Carabeen walk

Werrikimbe National Park

Affected by closures, check current alerts 

Overview

Discover World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest on Carabeen walk, in Werrikimbe National Park. This short, family-friendly walk loops past majestic yellow carabeen trees, near Walcha.

Accessibility
No wheelchair access
Distance
1.8km loop
Time suggested
1hr
Grade
Grade 3
What to
bring
Hat, sunscreen, raincoat, snacks, drinking water, sturdy shoes, suitable clothing
Please note
Carrabeen track overlaps with the start of Mesa trail, a challenging 8hr return hike that requires a high level of fitness.

Starting from Cobcroft picnic area, this loop walk is a beautiful self-guided tour of Werrikimbe National Park's ancient rainforest diversity, suitable for all ages.

Listen for lyrebirds' mimicking calls as you stroll through tall open groves of New England blackbutt and eucalypts. Then dip into cool gullies where blue gums tower over an understorey of tree ferns.

Scattered throughout are yellow carabeen trees, that give this track its name. Slow growing, yet often the forest's highest trees, their large, wide root buttresses straddle the forest floor and can extend 2-5m up the trunk.

Come in spring to see carabeen trees burst into flower with creamy white blossoms. It's also a great time to see wildflowers throughout the park, and spot the birds they attract.

After your walk enjoy lunch at the picnic area. If you're feeling adventurous, Carabeen walk is easily combined with the longer Mesa trail, an ambitious 8hr trek for fit hikers.

Keen to explore more? Pitch your tent at Mooraback campground, among snow gum woodland. You’ll wake refreshed and ready to discover more of the Mid North Coast hinterland, including neighbouring Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Nearby

  • Visitors sitting at the picnic tables at Cobcroft picnic area. Photo: Josh Smith © DPE

    Cobcroft picnic area

    Cobcroft picnic area is in Werrikimbe National Park, near Walcha, at the start of family-friendly Carabeen walk. Set in beautiful Gondwana rainforest, it’s the perfect spot for a snack before your walk.

Map


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Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

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/walking-tracks/carabeen-walk/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Carabeen walk.

Track grading

Features of this track

Distance

1.8km loop

Time

1hr

Quality of markings

Clearly sign posted

Experience required

Some bushwalking experience recommended

Steps

No steps

Gradient

Gentle hills: The walk has gentle hills interspersed with some steeper slopes.

Quality of path

Formed track, some obstacles: The walk varies between 1.5m to 3.5m-wide and is hard-packed ground.

Other barriers

Other barriers:

  • Large buttress tree roots cover sections of the track
  • This walk can be wet and slippery

Getting there and parking

Carabeen walk is in Werrikimbe National Park. To get there:

  • Follow the Oxley Highway 55km east of Walcha or 150km west of Port Macquarie
  • Turn onto Kangaroo Flat Road
  • After around 19.5km, turn right onto Mooraback Road and follow for 7km to the Werrikimbe National Park entrance
  • After entering the park, turn right onto Cobcroft trail and continue for 8km to Cobcroft picnic area.

Road quality

  • Mixture of sealed and unsealed roads

Vehicle access

  • 2WD vehicles (no long vehicle access)

Weather restrictions

  • All weather

Parking

Parking is available at Cobroft picnic area.

Facilities

  • Facilities, including accessible non-flush toilets, picnic tables and barbecues are located at Cobcroft picnic area, where this walk begins.
  • There are no bins so you'll need to take all rubbish away with you.

Maps and downloads

Safety messages

Bushwalking safety

If you're keen to head out on a longer walk or a backpack camp, always be prepared. Read these bushwalking safety tips before you set off on a walking adventure in national parks.

Fire safety

During periods of fire weather, the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service may declare a total fire ban for particular NSW fire areas, or statewide. Learn more about total fire bans and fire safety.

Mobile safety

Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

Accessibility

Disability access level - no wheelchair access

Assistance may be required along Carabeen walk:

  • Large buttress tree roots cover sections of the track
  • The walk has some steep slopes
  • The ground can be uneven
  • The track can be wet and slippery

This walk is unsuitable for wheelchair users, prams and mobility scooters due to the unevenness of the ground and the tree roots across the track.

Prohibited

Camping

Cycling

Gathering firewood

Generators

Horses

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

Carabeen walk is in Werrikimbe National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Abundant landscapes

Platypus Pools walk, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

You'll find three different rainforest types; cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical. The park also contains significant endangered ecological communities, like at Bishops Swamp and Racecourse Swamp. Head to Mooraback campground to see the snow gum woodland that is slowly regenerating from over 100 years of grazing.

Thousands of species

Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

There are close to 1,000 plant species found in Werrikimbe, including nearly 30 that are listed as rare or threatened. The diverse landscapes of Werrikimbe are home to a wide range of wildlife including around 52 species of mammals, over 120 bird species and 48 species of reptiles and amphibians. You'll see bandicoots, eastern grey kangaroos and wallabies including the rare parma wallaby, sometimes seen around Brushy Mountain. You'll also find a range of forest birds such as eastern yellow robins, scarlet robins, grey and rufous fantails. If you're lucky, you might spot rare species such as the olive whistler, rufous scrub-bird and sooty owl.

  • King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.

Traditional lands of the Dungutti People

Platypus Pools walk, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

When you're exploring the beautiful mountains, rivers and bushlands of Werrikimbe National Park, you're on the traditional lands of the Dungutti Aboriginal People. Aboriginal groups continue to have an active role in the management of the park. There are a number of important sites in the park that show that Dungutti people are the original inhabitants of this land, including several stone arrangements and surface deposits of stone artefacts.

World Heritage wonder

Lookout over the wilderness, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

The rainforests in Werrikimbe National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area; the most extensive strip of diverse rainforest anywhere on earth. This World Heritage Area is a direct window into the past and the future, providing a link to the ancient pre-human world and an irreplaceable record of life on our planet. Explore the rainforest on one of the park's many walking tracks, like King Fern walking track from Plateau Beech campground. Discover ancient Antarctic beech trees and listen for the lyrebird whose mimicking calls ring out through the rainforest.

  • Carabeen walk Discover World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest on Carabeen walk, in Werrikimbe National Park. This short, family-friendly walk loops past majestic yellow carabeen trees, near Walcha.
  • King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.
  • Platypus Pool walking track Don’t miss Platypus Pool walking track when you’re staying at Mooraback campground in Werrikimbe National Park, near Walcha. You might spot a shy platypus as you walk alongside the Hastings River.

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