Lyrebird track
Wollumbin National Park
Overview
Lyrebird track is a short walk in Wollumbin National Park. It leads from Mount Warning Road across Breakfast Creek to a lookout surrounded by rainforest.
- Where
- Wollumbin National Park in North Coast
- Distance
- 0.3km return
- Time suggested
- 15 - 30min
- Grade
- Grade 3
- Opening times
- 7am to 5pm in winter.
- 7am to 6pm in summer (during daylight savings).
Take a short hike on Lyrebird track and surround yourself with the lush subtropical rainforest of World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park. This easy track winds through palm forest to a viewing platform where you can stop, breathe in, and almost watch the fertile forest grow.
A huge diversity of animals, birds and plants exist here and each plays an important role in the rainforest ecosystem. Leaves, branches, fruit and seeds constantly drop from the tree canopy to form leaf litter. This provides shelter and camouflage for many creatures on the forest floor such as frogs and ground birds. Fungi, insects and animals help to break the organic matter down, which the trees can then reabsorb as nutrients. Brush turkey can be seen foraging through this leaf litter for insects and seeds. They always have one eye on the job and another looking out for predators, because it doesn’t need to be a special occasion for carpet pythons to enjoy a turkey lunch.
View the Environment and Heritage webpage for more information about Wollumbin National Park management.
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/lyrebird-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 Wollumbin National Park in the North Coast region
Wollumbin National Park is open, but may have to close at times due to perceived risk. The gate on Mount Warning Road entrance may also be closed from 5pm in winter and 6pm in summer (during daylight savings) and will reopen at 7am the following morning.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Lyrebird track.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
0.3km return
Time
15 - 30min
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
No experience required
Gradient
Short steep hills
Steps
Many steps
Quality of path
Formed track, some obstacles
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
On entering Wollumbin National Park:
- Park in the carpark at the end of Mount Warning Road
- At the top of the carpark, follow the track to the right towards Breakfast Creek.
Parking
Parking is available at Wollumbin National Park, including several designated disabled spots.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Wollumbin National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Look out for macropods and young birds as they prepare to head out by themselves and find their own home range.
Spring
During this season, the forest floor comes alive with colour and activity while the canopy blooms with flowers and bears fruit above. Birds display their breeding plumage while animals taking advantage of the free bounty. The sweet fragrance of nectar fills the forest to entice insects, birds, bats and mammals.
Summer
The frequency of spectacular afternoon storms means this can be a great time for photographers.
Winter
Enjoy the clear blue skies common during this season of stable highs which dominate the Northern Rivers region in winter.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
19°C and 28°C
Highest recorded
43°C
Winter temperature
Average
9°C and 21.5°C
Lowest recorded
-0.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
321mm
Maps and downloads
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
Lyrebird track is in Wollumbin National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Green rooms of the world
Wollumbin National Park is a Gondwana Rainforest of Australia. Gondwana rainforests include the world's most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest, large areas of warm temperate rainforest and Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest. Luckily, you don't have to go far to experience some of these environments, which are practically in your backyard.
- Lyrebird track Lyrebird track is a short walk in Wollumbin National Park. It leads from Mount Warning Road across Breakfast Creek to a lookout surrounded by rainforest.
- Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track and Aboriginal Place remains closed. Decisions about the future of the summit track will be made by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in accordance with the wishes of Aboriginal custodians.
Sacred summit
Captain Cook named it Mount Warning, but to the Aboriginal community it's a sacred place known as Wollumbin. The Wollumbin summit was declared an Aboriginal Place by the NSW Government in 2014, formally recognising the cultural connection of this place to Aboriginal people. Wollumbin is of great significance to many Aboriginal communities across Australia, particularly the Bundjalung and Githabul Nations. The Traditional Custodians and Aboriginal communities associated with Wollumbin continue to care for and manage Country, as well as their sacred spiritual sites and places.
- Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track and Aboriginal Place remains closed. Decisions about the future of the summit track will be made by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in accordance with the wishes of Aboriginal custodians.
Voices of the forest
Can you hear the pouched frog? It’s a very quiet ‘eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh’. Did you know that the sound of the eastern whipbird is a duet? The first long note comes from the male and then the female joins in with her whip crack response. From the high canopy down to the forest floor live a huge variety of animals and birds to see and hear. Though some, like the carpet python, land mullet, eastern small-eyed snake, lace monitor, black-bellied marsh snake and long-nosed potoroo, are very quiet creatures. Plant species in Wollumbin seem varied to the extremes. There are prettily-named ones such as maidenhair, silkpod, watervine, wait-a-while, tree fern, wilkiea and red apple. These live alongside Wollumbin zieria, with its warty and felted branchlets, the prickly shield fern, stinging nettle, flooded gum, giant spear lily, dogwood, turpentine and, most disconcerting, giant stinging tree.
- Lyrebird track Lyrebird track is a short walk in Wollumbin National Park. It leads from Mount Warning Road across Breakfast Creek to a lookout surrounded by rainforest.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Albert's lyrebird (Menura alberti)
The Albert’s lyrebird is much rarer than the superb lyrebird. Distinguished by its richer brown plumage and less elaborate tail feathers, it’s protected as a threatened species in NSW.
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Fleay's barred frog (Mixophyes fleayi)
The Fleay’s barred frog is an endangered species restricted to rainforest stream habitats in north-east NSW and south-east Queensland.
-
Lace monitor (Varanus varius)
One of Australia’s largest lizards, the carnivorous tree-dwelling lace monitor, or tree goanna, can grow to 2m in length and is found in forests and coastal tablelands across eastern Australia. These Australian animals are typically dark blue in colour with whitish spots or blotches.
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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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Wompoo fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)
The wompoo fruit-dove is a marvellously multi-coloured pigeon that makes its home in rainforest along coastal ranges from mid-north NSW to southern Queensland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
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Australian brush turkey (Alectura lathami)
The Australian brush turkey, also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests along eastern NSW. With a striking red head, blue-black plumage and booming call, these distinctive Australian birds are easy to spot while bird watching in several NSW national parks.