookout is a must-see destination for visitors to New England National Park, offering panoramic views across World Heritage rainforest to the ocean in the distance.
Amazing wildlife
The park's altitudinal range, from 150m above sea level to 1563m, makes it a superb habitat for a diversity of wildlife. You might see kangaroos, wallabies, gliders, possums and the inquisitive spotted-tailed quoll. Adults and children alike will love watching the resident lyrebird at Banksia Point. Yet with over 100 species of birds in the park, there are plenty of opportunities for birdwatching. You might spot white-throated tree creepers and rufous fantails in the open forests, while in winter flowering banksias attract Lewins honeyeaters and eastern spinebills.
- Point lookout walking track It only takes 20 minutes to negotiate the easy Point lookout walking track, but the views from this sealed track, within New England National Park, are truly stunning.
- Wrights lookout walking track Wrights lookout walking track takes you through a lush world of ferns and wildflowers to a rocky plateau with spectacular panoramic views looking down to Bellinger River.
Historic heritage
In 2010, New England National Park celebrated its 75th anniversary as one of NSW's most iconic parks. Its history is a testament to the vision and dedication of several influential New Englanders, notably Philip A Wright and his son Peter. They were deeply impressed by the beauty and grandeur of Point Lookout and recognised the value of the area as a sanctuary for plants and animals. After you see the spectacular views at Point Lookout, take a moment to learn about the history of the park and the visionary people behind its conservation.
Volcanic landscape
The steep cliffs of the plateau edge at New England National Park are the result of at least 5 basalt lava flows from the Ebor volcano, forming a rim over 300m thick. Active until about 18 million years ago, this massive volcano was centred around The Crescent, a semi-circular ridge in the Bellinger Valley, visible from Point Lookout. Subsequent erosion has created the dramatic profile of the escarpment we see today. The Banksia Point circuit provides a close-up view of a basalt flow, and you can see the layers of cliffs north from Point lookout.
- Point lookout Point lookout is a must-see destination for visitors to New England National Park, offering panoramic views across World Heritage rainforest to the ocean in the distance.
- Tea Tree Falls walking track Roam through eucalypt forest and beneath hanging moss on Tea Tree Falls walking track, linking Thungutti campground and Toms Cabin in New England National Park.
World Heritage rainforests
The rainforests in New England National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area; the most extensive strip of diverse rainforest anywhere on earth. The World Heritage Area is a direct window into the past and the future, providing a link to the ancient pre-human world and a stunning and irreplaceable record of life on our planet. Discover the ancient Antarctic beech forests below the escarpment edge on trails like Lyrebird walking track.
- Snow Gum walk Snow Gum walk in New England National Park offers a scenic stroll through World Heritage rainforest. Just 1km and suitable for all ages, it’s ideal as a quick family outing.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
With a complex mimicking call and an elaborate courtship dance to match, the superb lyrebird is one of the most spectacular Australian animals. A bird watching must-see, the superb lyrebird can be found in rainforests and wet woodlands across eastern NSW and Victoria.
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Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
With vibrant blue-violet eyes and curious antics, the satin bowerbird is a favourite for bird watching and easy to spot as it forages for food in open forest. Relatively common across eastern Australia, in NSW they’re found in coastal rainforests and adjacent woodlands and mountain ranges.
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Rufous scrub-bird (Atrichornis rufescens)
The vulnerable rufous scrub-bird is a small, ground-foraging bird that lives only in isolated rainforest areas of south-eastern Australia.
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Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Plants
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Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)
The blueberry ash is a rainforest shrub which produces blue olive-shaped berries and spectacular bell-shaped flowers, which often appear on the plant together. It is a tall slender shrub or small tree found in rainforest, tall eucalypt forest and coastal bushland in eastern NSW, south-east Queensland and Victoria.
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Wonga wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana)
The wonga wonga vine is a widespread vigorous climber usually found along eastern Australia. A variation of the plant occurs in the central desert, where it resembles a sprawling shrub. One of the more common Australian native plants, the wonga wonga vine produces bell-shaped white or yellow flowers in the spring, followed by a large oblong-shaped seed pod.
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Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)
Coachwood trees are Australian native plants that grow in warm temperate rainforests along coastal NSW. Also known as scented satinwood, the mottled grey bark of the coachwood has horizontal markings and a delicate fragrance.