Dawson River walking track
Brimbin Nature Reserve
Overview
Starting at the Brimbin picnic area near Taree, Dawson River walking track follow the mangrove-lined waterway of Brimbin Nature Reserve, and joins with a historic bullock route.
- Where
- Brimbin Nature Reserve in North Coast
- Accessibility
- Medium
- Distance
- 1.5km loop
- Time suggested
- 45min - 1hr 15min
- Grade
- Grade 3
- What to
bring - Drinking water, hat, sunscreen
- Please note
- The weather in the area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch
Dawson River walking track is a great hike that starts at Brimbin picnic area. Before or after your picnic lunch, take a stroll on this picturesque walking track that follows the line of Dawson River before joining up with the historic bullock route of Old Port Macquarie Road. This road is an important part of New South Wales’ colonial heritage.
While walking this track, see if you can find a narrow-leaved red gum, which rarely grows this far north. If you’re very lucky, you may even see a koala, as this gum provides important food and habitat to this animal. You’ll also pass grey myrtle, swamp oak, water gum and two types of mangrove: grey and river. Take along binoculars and see if you can spot birds as well as nests in the mangroves. Brimbin is home to raptors, waterbirds and woodland birds. Overhead, you may also see seabirds. This walking track provides a great opportunity for birdwatching.
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/walking-tracks/dawson-river-walking-track/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Brimbin Nature Reserve in the North Coast region
Brimbin Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to flood events, poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Dawson River walking track.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
1.5km loop
Time
45min - 1hr 15min
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
No experience required
Gradient
Gentle hills
Steps
No steps
Quality of path
Formed track, some obstacles: The track is 4m wide and mostly hard-packed gravel with some rocky sections.
Other barriers
Gates: There's a locked vehicle swing gate at the northern end of the walking track.
Other barriers: There are 5 bridges at various points along the track:
- The bridges are 1m wide and don't have handrails.
- The bridges are all located after the first 50m of the start of the track.
Accessible options
The first 50m of the track on the eastern side of the loop leads towards the river and has a small incline and gentle hills. At the river, there's a flat section of track that overlooks the water.
The surface of the track past this point is uneven and rough. People with reduced mobility may need assistance along of the rest of the track due to the surface and slope.
Getting there and parking
On entering Brimbin Nature Reserve, begin Dawson River walking track from Brimbin picnic area.
Parking
There are 3 gravel carparks at Brimbin picnic area where this walk begins.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Brimbin Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Winter
Keep a close eye out for the flowering fairy light (or helmet) orchid in the forest leaf litter. It's a sparkling white flower with pinkish edges that grows on a short stem.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17.2°C and 28.6°C
Highest recorded
45.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
6.5°C and 19.1°C
Lowest recorded
-5°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
280.2mm
Facilities
There's a wheelchair accessible non-flush toilet with 2 cubicles at Brimbin picnic area where the walk begins.
Picnic tables
There's a picnic table near the start of the track set on a paved slab.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
- The track is 4m wide and hard-packed gravel along its length. There are some rocky sections.
- The first 50m of the track on the eastern side of the loop that leads to the river has gentle hills. There's a flat section at the river where you can look out over the water.
- After the first 50m, the track becomes more sloped, rough and uneven. There 5 bridges without handrails at various points along this section of track.
- There's a locked vehicle swing gate at the northern end of the track.
Permitted
Fishing
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
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
Dawson River walking track is in Brimbin Nature Reserve. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Biripi Aboriginal Nation
When Europeans settled in Manning Valley, the area was occupied by Aboriginal people: the Biripi Nation. This Aboriginal nation is made up of small groups of mostly one or two families, who travelled their country as availability to food sources changed with the seasons. The Biripi harvested native plants, each for a specific use. Identify their food plants, medicinal plants, arts/crafts plants and cultural plants when you visit Brimbin with the help of the Biripi Nation website.
Feathering the nest
Manning Valley has over 260 different species of bird, many of which inhabit Brimbin, making it an ideal spot for bird watching. Nests can be seen along waterways. Due to the range of plant communities within the reserve and its proximity to the coast, waterbirds, raptors, woodland and seabirds can be seen at Brimbin. This includes the largest owl on the Australian continent: the powerful owl.
Shady grove
The name 'Brimbin' comes from a local Aboriginal word for 'stringybark', which are common to the reserve, as are white mahogany, tallowwood and turpentine. Narrow-leaved red gums provide important food and habitat for koalas. Grey myrtle, swamp oak and water gum can be found along the waterways, with mangroves lining the banks below the tidal limit. River mangrove is usually a bushy shrub, with elongated fruit and clustered white flowers that smell like banana. Its main identifying feature is salt encrustation on its spoon-shaped leaves. Grey mangroves grow, in this area, to around 10m, and have oval pointed leaves, pale green flattened fruit and spongy pencil-like aerial roots spreading from the base of the trunk.
- Brimbin picnic area Not far from Taree, Brimbin picnic area’s idyllic riverside location is a great spot for picnicking, barbecues, canoeing and birdwatching. It’s also where Dawson River walking track begins in Brimbin Nature Reserve.
- Dawson River walking track Starting at the Brimbin picnic area near Taree, Dawson River walking track follow the mangrove-lined waterway of Brimbin Nature Reserve, and joins with a historic bullock route.
The Long Paddock
The Travelling Stock Route (TSR) in Australia is an authorised thoroughfare for walking domestic lifestock between locations, and these routes are collectively known as 'The Long Paddock'. Parts of Brimbin were originally the TSR of a stock camp sold in the 1960s. Old Port Macquarie Road, now part of Ms Kellys walking track, follows a section of track established in the 1820s linking Port Macquarie to the Australian Agricultural Co. lands at Stroud and Gloucester. The route allowed bullock-drawn carts to cross Dawson River.
- Dawson River walking track Starting at the Brimbin picnic area near Taree, Dawson River walking track follow the mangrove-lined waterway of Brimbin Nature Reserve, and joins with a historic bullock route.
- Ms Kellys walking track Ms Kellys walking track in Brimbin Nature Reserve is a short walking track near Taree, that follows a historic bullock route and takes in landmarks with names significant to the area’s historic heritage.