Minyon Falls, Nightcap National Park, New South Wales.

Minyon Falls Lookout

We drove to the Minyon Falls Lookout carpark from Rummery Campground early in the morning. There are gas BBq's, picnic tables and information signs. 

It was a short stroll to the lookout platform at the top of Minyon Falls. There were magnificent views of the morning mist just lifting off the mountains and the falls were spectacular after all the recent rain. The scale of the falls falling 100 meters over stunning rhyolite cliffs is hard to convey in a photo.

Minyon Falls Walking Track, 7.5 km loop, hard. This walk can be started from Minyon Falls Picnic Area or Minyon Grass Picnic Area. The loop can also be accessed from Rummery Park Campground via Boggy Creek Walk; an additional 4 km return. 

We had been looking forward to hiking the Minyon Falls Walk from the lookout but there had been heavy rain during the night, and over the preceding few days, making a walk already designated hard even more challenging so we made the difficult decision not to do the walk.

Minyon Grass Picnic Area

We drove to Minyon Grass Picnic Area where there are picnic tables, gas BBQ's and toilets. A lookout platform offers excellent views of Minyon Falls in the distance. We noticed a large collection of snail shells at the base of a tree but were unable to find the bird responsible; perhaps a Noisy Pitta.

Minyon Grass to the Base of Minyon Falls Walk, moderate, 4 km return.

We had already decided not to walk the Minyon Falls Walking Track from the top of Minyon Falls because of the wet and slippery conditions but decided we would try to walk to the base of the falls from Minyon Grass. The first 500 m of the walk drops 70 m before leveling off. It was slippery going but we enjoyed the walk through Scribbly Gums, wet rainforest and Bangalow Palms. The track was covered in the red fruit of the palm trees. On a side note, Bangalow Palms are known as Piccabeen Palms in Queensland.

Fungi was flourishing in the wet conditions. 

We saw Eastern Water Skinks and Blue-speckled Forest Skinks. Only a few birds were out in the wet.

Brown Cuckoo Dove and Eastern Yellow Robin.

After walking 2 km we were very disappointed to arrive at a sign stating that we had reached the base of the falls. Personally, I don't feel that arriving at a place with no view of the falls qualifies as arriving at the base of the falls! Somewhat stunned and incredulous at this turn of events we made our way to the creek in the hope of perhaps glimpsing the falls from there but there was no sight of the falls to be had. We could see where the Minyon Falls Track crossed the creek to where we stood and there was a track marker indicating a continuation of that track. We scrambled down the first set of rocks but the next set went straight up and were too wet and slippery for us so we returned to the carpark without seeing the falls.

We managed to get up and down this section of the "track".

 There is a track marker on the palm, top center. End of the walk for us.

Boggy Creek Walk, Whian Whian Conservation Area/Nightcap National Park, NSW.

Boggy Creek Walk is a 4 km return walk from Rummery Park Campground to Minyon Falls. The walk meanders beside beautiful Boggy Creek and swimming is allowed. 

There had been heavy rain around the time of our visit and one section of the walk was flowing like a boggy creek! 

There were majestic Brush Box, Turpentines and Blackbutts beside the track.

Brush Box Lophostemon confertus and Turpentine Syncarpia glomulifera

We saw a few Eastern Water Skinks and one Blue-speckled Forest Skink. The highlight of the walk was seeing a Rough-scaled Snake dashing across the path. Rough-scaled Snakes, also known as Clarence River Snakes, are listed as dangerous and their bite can be lethal but we always treat snakes with respect. We stood back and watched it proceed to the creek, no doubt, for a nice nighttime feed of frogs. The snake had quite a large tick attached but appeared to be in good health.  

Rough-scaled Snake Tropidechis carinatus

We came to Minyon Falls Road, just below the causeway, and saw a sign across the road for the Minyon Loop Walk, which is a hard, 7.5 km, walk that keen hikers could add to the Boggy Creek Walk but as we were intending to do Minyon Loop the next day we turned around and went back to Rummery Park Campground.

Rummery Park Campground, Whian Whian Conservation Area and Nightcap National Park, NSW.

Rummery Park Campground, in Whian Whian Conservation Area, adjoins Nightcap National Park. There is a small (sloping) area for camper trailers in front of the camp kitchen, a few tent sites scattered about and a walk-in tent camping area across a small bridge. There is a group camping area across the road.

The trailer camping area at Rummery Park.

Electric BBQ outside the camp kitchen and wood BBQ's inside.

The walk-in tent camping area.

Goanna Campground for groups. Magnificent Kauri tree in the front. 

The first thing we noticed at Rummery Park was a couple of large goannas patrolling the campground.

Kookaburras were keeping an eye on things and Satin Bowerbirds foraged in the grass in the early morning.

Satin Bowerbird (male) and Pale-yellow Robin.

There were crows nests and Stag-horns growing Hoop Pines around the campground.

Walks:
Two walks leave from the campground, Boggy Creek Track (2 km one way) and Peates Mountain Walk (3.5 km one way). It is possible to add the Minyon Loop Walking Track to the Boggy Creek Track. I will cover Boggy Creek Track in the next blog.

There are more walks in Nightcap National Park. Minyon Falls Lookout is a few kilometers from the campground and a walk leaves from the lookout carpark. Another walk leaves from Minyon Grass Picnic Area. We will explore Nightcap National Park in the coming days.

We planned on doing Peates Mountain Walk on our last morning at Rummery Park but it was too wet and we ended up packing in the pouring rain.

This Magpie was as wet as we were.

Driving out of Rummery Park.

Bird List: 
Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Noisy Miner, Logrunner, Eastern Whipbird, Eastern Yellow Robin, Pale-yellow Robin, Satin Bowerbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Red-browed Finch.

Details for Rummery Park Campground:
Directions: In Whian Whian Conservation Area, North Coast Region.The campground can be approached via Rosebank, Dunoon, or if coming from QLD, from Ewingsdale via Coolamon Scenic Drive. Then drive north along Minyon Falls Road, past Minyon Falls and turn into Peates Mountain Road. 
Types Of Camping: tent, camper trailer site, camping beside vehicles.
Camping Fees: Minimum daily rate of $23 for 1 to 2 people plus 2.5% booking fee.
Vehicle Fee: No vehicle fee.
Bookings: Book online: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/bookings
Book by phone: 13000 PARKS (13000 72757). There is no phone reception at the campground. There is phone reception at Minyon Grass Picnic Area and 2 km south on Nightcap Range Road.
Facilities: Non-flush toilets, Electric BBQs, wood BBQ's, camp kitchen, some tables, tank water, walks. No phone reception.
Prohibitions: No smoking, no pets.
Contacts: Alstonville: 02 6627 0200 8.30 am - 4.30 pm Monday to Friday.
Website: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/Rummery-Park-campground
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/Nightcap-National-Park/Visitor-Info
Cautions: leeches, narrow roads.