New England Camping Trip Day 2

Sunset from Wright's Lookout

Day 2 of our camping trip was a day of contrasts - we packed in a trip to Dorrigo for lunch and a short rainforest walk with hordes of other visitors, and ended the day with a solo jog and a rock hop to Wright's Lookout for a very memorable sunset.

Leaf litter on a long fallen tree, Dorrigo National Park

Dorrigo is a nice spot but, given its proximity to the coast, its not overly surprising that it's popular with day trippers and tourists. Not that this is a bad thing, unless you prefer to experience the peace and quiet of the bush sans people (which we do).

We opted just to do a short stroll from the information centre, down to the Walk With the Birds elevated boardwalk and back. This took us along a paved track through some pretty rainforest, past some friends we are quite familiar with up in Queensland.

Of the many interpretive signs along the way, one that left an imprint for us was about a tree that had fallen down in the 80s - around the time we were born. The contrast between the aged, decaying trunk and the younger growth surrounding the area that the tree had taken with it on its way down was fascinating. Even after 30 years, it would still be a long time before taller specimens filled the immediate forest and restored the canopy again.

Back up the ramp to the information centre

Emily took a nap in the early evening so I made a quick trip out to Wright's Lookout, thinking I could squeeze in another walk before sunset. Most of the way there is along a wide trail and the start of the New England Wilderness Walk, so I half-jogged this section, allowing myself more time to enjoy whatever view would be on offer at the end.

After a short scramble, I emerged at (what I thought was) the end of the walk, where there was some niceish views of the mountainous region to the east. A map at this point indicated you could walk a bit further to another lookout... worth checking out, I thought.

I was right.

Wright's Lookout is actually a high plateau of rocky construction covered in low heathy bushes. This combination provides an incredible range of views north, east and south throughout the rugged New England wilderness areas. In short, this is one of the best lookouts I can remember visiting.

Sunset from here was stunning; that I had the entire plateau to myself made it seem wondrous. The fact that it was nearly windy enough to blow me right off the New England tablelands did little to curb my awe; if anything, it made the experience even more memorable.

It was with great reluctance that I, not having explored the plateau to its full potential, commenced the return journey. Jogging became a necessity now, as I had allowed myself 20 minutes to soak up the views from the lookout. I stopped only a couple of times, to try and capture some beautiful bush memories.

A grand specimen of Antarctic Beech

Back at the campsite Emily had relieved herself of her reverie, and was getting a campfire underway. Who could dream up a better way to end the evening?